Semper Fi- Documentary at Tribeca Film Fest.

Semper Fi: Always Faithful sheds light on the injustice at Camp Lejeune and illustrates that social change is possible

Salem-News.com congratulates our friend Jerry Ensminger for the the new documentary that tells the story of his struggle to expose dangerous toxins at a North Carolina Marine Corps base. His little girl passed away from cancer and Jerry never forgot.

(New York) - Master Sergeant Jerry Ensminger's loyalty belonged to the Marine Corps for 25 years. But when his nine-year-old daughter dies of a rare leukemia, Jerry gives up all else to investigate the cause of her death.

His exhaustive search for answers leads to a shocking discovery: one of the largest water contamination cover-ups in US history.

Bravely determined to hold the Marine Corps accountable for the unprecedented number of cancer cases and deaths at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Jerry refuses to settle for the military's dismissive response to the many victims buried under their dubious bureaucracy.

Outrage, perseverance, and enduring patriotic duty drive Jerry to reveal this grave national issue before Congress and the American public.

Directors Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon present a timely and sobering personal story, shining a light on the military's betrayal of American soldiers and their families.

The film compels and empowers the viewer to demand the Department of Defense—America's largest polluter, according to the film—to protect its soldiers and civilians from toxic environmental conditions at military sites across the nation.

--Roya Rastegar

About the Director

RACHEL LIBERT is the director of the documentary Beyond Conviction, which aired as a primetime special on MSNBC. Her short film Undertaker premiered at Sundance and was the recipient of numerous awards. TONY HARDMON is a veteran cinematographer who has worked on several films with acclaimed documentarians Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, including Freakonomics and Jesus Camp.

Director Statement

Image is Jerry Ensminger as a Marine drill instructor.

Our film Semper Fi: Always Faithful follows the journey of Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger as he fights for justice on behalf of Marines and their families exposed to toxic drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. In the process, we see this dutiful soldier transform himself into the activist he never imagined he'd become.

Jerry and Janey Ensminger- Camp Lejeune

In many ways, the story of Semper Fi: Always Faithful is a classic David and Goliath tale, and it was this conflict and heroism that initially attracted us. We felt that this was a unique opportunity to tell the story of an environmental disaster from a very personal perspective.

The water contamination at Camp Lejeune is one of the largest in U.S. history. Nearly a million people were unknowingly exposed to harmful chemicals at Camp Lejeune at levels that are "off the charts" by today's standards. These people chose to serve their country. They never imagined that their families would be put in danger by their decision to join the Marine Corps, and they never imagined that the organization to whom they swore their loyalty would betray them in such an intimate way.

As we dug deeper into this story, we discovered that Camp Lejeune was just the tip of the iceberg. The United States Department of Defense is our country's largest polluter. There are currently 130 contaminated military sites on the EPA's priority clean-up list. Many of these sites are still active and at some sites the contamination affects the neighboring civilian communities.

We hope that Semper Fi: Always Faithful sheds light on the injustice at Camp Lejeune and illustrates that social change is possible, especially when undertaken by relentless and determined individuals.

Learn more, visit: TribecaFilm.com