Robert Edsel's Blog

If you are fan of “Band of Brothers”, then you are in for a treat when “The Pacific” premiers this Sunday at 9pm EST/8pm CST on HBO. This ten part miniseries follows the lives of 3 marines who fought in the war of the Pacific. All reviews of this show gave it the highest of marks and compliments, not surprising since the same team that produced “Band of Brothers” produced “The Pacific” including Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. I hope everyone has a chance to watch this highly anticipated show and remembers the men and women who gave their live to save us from tyranny.

“The Pacific” Homepage

I was recently honored to become a Trustee of our nation’s National World War ll Museum in New Orleans.  For those of you who may not know, this museum is the joint vision of the great historian and the most popular storyteller of World War ll, the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose, and his best friend of 30 years, fellow historian and current CEO of the Museum, Dr. Nick Mueller. It has a dedicated board of trustees, a passionate group of employees, and prominent volunteer supporters, including Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw, who together have created one of the most exciting and interesting visitor experiences in the world.

The museum is unparalleled in its telling of the war.  It has just opened a unique 4-D theater, home to “Beyond All Boundaries”, a one of a kind film produced by Tom Hanks which may only be seen in this theater.  The film presents an extraordinary summary of the war and the events which led to it.  Appealing to adults and kids alike, this museum is one of our country’s great cultural experiences in the exciting and fully recovered city of New Orleans.

This week the museum is having a “Band of Brothers” marathon leading up to the newest HBO special, “The Pacific”.  Anyone seeking a great experience should hop on a Southwest Airlines jet and get a front row seat for this great event!

U.S. Marine Lane Faison (Photo Courtesy of Sandy Faison)

When my book on the Monuments Men was reviewed by The Washington Post in what was an expansive and, overall, good review (but for the “drive by” parting comment), the writer did take exception to my characterization of these men and women as “heroes” stating:

“In civilian life they were professional art people or patrons of the arts, and they seem to have regarded their work during the war as an extension and amplification of their civilian careers. They worked very hard and very effectively, but they seem to have had no sense of (or inclination toward) heroics, and my judgment is that they should be viewed accordingly: with respect and gratitude, but not elevated to the exalted precincts of heroism.”

I found this comment astonishing:  two Monuments Men were killed in action, others had many close calls, most all volunteered, and without exception all of them made a significant sacrifice.  The Monuments Men and women not only didn’t have to be in combat, but many of them had to go to considerable lengths just to finagle their way into active duty.  I remain of the opinion that the Monuments Men and women WERE heroes, one and all.

I apply the same standard to men and women in uniform today.  Some kids join gangs; some go to college or trade school; some chase the almighty dollar; and some goof off.  Others still enter military service as a career; some do it for the opportunity to receive a great college education they might otherwise not be able to afford.  Others hope to continue a family tradition of military service.  Whatever the reason, these brave men and women are stationed somewhere around the world which means they are away from family, friends, and serving their nation, often in harm’s way.  Yes, they are paid for duty (as are police officers and firemen—and I consider them heroes also!), but that shouldn’t diminish the degree of sacrifice involved with their job in any way.  Every soldier I see in an airport, headed home on leave or back to his or her unit, has by dint of service earned my respect and admiration.

One such soldier who I want to mention is the grandson of one of our beloved Monuments Men (S. Lane Faison, Jr.), Lane Faison.  His great grandfather served in the U. S. Army and his grandfather served in the U.S. Navy with distinction.  His grandfather was someone I adored, an early member of the OSS who interrogated many of the Nazis in an effort to determine their respective roles in the art thefts and discern what Hitler’s plans were for the Führermuseum he hoped to build in his hometown of Linz.  I first met his grandson, Lane, at his memorial service in December 2006, a little more than a month after having interviewed his grandfather.  In the time since, Lane joined the U. S. Marines and is currently serving overseas having seen duty in Afghanistan.   We are all proud of his sense of purpose and willingness to serve his country in this manner. I know his grandfather would be beaming with pride.

To Lane, and all his fellow servicemen and women, especially those in harm’s way, we salute you, wish you success with your mission, and a safe return home upon completion.

New Orleans is the place to be….Saints mania abounds, and rightfully so!!!  But there’s another exciting event which has brought me here today:  the opening of the first exhibition by the Monuments Men Foundation!  And what more fitting location could there be:  the stunning National World War II Museum!  On display are two irreplaceable historic documents which are the smoking guns of Hitler and the Nazi’s greatest theft in history:  the Gemaldegalerie Linz Album XIII, and the ERR Album 6, both of which were removed from Hitler’s home in Berchtesgaden, known as the Berghof, by U.S. Army soldiers.

This is the first time these documents have been together since being in Hitler’s possession, and the only opportunity the public will ever have to see them together.  The ERR Album 6 contains photographs of paintings stolen by Alfred Rosenberg and his notorious Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg unit from the great collectors in France including families such as the Rothschilds, Seligmanns, David-Weill, and others.  It was presented to Hitler along with as many as 100 albums in that series.  Until the Monuments Men Foundation located Album 6, it was believed there were just 39 of these albums which, interestingly, were the chief prosecution exhibit at the Nuremberg Trials for the portion pertaining to Nazi theft of cultural property.

This 90 day exhibition marks the second leg of the journey home to Berlin for the Gemaldegalerie Linz Album XIII.  It began a week ago when I presented it to Germany’s Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Klaus Scharioth, at the United States State Department (for related story click here).  This Album, one of 31 such albums created of which only 19 were believed to have survived the war, is extremely important because it contains photographs of the works of art personally selected by Hitler for the museum he intended on building in his hometown of Linz, commonly referred to as the Führermuseum.  Album XIII is particularly significant because it contains works by German 19th century painters so beloved by Hitler.  Not only was this and the other still missing 11 albums thought to have been destroyed, but scholars believed their last known location was the Wolfsschanze or Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s headquarters on the eastern front.  That this album was located at Berchtesgaden was quite a revelation and makes it increasingly likely others will eventually be found.

The Monuments Men Foundation believes that many of the missing albums from both series survived the war and will surface in the months and years ahead.  These documents are only the most recent examples of the millions of still missing works of art and other objects from the World War II period.  We encourage anyone with information about a missing object, or concern about some item in their possession, to contact the Monuments Men Foundation.

And an enormous “thanks” goes to all our friends at the National World War II Museum who have done such an outstanding job installing the exhibit and supporting this important display.  For all those who haven’t been to the Museum, it is truly one of the most amazing, interactive and fascinating museums in the world. For more information on the National World War II Museum visit http://www.nationalww2museum.org/.

65th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland. On January 17, 1945, the Nazis evacuated the camp, forcing some 60,000 prisoners on a death march to the Bergen-Belsen camp in Germany. On January 27, Soviet troops liberated the 7,500 prisoners who were left at Auschwitz because they were too weak.

Poland is marking the anniversary today with ceremonies and mass at Auschwitz, as well as the Third International Holocaust Forum. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek will address the forum, and video messages are expected from US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. 200 European Union dignitaries, Holocaust survivors, including 100 who were imprisoned at Auschwitz, and students will attend. Let us all take a few moments today to remember the victims of Nazi persecution. I found this short video clip on YouTube particularly moving.

Auschwitz haunts Soviet veteran (Click Link to Play Video)

Gemaldegalerie Linz Album XIII

Augsburger Geschlechterbuch or “Augsburg Book of Nobles”

On Friday we gathered at the State Department for a ceremony marking the return of two irreplaceable documents, one of which was located by the Monuments Men Foundation.  The Gemaldegalerie Linz Album XIII was a prized possession of Hitler and documented German 19^th century works of art he had accumulated, both through purchase and theft, for the Fuhrermuseum he planned to build in his hometown.  The other document is known as the Augsburger Geschlechterbuch or “Augsburg Book of Nobles” which belongs to the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart.  While each item was taken by a U.S. Army soldier, the circumstances of their respective returns couldn’t have been more different.

Mr. Robert Edsel, Mr. John Pistone, and Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, and Minister of the Interior for Baden-Wuerttemberg, Heribert Rech

This great occasion also honored one of those veterans, Mr. John Pistone, who upon learning about the importance of the Gemaldegalerie Linz Album agreed to work through the Monuments Men Foundation to ensure its return to Germany.  In contrast, the person in possession of the Augsburg Book of Nobles refused to return it and only through years of litigation was it eventually delivered to the State Department.

Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew, Minister Heribert Rech, German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth and Mr. Robert M. Edsel

Mr. Robert Edsel, Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, Minister Heribert Rech, and Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew

Ambassador Christian Kennedy, the U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues hosted the event and introduced each of the speakers after making poignant remarks about the importance of these two items being returned to Germany. His comments were underscored by Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew.  Accepting these items was German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, and Heribert Rech, Minister of the Interior for Baden-Wuerttemberg, the state in which Stuttgart is located.  Both gentlemen spoke eloquently and candidly about this period of Germany’s history and the commitment Germany has today to doing everything possible to assist those victims of the Nazi era in recovering their stolen belongings.  At the same time, they expressed their desire to see items belonging to Germany returned home.  Minister Rech had tears in his eyes when he expressed the satisfaction that this important relic of his city’s history was finally going home.

Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, Ambassador Christian Kennedy, and Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew

Each speaker commented on the important role of the Monuments Men during and after World War II and expressed their sincere appreciation for the work of the Monuments Men Foundation in not only preserving their legacy but in helping to locate and return items of such historic importance.  After all our hard work, these remarks were quite gratifying to hear.  Compliments were also directed to Mr. John Pistone for his role in coming forward to set the example for all veterans and their relatives who, like him, may have some item that was taken during the war that is a cultural object which should be returned.  When I first met with Mr. Pistone many months ago, I encouraged him to be a visible presence in the return of this document both to allow him to receive the credit he was due, but also to set the example for others.  He graciously agreed.  It was a very happy moment for the Monuments Men Foundation team to witness this fine veteran receive such praise in the presence of his family.  He later told me it was one of the proudest moments of his life…and that speaks volumes about what we at the Foundation are all about.

Mrs. Verna Pistone and her daughters Joan, Julianne and Laura

Photos courtesy of United States State Department

The imposing majesty of the National Gallery of Art and its remarkable collection deceive many visitors into believing it is centuries older than it is. In fact, this March, it will celebrate only its 70th year!

No sooner than the National Gallery opened than the nation was consumed with World War II; Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7th.  The United States would soon be fighting on European soil for the second time within 24 years.  Included among the fighting forces would be a small group of men and women dedicated to saving the great cultural treasures of Europe formally know as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, or MFAA. But they were better known as “Monuments Men”.

Because much of the Monuments Men operation was run out of the National Gallery by its director, David Finley, and others, my speaking engagement this past Sunday was a homecoming of sorts.  It was a distinct honor to stand before a full house of about 400 people to present these great heroes and their stories to a very well-informed and enthusiastic audience, especially after such a heartwarming introduction by Nancy Yeide, head of curatorial records and files, and a dear friend.

Having had the good fortune of visiting most of the world’s great museums, I can say with conviction that the National Gallery of Art is truly one of the greats. Every American should be very proud of our nation’s museum and thankful to Andrew Mellon, the man whose vision and generosity made this great institution a reality.

After six weeks of fighting across “Purple Heart Valley”, US Fifth Army in Italy finally reached the Gustav line on January 15, 1944. Before them lay the long road to Rome.  On January 17, British X Corps attempted to break the Gustav Line by crossing the Garigliano River. This marked the beginning of the Battle of Monte Cassino – a battle that would last four months, and become one of the most controversial and devastating of the war.

The Gustav Line was anchored by the town of Cassino, and the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino above it. Because some allied leaders believed that the Germans were using the abbey  as an observation point, the thousand-year old building became the focus of much debate. On the one hand, General Eisenhower had issued an order just weeks earlier, stating that “we are bound to respect those monuments as far as war allows.” However, as the battle dragged on and the number of casualties quickly climbed into the tens of thousands, the abbey increasingly became seen as a symbol of Nazi strength, and one that must be destroyed if the Allies were to advance to Rome.

The abbey would not be destroyed by Allied bombing until February 15, but in the early days of battle the monks living in the abbey had already begun to experience the war first hand. This is an excerpt from a monk’s diary, dated January 18:

“At noon a shell hit in the Fossa [the ravine behind the Abbey]. It killed a woman and wounded several others, among them a girl of 20 months…The Anglo-Americans are firing on the Fossa because they see movement there…Only God can save us. One day perhaps we will find out the reason for things that seem somewhat mysterious.”{Footnote 1}

It is no wonder the monks thought the attack of the abbey so mysterious – as the Allies discovered after the bombing of the monastery, the Germans had not been occupying the building after all. Luckily, the destruction of Monte Cassino served as an important lesson for Allied leaders – and soon after Monuments Man Deane Keller was attached to Fifth Army.

Footnote 1: David Hapgood and David Richardson. Monte Cassino: The Story of the Most Controversial Battle of World War II. Cambridge: Da Capo, 2002. Pg 109.

On January 14, 1943, President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca, Morocco. The ten day meeting became known as the Casablanca Conference – one of the most famous and decisive of the war.

“…For ten days the combined staffs have been in constant session, meeting two or three times a day and recording progress at intervals to the President and Prime Minister.

The entire field of the war was surveyed theater by theater throughout the world, and all resources were marshaled for a more intense prosecution of the war by sea, land and air.

Nothing like this prolonged discussion between two allies has ever taken place before. Complete agreement was reached between the leaders of the two countries and their respective staffs upon war plans and enterprises to be undertaken during the campaigns of 1943 against Germany, Italy and Japan with a view to drawing the utmost advantage from the markedly favorable turn of events at the close of 1942.” [Footnote 1]

At the Casablanca Conference, the Americans and British reached the crucial decision that the best plan of action was to attack the Axis powers through the “soft underbelly” of the Mediterranean, instead of across the English Channel. This would be done through a joint invasion of Sicily, known as “Operation Husky”. Some of Roosevelt’s advisors felt that this would prolong the war, and were strong advocates of a cross-Channel attack, however Roosevelt realized that the British simply were not yet prepared for an invasion of Northern France. After Casablanca, British and American forces, including the Monuments Men, began preparing for the invasion of Sicily and eventually Italy. While the MFAA didn’t have much time to prepare for Operation Husky, the first Monuments Man, Captain Mason Hammond, was on the ground in Sicily just 3 weeks after the invasion.

Another lasting result of the Casablanca Conference was the declaration by Roosevelt and Churchill that they would only accept an unconditional surrender from the Axis powers. This was expressed in a radio address by Roosevelt on February 12, 1943.

“In an attempt to ward off the inevitable disaster, the Axis propagandist are trying all of their old tricks in order to divide the United Nations. They seek to create the idea that if we win this war, Russia, England, China, and the United States are going to get into a cat-and-dog fight.

This is their final effort to turn one nation against another, in the vain hope that they may settle with one or two at a time-that any of us may be so gullible and so forgetful as to be duped into making “deals” at the expense of our Allies.

To these panicky attempts to escape the consequences of their crimes we say-all the United Nations say-that the only terms on which we shall deal with an Axis government or any Axis factions are the terms proclaimed at Casablanca: “Unconditional Surrender.” In our uncompromising policy we mean no harm to the common people of the Axis nations. But we do mean to impose punishment and retribution in full upon their guilty, barbaric leaders…”

Footnote 1: “Casablanca Conference Communiqué, January 24, 1943.” Pamphlet No. 4, PILLARS OF PEACE. Documents Pertaining To American Interest In Establishing A Lasting World Peace: January 1941-February 1946. Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania: Book Department, Army Information School. May 1946.

The Four Freedoms flag or "United Nations Honor Flag"

On January 6, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered the “Four Freedoms” speech to Congress. While the United States was not yet formally involved in World War II, this address was delivered during the height of the Nazi occupation of Europe. President Roosevelt proposed four fundamental freedoms that everyone had the right to enjoy, a direct counter to the laws the Nazis were implementing on the continent of Europe:

1. Freedom of Speech and Expression

2. Freedom of Religion

3. Freedom from Want

4. Freedom from Fear

(Freedom of Speech)

Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings were inspired by the speech. These four paintings toured across the country in 1943, raising over $130,000,000 in war bond sales.

Below is the speech in its entirety:

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want — which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear — which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor– anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb.

To that new order we oppose the greater conception — the moral order. A good society is able to face schemes of world domination and foreign revolutions alike without fear.

Since the beginning of our American history, we have been engaged in change — in a perpetual peaceful revolution — a revolution which goes on steadily, quietly adjusting itself to changing conditions — without the concentration camp or the quick-lime in the ditch. The world order which we seek is the cooperation of free countries, working together in a friendly, civilized society.

This nation has placed its destiny in the hands and heads and hearts of its millions of free men and women; and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God. Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose.

To that high concept there can be no end save victory.

From Congressional Record, 1941, Vol. 87, Pt. I