"The Monuments Men" (Do you know these WWII heroes?)

[Are_grits_groceries]

As the Allies prepared to invade the continent, a group of volunteers had been gathered for a special mission. They were working from a mandate by President Roosevelt and the support of General Eisenhower.

These men and some women had a mission to find and protect the "cultural treasures" that were left unguarded, hidden or stolen. They had little in the way of supplies, and they were often on the front lines rushing to protect what was still intact, and trying to find the hidden Nazi loot.

They weren't given carte blanche to stop missions or prevent necessary problems. However, they did at times try to mitigate what might happen if it wouldn't compromise the goals. The soldiers fighting were the first priority. One of the most controversial acts undertaken was the bombing of the monastery on Monte Cassino.

Some were with Patton's 3rd Army, and others were assigned to different areas. The fact that General Eisenhower gave them strong support gave them the power they needed. One MM wrote up one page summations about the areas they were in and the cultural significance of it. These were sent out to soldiers in the fields. Far from being scoffed at, the soldiers liked these reports.

Some of these volunteers were killed or wounded. The work they did is incredible, and they saved a lot of the cultural treasures of many nations. This may seem to some a small mission. However, to the people of those nations, it was a great feat. Many of the received the Legion of Honor and other high awards from different governments.

Iraq has one of the oldest cultural heritages on Earth. What happened to the country was one of a number of egregious events that could have been prevented. Some people tried, but there was little or no government support. Rumsfeld called the looted artifacts "just stuff."

If the government had done anything along the lines of what Roosevelt mandated and Eisenhower enforced, much could have been saved. This is one more huge black mark against this misguided war.

If you are interested, the book about WWII is called "The Monuments Men," by Robert M. Edsel. It doesn't cover Italy, and he is going to put that in another book.

[Captain Hilts]

1. The Germans really forced our hands at Monte Cassino. nt

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. I'm not going to argue about it.

I am just pointing out that it was an intricate problem, and not nearly as cut and dried as it may have seemed.

[CTyankee]

7. My understanding is that the Allies acted on incorrect information that the Germans were actually

IN Montecassino. They were not. But after we bombed it the rubble was so high it provided a good cover to the German army, from which to shoot at the approaching Allied force. It was a bad mistake...

[asjr]

3. If I remember correctly (and some days I don't)

there were stories and pictures of caves and other places the German Army had stashed away many many valuable pieces of art and thought they had hidden them well. Worth billions I am sure. War breeds greed. That is about the only thing war is worth.

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. They stored the art in mines,

and other incredible places. At one point, the MM were racing the Russians. There was a mine with a ton of stuff that the MM wanted to move. They worked night and day to beat the dealine. The deadline had been worked out between the allies about who would be in charge of what areas.

The Russians were taking the looted material back home. The MM were trying to get the recovered items back into the hands of the people or places it belonged.

[asjr]

5. i definitely want to read that book. Library, here I come.

[old mark]

8. The Germans hid it in caves because they were in the process of stealing it

for themselves and were interrupted by the rapidity of the US/British advance from the East and the Soviet advance from the West. Their motive was to save it for themselves, not from any type of altruism. There were also large amounts of gold and valuta hideden in various caves, mines and lakes all over the areas remaining in German control.
Much was recovered by the Soviets and found its way into museums there.

mark

[CTyankee]

6. There is another book just about the same subject, but all in Italy.

It is called "The Venus Fixers" by Ilaria Dagnini Brey. It is exciting and reads like a novel. Perhaps the most unnerving part of it to me is that the Germans blew up every bridge in Florence, saving only the Ponte Vecchio (which the art experts said was not as much of an art treasure as Santa Trinita designed in part by Michelangelo). But there is much, much more including a section on the situation of Montecassino. In a wonderful chapter, you read how Welsh and English soldiers find what they assume is a copy of Botticelli's "Primavera" only to realize in their awe that the castle where they are billeted has a number of priceless paintings moved from the Uffizi for safekeeping. The author traces other various castles and monasteries around Tuscany that housed such art.

I urge anyone wanting to read about the Italian story to get this book! Many photographs, including one of the David encased in the scaffolding and sandbags that had been placed around it to protect against bombings.

[elehhhhna]

9. Then there's the Phillipines --

where our CIA helped Marcos launder (and spend) much of the gold the Japanese stole from the rest of Asia (and hid in the Phillipines. Read "The Marcos Dynasty" by Seagrave and be utterly appalled.

Grandpa Bill didn't fight at Guadalcanal to support that b.s.

[Are_grits_groceries]

11. I just looked it up.

Next on my reading list. They were some brave souls!
Thanks!

[CTyankee]

13. You won't be disappointed!

There's a frank discussion about the gay "monument men" who worked so tirelessly on saving Italian art and architecture and their struggle against the homophobic attitudes of many of the straight ones...I'm so glad their stories are being told at last and they are given the credit they so richly deserve...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. I saw something on PBS about this,

a year or so ago. I think the guy was a professor. He was detailed during the War to make note of the significant sites, as the book states. I can't recall the person's name.

[CTyankee]

12. Evidently, there were lots of art historians, curators, museum directors etc in uniform

at about the Major level. They made sure the bombadiers had maps with marks where landmark edifices or ones containing the art were located so they could be spared.

It was so sad that Florence wasn't declared an Open City like Rome and, I believe, Paris were. Until I read this book I had no idea that the war in Italy was fought straight up Tuscany through Florence...it's amazing we didn't lose more treasures...

[wescbrown]

14. Monuments Men

Did you see the great segment on MJ with DKG and RE talking about the Monuments Men? - http://bit.ly/80KnZ

[CTyankee]

15. Can you provide a better link? This one just gets me a commercial on

the Morning Joe splash page, but no video...I'd really like to see it...

[DavidDvorkin]

16. "Monuments Men" vs. "these men and women"

Which is correct?

[Are_grits_groceries]

17. The author entitled the book

"The Monuments Men." There were only men in the first group of people in Europe that he wrote about. They did work with a very brave French woman who put herself in harm's way to keep up with what the Nazis were doing.

There were women who joined the group later from what was said, but this book doesn't cover them in any detail.

I have no problem with this title. Quibble with the author.