Brothers Forever
The Enduring Bond between a Marine and a Navy SEAL that Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice
By Tom Sileo and Col. Tom Manion
Description
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.
Author Bios
Tom Sileo, co-author of Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond Between a Marine and a Navy SEAL that Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice, is a nationally syndicated columnist and editor of The Unknown Soldiers blog, lives in Marietta, Georgia.
Colonel Tom Manion, USMCR (Ret.), co-author of Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond Between a Marine and a Navy SEAL that Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice, is chairman emeritus at the Travis Manion Foundation. He lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
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
My Thoughts: I started to read my copy of Brothers Forever this past weekend during our three hour commute to our yearly Memorial Day weekend family camping trip. (My husband was driving.) I was so absorbed in the book that the time just flew by and before I knew it we were at our destination. I was thinking how appropriate to be reading this book during Memorial Day weekend; the story of two stalwart young men who had their entire lives ahead of them, and gave their lives to protect our country. It certainly gave me a better understanding and a deeper appreciation of what these young men and women really do when they fight for our freedom. I just could not put this book down until I finished it. A very good read for all Americans to help us visualize what profound sacrifices are made for our country.
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLntSAcb0po
For more information please visit https://brothersforeverbook.com
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book to review and to keep. All opinions are my own.
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