No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor: A Memoir of a Mortuary Affairs Marine

Finalist in the 2018 NGIBA and rated 5 stars through Readers’ Favorite! An autobiographical account of one US Marine Reservists tours as a Mortuary Affairs Marine. His story begins in 2002 as an everyday postal letter carrier in Springfield, Ohio when he gets the call to muster. In the next three years, his life is thrust onto the world stage as an active participant in combat.

His unique experiences as an MA (Mortuary Affairs) Marine puts him and his fellow teammates directly into the path of war. Told in first person view, read what it was like to witness a despotic regime crumble, walk the streets of terrorist held cities on foot patrols, go on Search and Recovery missions to recover the fallen off of battlefields, and feel the sting of loss of a friend to the harsh realities of war. These are the stories that are never spoken, by a Marine who was there, to return the fallen home with honor.

No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor is a poignant, moving and at times heart-wrenching read that will make readers feel a host of different emotions thanks to its emotive and moving literature.

No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor is written by GySgt L. Christian Bussler, a former Mortuary Affairs Marine who has written an autobiographical account of what happened and how he felt when he served in combat.

The journey the reader is taken on is a brutal but honest one that will give readers insight into the tragedy of war and the effects it has on a person; especially the effects on somebody who witnesses the harsh realities themselves.

The journey, although at times difficult to read thanks to its moving and upsetting scenes, is an incredible book and if you are a reader who loves memoirs or military fiction/non-fiction then you will adore No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor, I know I did.

No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor will take the readers to the start of Bussler’s journey in 2002; this is when we are introduced to Bussler, and at this time he was ‘an everyday postal letter carrier in Springfield, Ohio,’ but soon Bussler is called to service. The reader will follow Bussler over the next three years in which he serves in combat as a Mortuary Affairs Marine which is a role that not many people know about.

The role is primarily to recover the bodies of fallen men and prepare them for transportation back to the U.S. As a Marine wife, I know all too well how important and critical this job is, and I think it is a sad fact that not too many people know about the role.

The reader will follow Bussler on this honorable, but a tough journey and as they do, they will witness what it was really like on the streets in the fallen cities which are run by terrorists or decimated beyond repair. The journey is a tough one because not only will the witness discover the harshness of war but also the tragedy of war through the loss of fallen men.

Bussler’s story is a powerful one that will undoubtedly move its readers with its emotive, heartfelt text and journey. When I read No Tougher Duty, No Greatest Honor I could not help but be moved by the story, the story at times would terrify me thanks to the hard-hitting scenes, but it would also make me want to cry because of the loss and destruction featured in the story that can be heart-breaking at times. So if you are a reader who is thinking of reading the book then be prepared for a brutally honest account.

I should add however that although the book does deal with many poignant themes and features many heart-breaking moments, I would still describe it as an inspirational story that perfectly highlights the hard work men and women do to serve and protect our great country.

Bussler is not only an excellent person for having served and written his story to share with the world, but he is also an incredible writer who writes with heart and poignancy. The literature courtesy of Bussler is dramatic as well as breath-taking and will have the readers turning the pages thanks to the natural flow of the text. The book is never once stagnant and flows beautifully throughout.

The descriptions courtesy of Bussler too are phenomenal, and because they are so descriptive and realistic, it means the reader will be able to place themselves in the thick of the story which is great because it will allow the reader to immerse themselves in the harsh realities of war.

No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor is a phenomenal, powerful and poignant book and so I have no choice but to award this incredible read five stars. If you are a reader who is looking to get lost in a moving, honest and touching book then No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor is for you so do not miss out. 5/5 stars – redheadedbookloverblog.com

“The first person narrative style is accomplished to perfection, allowing readers to see the world, the events, and to experience the conflict from the point of view of the protagonist. It is absorbing and the reader is riveted throughout the narrative.” scored 5 stars – Readers Favorite reviewer: Divine Zape

“The writing is strong and the author takes readers from one mind-blowing episode to the next gripping one. Friendship and loyalty, duty and patriotism, hope and death are themes that are brilliantly explored. He has a great gift for storytelling and his humor embellishes the story and makes it a really interesting read.” -scored 5 stars by Reader’s Favorite reviewer: Ruffina Oserio

“Bussler’s memoir is a gripping and edifying tour de force.” — Foreword Reviews

“This is a story of bravery, of patriotism, and of loss, told in an arresting first person narrative voice. The narrative is impeccable and the author has the rare gift of injecting a deep sense of humanity into the writing, coupled with his singular gift for humor and a unique turn of phrase.” scored 5 stars – Readers Favorite reviewer: Arya Fomonyuy

About the Author
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.