Tom Secker and Matthew Alford spent years digging into a secret that was hiding in plain sight. Or rather, hiding in movie theaters, television sets, and streaming services everywhere: The secret influence the Department of Defense and intelligence community had on Hollywood. In this Requester’s Voice, Secker shares what he learned.

Recently uncovered materials buried in CIA’s CREST archive offer some behind-the-scenes insight into American filmmaker John Ford’s career with the U.S. military.