Filmmaking / Directing : They Were Soldiers Too - A Documentary by Frank Detrano

Although I am a storyboard artist with over 20 years professional experience in the animation industry, I have recently written a feature animated screenplay about a loyal Mercy Dog during WW1 who sees himself as a soldier and leads his canine friends on a thrilling journey across No Man’s Land to rejoin their army unit.

However, in my promo marketing submissions and events, I found that most people are unaware of who the Mercy Dogs were and what training and hazards they faced in finding wounded soldiers on a battlefield at night.

So, in conjunction with my film Hearts of Valor, I needed to put on my directors hat and create a documentary highlighting the loyalty courage and sacrifice of these amazing canines and explaining how their roles evolved and changed from one war to the next over the years.

Fortunately, I have received tremendous support from family, friends, artistic colleagues and military historians and organizations willing to lend their voice and support to this passion project. I have even been graciously invited to a K9 facility on a USMC base to interview a kennel master and witness the regimen of a modern day military working dog. The hardest part right now is finding the right music that is royalty free.

Very excited to be embarking on my own journey to bring attention and recognition to these service animals. We owe them that much. Updates and more news from They Were Soldiers Too to come!