A brand new documentary titled The Unknowns is coming to select theaters this month and aims to bring to light the stories of the guards of the nation’s most famous tomb.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a hallmark of the nation’s premier military burial ground: Arlington National Cemetery. Nearly 4 million people visit the grounds every year, most of whom watch the famous changing of the guard at the memorial for those dead without identity in the United States’ many wars.
The Unknowns features members of the Army’s 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, a.k.a. “The Old Guard, who watch over the monument 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rain or shine, snow or exhausting heat, a sentinel is always serving those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America.
Producer Ethan Morse and director Neal Schrodetzki both served as members of the 3rd Infantry and served as guards for the tomb. “I’d get glib questions, like ‘Why do you guard the tomb? Are they going to come out?’ ” said Morse, who took shifts guarding the tomb from 2005 to 2006. “I realize that they’re just disconnected from it, so we want to preserve the legacy and make a whole new generation aware of what that is.”
Morse’s production team for the documentary had unlimited access to the tomb and the U.S. 3rd, giving The Unknowns an element no precedent documentary has had.
The documentary premieres on Memorial Day. To find a theater playing the movie closest to you, follow the link attached here.
The original report on The Unknowns can be read on the Military Times’ website here.
A trailer for the documentary can be seen below.
May 17th, 2016