Taking Chances 2011

Based on the recollections of U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl, the film follows a quiet, deeply personal journey through duty, memory, and the meaning of service. Strobl volunteers to oversee the remains of a fallen Marine, choosing to take on a task that military protocol would typically assign to an NCO, and he escorts the body of Private First Class Chance Phelps from Dover Air Force Base to Dubois, Wyoming. This decision sets the stage for a meditation on responsibility, loss, and the weight of ritual in times of war.

As the procession moves from the base to the heartland, the narrative paints a respectful portrait of Phelps, a Marine whose character and camaraderie leave a lasting impression on those who served with him. Strobl attends both the funeral and the memorial service, witnessing the profound impact of a soldier’s sacrifice on family, friends, and the wider unit. Through these ceremonies, the film reveals how communities rally around grief, offering solace while honoring the life that was cut short.

After spending time at the local Veterans club, Strobl opens up to the veteran in charge, confessing that he feels a certain envy for the active duty experiences Phelps had in the field. The elder veteran responds with gravity, gently urging him to reconsider his perspective and to recognize that the duty Strobl performs—protecting and guiding grieving families through their darkest hours—carries its own high honor. This exchange becomes a turning point, inviting Strobl to reframe his sense of purpose and to embrace the quiet, essential work that sustains both service members and their communities.

With that renewed sense of duty, Strobl fulfills his responsibilities with care, ensuring the remains are treated with dignity and that the families receive a proper farewell. He returns home to his wife and their two young daughters, carrying the resonance of the journey in his thoughts. The experience, and the emotions it stirs, eventually leads him to write an essay about what he witnessed—the feelings, the people, and the lessons learned—sharing it on the Blackfive blog on April 23, 2004, where it finds a wider audience and sparks dialogue about the human side of war.

The film ultimately invites viewers to contemplate the balance between frontline action and the quieter forms of service that sustain a military community. It presents a compassionate, unflinching look at grief, duty, and the ways in which one man’s choice to honor a fallen comrade can illuminate the broader human cost of conflict. The storytelling stays grounded in reality and memory, offering a poignant tribute to both the sacrifices made by service members and the personal growth that can arise from bearing witness to their lives and their losses.