The screening will take place at the library, 30 East Hanover Avenue in Whippany, and will be followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmaker Phil Garrison.
Running approximately 34 minutes, the documentary introduces viewers to past and present Tomb Guards and explores the commitment behind their service at Arlington National Cemetery. The film was released on Veterans Day in 2022.
For Garrison, the project began with a personal connection. His father, Dr. Charles Garrison, served as a Tomb Guard for seven months in 1961. The filmmaker initially planned to combine his father’s memories with original footage recorded by his grandfather that year.
The project grew to include additional perspectives and access to the Tomb Guard quarters. Among those featured is Fred Moore, the first African American Tomb Guard. The film connects personal experiences with a responsibility carried forward by successive generations of soldiers.
According to Arlington National Cemetery, the sentinels maintain their watch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in all weather. Around-the-clock guarding began in 1937.
Their preparation extends beyond the familiar precision of the changing-of-the-guard ceremony. New sentinels study cemetery history and the locations of nearly 300 veterans’ graves, while learning ceremonial procedures and exacting standards for maintaining their uniforms and weapons.
Scheduled shortly before Veterans Day, the November 5 program offers an occasion to reflect on military service, remembrance and the individuals entrusted with this enduring responsibility. The discussion following the film gives attendees an opportunity to ask about the documentary and its creation.