Robert Edsel's Blog

In the short while I have served the National World War ll Museum board as a trustee, I have come to know many of the very fine people that run this great organization and museum.  To the person they are incredibly enthusiastic about the mission of the museum and the opportunity they have to further the telling of the heroism of Americans who fought to preserve the liberties we enjoy today.  I have met some of the other trustees who have worked for years donating time and financial resources to making the museum a reality, truly one of the great visitor experiences anywhere.  This was reinforced for all of us at the Monuments Men Foundation this past weekend during our company visit to New Orleans where I was a keynote speaker about the Monuments Men at the International World War II Conference.

One of the more prominent members of the board is Super Bowl winning quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.  Drew’s grandfather stormed onto the beaches of the South Pacific during World War II as a young marine.   He knows firsthand the importance of honoring these remarkable veterans and sharing the story of their sacrifices with people today.  In fact, Drew has participated in several USO tours to visit our troops overseas.  It speaks well of this young man that his life and conduct off the competitive field is defined by helping others and serving his community.

People such as Drew make the National World War II Museum the special place it has become.  The Monuments Men Foundation is so very excited about our ongoing relationship with the Museum and the day when the legacy of the Monuments Men and their story will be a part of the permanent exhibitions on display.

To view Drew Bree’s speaking about the National World War II Museum and the importance of its mission, please click on the link.

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

Monuments Men Bernard Taper and Harry Ettlinger

My dad used to say, “the most important thing about birthdays is to keep having them!”.  A little Yogi Berra I admit, but like many things he told me, the wisdom became more apparent with time.

Part of his message was to slow down and celebrate them; each is precious. So today we pause for a moment to acknowledge the birthdays of two of our heroes, Monuments Men Bernard Taper and Harry Ettlinger.  I’ve spent a lot of time with both of these men and they are wonderful human beings over and above their many life accomplishments.

Strangely enough, I introduced Harry and Bernie to each other on June 5th, 2007, the day before our Senate Ceremony to honor all of the men and women of 13 nations who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section.  They were like two bugs in a rug from the outset swapping stories, sharing experiences.  It didn’t take long to make a significant connection:  both had interrogated Hitler’s good friend and personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffman, interestingly almost a year apart.

I walked behind them through the halls of the Senate as we headed to an appointment to meet Senator Hillary Clinton, leaning over their shoulders ease dropping on their conversation.  I always marvel at how similar older people are to young kids in the most endearing of ways. Watching the two of them get to know each other reminded me of two boys at a playground immediately engaged in conversation as if they had known each other all their lives, void of pretense and ego, just happy to have a friend.  I always cherish their first meeting among my many memories.

So here’s to our friends, Harry Ettlinger and Bernard Taper:  may you both remain in good health and be with us for many more such happy occasions!

Today, The Monuments Men Year-End Newsletter for 2009 was released to the general public. Inside this newsletter, you can read about the various creative content we have produce, our ongoing engagement with the public through the media to bring much need attention to the Monuments Men, the various honors bestowed upon the Monuments Men Foundation, and all the incredible memories bringing this story to life.  Many thanks to all that have worked on this project through the years.

Please take a minute to read the The Monuments Men Year-End Newsletter.

If you would like to sign up for future newsletters, please click here (fill out form on the right side to submit).

65 years ago this was the greeting to our troops stationed in France who had just liberated that country 4 months earlier.  It was a fierce winter with more snow and colder temperatures than had been seen in any living person’s memory.  The Battle of the Bulge was raging with desperate conditions for fighting men and the local populace; some feared the outcome of the war hung in the balance.  But our troops then, just as they had in too many conflicts past, endured.  Many found a way, even if for a fleeting moment, to pause and recognize the day and its importance.  Some had the luxury of receiving gifts from home, others  a chance to write a loved one a message on an Army issued Christmas card such as the one below.  We came across this card in the course of my research for The Monuments Men and set it aside for use this year as a way of reminding us all how fortunate we are….to not be in a combat zone, to be able to enjoy this day with family and loved ones without risk of life or hardships of a winter outdoors with no shelter or food.  I also wanted it to serve as reminder to us all about the millions of young men and women in uniform who are stationed all over the world, walking a wall, on duty, doing their best—many at risk of life—to preserve the freedom and way of life we enjoy.

The official U.S. Army Christmas Card that Monuments Man Robert Posy sent home to his wife and son in December 1944.

So this Christmas in particular, on behalf of our team and the Monuments Men and women, we say “Merry Christmas to all; peace and safekeeping”.

Until the new year, be well.

I’ve written often about the role “shared sacrifice” played in the building of our great nation, especially through the trauma of two World Wars.  So rather than reiterate my previous thoughts, I’ll let the genius of artist Barry Blitt, courtesy of one of our country’s great newspapers, the New York Times, make my point. Think about it, please.

US Army Generals Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, and George S. Patton

On the morning of December 8, 1944, General George S. Patton called his Third Army Chaplain, Msgr. James H. O’Neill. “This is General Patton; do you have a good prayer for weather? We must do something about those rains if we are to win the war.” Third Army had been fighting in terrible rain since September and Patton had become desperate.

The prayer Chaplain O’Neill wrote became famously known as the “Weather Prayer.”

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.

On the back was a Christmas Greeting from Patton to his troops – 250,000 copies were dispersed.

To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I Wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God’s blessings rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day. G.S. Patton, Jr, Lieutenant General, Commanding, Third United States Army.

The Weather Prayer didn’t work right away, but no doubt gave the troops, including Monuments Man Robert Posey, some hope.

I had a great experience being interviewed by Jeffrey Brown, Senior Correspondent for the The News Hour and a great supporter of the arts. While I was in make-up Judy Woodruff was nearby having completed an interview. Their team couldn’t be more professional and polite.

I want to pay a compliment to this show, one of the very few to pay respect to our Veterans on Veterans Day. The entire program dealt with veteran issues and problems our current day men and women in uniform are experiencing due to the stress of combat and extended missions overseas. Quite a contrast from much of the nonsense on so many other television programs! Kudos to the producers, Jim Lehrer, Judy Woodruff, and Jeffrey Brown for not caving into the trivialities of today and providing the coverage, night after night, of the meaningful stories we need to know.

To see the full interview click http://www.pbs.org/newshour/.

Entry of the Color Guard at the National World War II Museum

More than 1,150,000 Americans have died in the wars our nation has waged to gain – and maintain – its freedom and independence. Through World War II the greatness of our nation was founded in the concept of shared sacrifice, the belief that those in uniform — and the families they left behind — shouldn’t shoulder the burden of defending our way of life alone.

Former President Teddy Roosevelt wisely observed that “…in the long run, success or failure [of the Republic] will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty, first in the ordinary everyday affairs of life, and next in those great occasional cries which call for heroic virtues.  The average citizen must be a good citizen if our Republics are to succeed.”

Our veterans, and those men and women in uniform, continue to do their part, even when harm’s way appears on our own military bases at home.  But at a time in our Republic’s history when Veterans Day has sadly become notable more for its holiday shopping promotions and as a day off from school or work, one wonders what has become of the Good Citizen of whom Roosevelt spoke?

Tom Brokaw giving a speech at the National World War II Museum

Last Friday, while in New Orleans for the dedication ceremony of the National World War II Museum’s new expansion space, including its one of a kind 4-D theater and film, Beyond all Boundaries, I witnessed the work of many Good Citizens, but two in particular worth highlighting:  Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw.  Their official roles were as hosts of the various events, none more moving than the Parade of Veterans, 350 men and women who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Army Air Force and Coast Guard during World War II.  Tom Brokaw told the audience that writing The Greatest Generation was “the single most important professional experience of my life.”  Tom Hanks spoke lovingly of his father, a Navy veteran, and the importance of each person doing their part as a prerequisite to achieving the long sought victory, even if their role was that of a machinist.

But behind the scenes, when the cameras weren’t rolling, the “Toms” were everywhere:  arriving early and staying late, serving food to the veterans, attending cocktail parties and dinners for supporters of the museum, and meeting with museum officials to discuss additional ways they could help to preserve the legacy of the men and women who saved our world from the greatest threat it has ever known.  As Dr. Nick Mueller, President of the museum, often stated, every time he and his friend of 30 years, the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose, called the “Toms” for help, they both enthusiastically appeared.

Tom Hanks talking with veterans

Personally I was struck less by what Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw did than I was the spirit in which they did it:  gracious, humble, honored to be of help.  They were the Good Citizens, in this case extraordinary men applying their resources — none more powerful than their time —in a way that served as an inspiring example for others.  These are the same traits I’ve witnessed in my interviews with the citizen-soldiers known as the Monuments Men, a small group of men and women who saved and preserved the greatest cultural treasures from the destruction of World War II and theft by Hitler and the Nazis: graciousness, humility, inspiration.

So on this Veterans Day, I think NOT of the commercialism of the holiday or the de-coupling of the bond of shared sacrifice that built our great nation, rather I take hope in the example set by Tom Hanks, Tom Brokaw, and many other Good Citizens in New Orleans this past weekend. I give thanks to our veterans, and all those in military service, including their loved ones, who keep us safe.

Left to Right: Mary Regan Quessenberry, Mary Churchill and Unknown

Today the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, recipient of the 2007 National Humanities Medal, announced they have identified a second living female member of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section (“MFAA”), or “Monuments Men” as they were more commonly known: Mary Regan Quessenberry of Boston, Massachusetts.

The Monuments Men were a group of 345 men and women from thirteen nations, many of whom were museum directors, curators, artists and architects, who together worked to protect monuments and other cultural items from the destruction of World War II. In the last year of the war they tracked, located and ultimately returned more than five million artistic and cultural treasures stolen by Hitler and the Nazis.

Regarding this important occasion, Robert M. Edsel, author of The Monuments Men, and President of The Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art stated, “This news makes Veterans Day even more special for the Monuments Men Foundation. The men and women who collectively comprised the Monuments Men set the standard for the protection of cultural treasures during armed conflict. Although we hope our ongoing research efforts identify other living Monuments Men and women, today we know of only 10, including Mary Regan Quessenberry, who played an important role in the post-war work of the Monuments Men, assisting with the efforts to return millions of works of art to the countries from which these treasures had been stolen. This significant occasion underscores the importance and urgency of our research to recognize the contribution and preserve the legacy of these remarkable men and women who saved so much of our cultural heritage during World War II.”

Mary Regan Quessenberry and Robert M. Edsel

After watching an interview with Robert Edsel on BBC regarding his new book, The Monuments Men, Ms. Quessenberry’s niece contacted the Monuments Men Foundation about her aunt’s role as a Monuments officer. Mr. Edsel immediately traveled to Boston to meet with Mary, and presented her with a flag of the United States which had flown over the United States Capitol in honor of the Monuments Men, as well as a gold leaf copy of the Congressional Resolution that was passed in both the House and the Senate recognizing for the first time in the United States the heroic efforts of the members of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section.

Born in Boston on October 10, 1915, Mary Regan attended Radcliffe College and later received a master’s degree in Fine Art from Harvard, where her professors included Monuments Men Paul Sachs, Langdon Warner, and Mason Hammond, all key figures in Mr. Edsel’s new book, The Monuments Men. The United States entered World War II in December 1941. By July 1942 Mary had given up her job as a high school art teacher and was in uniform serving with the WAAC (Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps). Over 400,000 women applied to be part of the first group of women to serve in the US military; only 450 were chosen. She would later become a recruiter for WAC (Women’s Army Corps), where one of the highlights was meeting the Churchill family when they visited Boston. Mary was sent overseas in 1943. Prior to becoming a Monuments officer, she trained with the U.S. Army 8th Air Force under General Doolittle; she was also sent to the Royal Air Force base at Medmenham as part of the Central Interpretation Unit and later, Mary received orders to report to General Carl Spaatz. At that time he commanded the 8th, 9th, and 15th Army Air Corps and led the strategic bombing campaign against Germany reporting directly to General Eisenhower. Mary became “company commander of the 550 WACs who ran Spaatz Headquarters.” For her service as company commander, Mary received a Bronze Star.

Following the Allied victory, Mary read in Stars and Stripes that officers with an art history background were needed as Monuments Men. Despite having more than enough points to return home, Mary traveled to Berlin to volunteer for service with the Monuments Men. As a Monuments officer stationed in Berlin, Mary traveled to the Munich Collecting Point, Wiesbaden Collecting Point, various repositories, and badly damaged cities. She worked with fellow Monuments Men Bancel LaFarge, Rose Valland, Charles Kuhn, Calvin Hathaway and others to restitute stolen works of art to their rightful owners. She served as a Monuments officer until 1948, when she retired as a Major after an extraordinary and accomplished military career.

Mary returned home to the United States and taught humanities at the University of Florida, and married her husband Tim Quessenberry in 1965. Mary Regan Quessenberry currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

About the Monuments Men Foundation

The Monuments Men Foundation was created to raise public awareness of the 345 or so men and women from thirteen nations, many of whom were museum directors, curators, and educators, who protected monuments and other cultural treasures from the destruction of World War II. By 1945, these heroes of civilization tracked, located and later returned more than 5 million artistic and cultural items stolen by Hitler and the Nazis. The Foundation intends for their rich legacy to serve as a beacon for the preservation of such treasures in future armed conflict and to finish the task of locating and returning some of the hundreds of thousands of stolen and missing works of art and documents to the victims of the greatest theft in history. The Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art was one of ten recipients of the 2007 National Humanities Medal, the highest honor given for excellence in the Humanities field.

For more information about the Monuments Men Foundation, please visit www.monumentsmenfoundation.org.

To speak with Robert Edsel or for further details, Please Contact:
Christy Fox
Telephone: 646-246-3743
Email: christyfox1@aol.com