ASU alumnus Neal Schrodetzki met Biola University film senior Ethan Morse while they were serving in the Old Guard casket squad performing military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. The hope to return to the historic site to film their fellow soldiers’ training.
Schrodetzki graduated from ASU in December with a degree in film and relocated to Los Angeles. Now he and Morse are preparing for a documentary following the training of the U.S. Army’s most elite soldiers, something the Army has never allowed before.
“The Unknowns” will follow a group of infantry soldiers through their yearlong training to become part of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
“These soldiers represent the Army to the country and to the world,” Morse said. “They’re the equivalent of the Buckingham Palace Guards.”
The sentinels guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where unidentified soldiers from WWI, WWII, Vietnam and the Korean War are buried, watch over the graves and honor the soldiers buried there.
They undergo a rigorous process to become sentinels, as the Army expects the tomb guards to represent the best of its soldiers. Since 1956, fewer than 600 soldiers have served as members of the tomb guard.
Morse was assigned to the guard in 2005, following his assignment as part of the Old Guard, which consisted of only 1,600 soldiers. Four men from the Old Guard volunteered as members of the tomb guard that year, but only Morse earned the position.
To be considered as a member of the Old Guard, soldiers must meet specific height and weight requirements, display no tattoos and completely clean records.
Schrodetzki said the requirements were strict, but necessary because so many people visit the cemetery each year.
“You’re representing the entire army to the public,” he said. “You want to make sure that not only do you look right, you’re doing everything right. It’s really just about high visibility.”
Once the soldiers pass their initial tests, they can spend up to a year training, which includes memorizing 17 pages of material related to their new jobs and remaking their uniforms, Schrodetzki said.
Morse said their documentary comes at the right time, following the 2012 film “Act of Valor,” which includes active-duty Navy SEALs.
The two are preparing for an initial three-week shoot at the cemetery between May 25 and June 15, which they will use to pitch their feature-length documentary to producers.
They are raising money through Kickstarter, an online platform for funding personal projects.
The two have raised almost $5,000 of their $15,000 goal, which they need to reach by May 3 to receive funds.
Reach the reporter at julia.shumway@asu.edu or follow @JMShumway on Twitter.
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