An EXTREMELY RARE LOOK into the secretive wartime military duty that no one thinks of until it’s too late. From naive weekend warrior reservist to battle hardened US Marine Mortuary Affairs specialist on the frontlines of the Iraq War. A story honor, bravery, sacrifice, and reverence in war.

Memoir, Biographical, War, Fantasy, Comedy, Melodrama, Action, Adventure, Drama, Historical Fiction,,Action,Biographical,Drama,War,Comedy,Crime

From wide eyed weekend warrior to battle hardened Marine, this story begins in the unlikeliest of places; on a mail route in snow covered Ohio.

Exhausted by 3 deployments in 3 years, he has become a totally different man. No longer the kid excited to go to war, but rather the I had the same perspective as his dad in the beginning of the story — war is hell, and he never wants his kids to experience what he witnessed.

Iraq

Yes

Internal Journey/Rebirth,,Other

Meaningful Message, Philosophical Questions, Coming of Age,,Coming of Age,Philosophical Questions

Language/Profanity,Extreme Violence

Name: Christian Bussler

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Role: Protagonist

Key Traits: Selfless, Strong Moral Code, Aspiring, Complex, Honorable, Insecure, Perseverance,Aspiring,Clumsy,Honorable,Insecure,Modest,Obedient

Name: Major Haughty

Age: 45

Gender: Male

Role: Antagonist

Key Traits: Blunt, Manipulative, Leader, Narcissistic, Unapologetic, Aggressive, Complex, Educated, Greedy, Power-hungry, Secretive,Narcisstic,Secretive,Manipulative,Unapologetic,Aggressive,Greedy,Leader

Name: Gunny Ballantine

Age: 38

Gender: Lgbt

Role: mentor

Key Traits: Leader, Masculine, Perseverance, Aggressive, Confident, Engaging, Gracious, Heroic, Charming, Aspiring, Complex, Selfless, Strong Moral Code, Badass, Educated, Honorable, Modest,Badass,Charming,Complex,Honorable

Name: Staff Sergeant Eric Anderson

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Role: Mentor

Key Traits: Masculine, Strong Moral Code, Aggressive, Leader, Adventurous, Charming, Heroic, Modest, Perseverance, Aspiring, Decisive, Honorable, Selfless, Badass, Confident

Caught in the tidewaters of history and political consequence, a wide eyed weekend warrior is called to war to be a “frontline body bagger”. Through three tours of duty in Iraq this awkward protagonist reinvents himself as a honorable man willing to do anything to recover the fallen from the battlefields and send them home with honor. He resents his narcissistic and award hungry commander (antagonist) who is only out for himself. This is a story of transformation set in the most secretive but respected of duties in the Iraq War. The protagonist opens a world that has never been opened to the public before, to tell the real stories of real loss and real heroism. This story respectfully bridges the gap between “Generation Kill” and “Taking Chance”, all the while honors those who sacrificed their lives for their country.

The Author of "No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor", Christian Bussler grew up as an Air Force brat in the 1970's and 1980's. He joined the Marine Corps Reserves right out of high school and was assigned to MP Co "C" in Dayton, Ohio as an 0311 Rifleman. He was crossed trained as a 9051 Graves Registration/Mortuary Affairs Marine in the early 1990's. In 2003 his platoon of Mortuary Affairs specialists was activated to head to Kuwait, and he participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In Feb of 2004, he volunteered to go back to Iraq and was assigned to Weapons Co 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, where he was wounded in combat operations while fighting against Al Qaeda terrorist insurgents. After his surgeries, he volunteered once again to go back to Iraq in 2005, but this time as the Staff NCOIC of all Mortuary Affairs operations in and around Al Taqaddum, Iraq. His book "No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor" details his experiences as a forward operating "body-bagger". He tells the stories that no one ever speaks of, about a duty that few know that exists. He had spent four years teaching himself how to write, and his book is the result of thousands of hours of writing and re-writing his difficult experiences in war. He hopes that his work can provided the answers that families of the fallen may have, and he hopes to honor the sacrifices of those who have paid the ultimate cost for freedom.

Age: 13-17,18-34,35-54,55+

Target Gender: Universal

Military, history, political consequence, drama

Status: Yes: with a Publisher

Publisher: Amazon

Year Published: 2017

Yes

9781546604938