Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond between a Marine and a Navy SEAL that Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice
Da Capo Press , May 2014
"The friendship between First Lieutenant Travis Manion and
Lieutenant Brendan Looney reflects the meaning of
Memorial Day: brotherhood, sacrifice, love of country. And it is
my fervent prayer that we may honor the memory of the fallen by
living out those ideals every day of our lives, in the military
and beyond."
-- President Obama, Memorial Day 2011
Four weeks after Navy SEALs had killed Osama bin Laden, the President of the United States stood in Arlington National Cemetery. In his Memorial Day address, he extolled the courage and sacrifice of the two young men buried side by side in the graves before him: Travis Manion, a fallen US Marine, and Brendan Looney, a fallen US Navy SEAL. Although they were killed three years apart, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, these two best friends and former roommates were now buried together -- "brothers forever."
Award-winning journalist Tom Sileo and Travis's father, former Marine colonel Tom Manion, tell the intimate and personal story of how these Naval Academy roommates defined a generation's sacrifice after 9/11, and how Travis and Brendan's loved ones overcame heartbreak to carry on in their memory. From Travis's incredible heroism on the streets of Fallujah to Brendan's anguished Navy SEAL training in the wake of his friend's death and his own heroism in the mountains of Afghanistan, Brothers Forever is a remarkable story of friendship, family, and war.
Hardcover | ISBN: 9780306822377 | Publication Date: May 2014
Reviews:
"First Lieutenant Travis Manion and Lieutenant Brendan Looney are
true American heroes. Both were killed in action while I was
Secretary of Defense, and I attended Brendan's funeral at
Arlington National Cemetery. I was told there of Travis being
re-interred next to him so that these best friends and Naval
Academy roommates might spend eternity together -- a bond unbroken
by death. Their story is one of extraordinary courage, sacrifice
and love. It is a story of the price of freedom. All Americans
should read it, and understand the unimaginable debt we owe to
such men, the best America has to offer."
-- Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense under Presidents
Barack Obama and George W. Bush
"Brothers Forever by Tom Sileo and Col. Tom Manion
provides an intimate portrait of two patriots who are compelling
examples of a generation of young Americans who have sacrificed in
the defense of our freedoms following the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001."
-- Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense under Presidents
George W. Bush and Gerald Ford
"Brothers Forever is the story of two warrior
brothers-in-arms who are bonded forever by their love of country,
their shared need to serve, their selflessness, their courage, and
war. This is the story of a deep and lasting friendship that lives
on in the hearts of all who knew and loved them. A deeply moving,
true-to-life tale of two men, two brothers, two American heroes,
who now rest with the angels, side-by-side at Arlington cemetery.
God bless them both."
-- Gary Sinise, award-winning actor and founder of the
veterans-supporting Gary Sinise Foundation
"Brothers Forever is -- literally -- a staggering book.
It drives home the price of a decade of war through the stories of
a Marine and a SEAL whose memory will live forever."
-- Nathaniel Fick, author of One Bullet Away
"Brothers Forever is more than the shared story of two
American heroes, it encapsulates the pride, adrenaline, ethos, and
anguish of the entire military community. The best way for our
country to honor the sacrifices made by our fallen and their
families is to never forget them. We can begin by reading this
incredible book.
-- Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men Are
Gone
"If you want to understand the warrior spirit of an American
generation, please read this powerful and unforgettable book . . .
Brothers Forever is, at heart, a testament of what it means
to live a good life."
-- Eric Greitens, Navy SEAL and New York Times
bestselling author of The Heart and the Fist
"For those who might question America's character, this account
of two remarkable young men will restore confidence. So long as
our country breeds committed warriors like Travis Manion and
Brendan Looney, we will pass down our freedoms intact to the next
generation. Their story is the stuff of legends, yet for them it
was very real."
-- General James Mattis, USMC (Ret.), former commander of
US Central Command
"Brothers Forever is an incredible story of brotherhood
and heroism that every true American patriot should read. Brendan
and Travis represent the very best of a generation that answered
the call after 9/11. Their story captures the heart, inspires a
whole new generation to serve, and stands as a testament to the
unbreakable bond formed among US Armed Forces as they fight
alongside each other and lay down their lives."
-- Lieutenant Commander Leif Babin, US Navy SEAL and Silver
Star Recipient; Instructor and Teammate of Lieutenant Brendan
Looney
