Summary: Arlington National Cemetery is the most sacred shrine in America. Its hallowed grounds contain presidents, privates, and some of the most famous names in military and political history—Supreme Court justices, five-star generals, and Medal of Honor recipients—as well as liberated slaves, and, at the fabled Tomb of the Unknown, the bodies of soldiers known only to God. Sacred Duty, is not only an intimate and inspiring portrait of Arlington National Cemetery’s Old Guard (the official ceremonial unit of the U.S. Army and America’s oldest infantry unit, dating to 1784), but also a personal chronicle of Senator Cotton’s time as a platoon leader in the unit. In writing and researching the book, Senator Cotton has spent the past year closely shadowing the unit’s soldiers, original reporting that forms the spine of the book. Tom Cotton is a United States Senator from Arkansas. He served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division and in Afghanistan with a Provincial Reconstruction Team. Between combat tours, he served with the United States Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment (“The Old Guard”) at Arlington National Cemetery. His military decorations include the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Ranger Tab. He served one term in the House of Representatives before election to the Senate.
