Robert Edsel's Blog

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).

I’m in New Orleans today on behalf of the Monuments Men and the Monuments Men Foundation at the dedication ceremony of the new expansion space of the National World War ll Museum.  Hosts Tom Brokaw and Tom Hanks are among thousands of others here honoring the sacrifice of so many millions of Americans who experienced—and won—the greatest war in history.  As many of the speakers have commented, we can never thank them enough.  As the son of a World War ll veteran of the Pacific, an 18 year old marine at the time, I know firsthand the truth of this sentiment.

Last evening I attended a black tie dinner at which Tom Brokaw made moving remarks about how important this Museum has become in his life.  He said that writing his book, The Greatest Generation, was the most meaningful and important achievement of his professional career. Don’t I know…I feel the same about my role in working with the Monuments Men. It is an honor, a privilege.

Today we witnessed many beautiful scenes such as the entry of the color guard, and even more moving, the entry parade of the World War ll veterans, grouped by service–first the Army, then Marines, Navy, Army Air Corp, and Coast Guard.  16 members of the Tuskegee Air Corps are present.  Medal recipients abound.  It is so humbling to be in the presence of all these great heroes.

It was an honor to speak at our Nation’s World War II Museum in New Orleans this past Saturday evening.  There were more than 400 people in attendance, twice the size audience that was expected.  This has happened repeatedly in my travels lecturing:  audiences everywhere are interested in the story of how a handful of 40 year old men managed to save so much of the art we all enjoy today.  Dr. Nick Mueller, President of the Museum and lifelong friend of the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose, whose vision it was to build this magnificent museum, shared with the audience his determination to in time incorporate the telling of this story about the Monuments Men into the Museum’s comprehensive presentation of the story of World War II.   There could be no greater evidence of how “untold” the story of the Monuments Men is than the fact that there is NOTHING about it in the Museum’s detailed and in depth coverage of the war.  Dr. Mueller has been quick to see the power of this story and what an important part it is to the telling of the war experience, especially in the years that followed the end of the war as the Monuments Men remained in Europe for more than 6 years finishing the job they started.

This presentation was taped by C-SPAN and will be aired nationally in the coming days.  Stay tuned for broadcast details and photos from the event!