majority leader, dole. many of us were together, had arlington national cemetery samantha after that. how proud he would be. how proud he would be. i feel that he is with us. and as saunders had mentioned, as girls and boys come to the capital and see, amelia, they walls at their sights higher knowing that they can reach with this guy. and when they see this statue, looks here at the capitol, they will hear the sound of -- wasn't that beautiful? the song that they saying, thank you. thank you everyone for coming today to celebrate the legendary a millionaire heart. now i'm sure she would accommodate any of you who want your pictures taken with her today it's a cause for

celebration thank you all for making it south. and you so much. >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the benediction by the honorable -- united states representative from the state of kansas. >> good morning. so pleased to be with you all in this wonderful day, grateful for all the hard work that so many of you put into making the state have been would you please join me in prayer. are merciful and gracious god, we pray that your benediction over this tribute to amelia earhart, as we remember celebrated to american pioneer, the daughter of kansas. we recount amelia's historic career, and remind ourselves of her fearless, and courageous actions, the change the course of aviation america. we honor amelia for showing women across the globe that no goal is out of reach, and that anything is possible.

holy god, we stand here today, reaching the benefits of america's steadfast efforts we pray that the statue of amelia brings joy in inspiration to all -- in these hallowed halls. we ask for your blessing over the acheson america naylor earhart nation, they are her family, and everyone who continues to carry on her everlasting legacy. we pray than amelia's determination to achieve new heights is ingrained in our everyday lives, as we strive to represent the american people in congress. blew through his guard, leave this bubble tribute today. -- today, and forevermore amen weekends on c-spantwo are an intellectual feast. every saturday, american history tv documents america story, and on sunday, book tv

brings you the latest in nonfiction books and authors. funding for c-span two comes from these television companies, and more. including comcast. >> oh you think this is just a community center? no, it's way more than that. are you a nonfiction book lover looking for a new podcast? this holiday season trial isn't into one of the many podcast that c-span has to offer. on q&a, you'll listen to interesting interviews with people and authors writing books on history, and subjects that matter. learn something new on booknotes+, through conversations that nonfiction authors and historians. afterwards, brings together non fiction authors with

influential interviewers. from wide ranging, hour-long conversations on about books, we talk about the business of books with news in interviews about the publishing industry, and nonfiction authors. find all of our broadcast by downloading the free c-span now app. or, wherever you get your podcasts. >> on behalf of the smithsonian institution, and it's secretary, lonnie bunch, i would like to welcome you all to the smithsonian's national museum of natural history, and this very special graduation ceremony. i am which the, the smithsonian's ambassador at large. first and foremost, i would like to extend a welcome to our colleagues and friends from the u.s. army, distinguished leaders and of course, our officer graduates, and they're

rightly proud and maybe loud families. we i'd like to welcome distinguished guests from the monuments family foundation, including members of the board, and relatives of the world war ii monuments officers. this is a very special occasion, i don't usually wear this every day to work at the smithsonian. but i'd also like to welcome, a guest from bank of america, who supported the initiative from the beginning, and finally my smithsonian colleagues, and those from sister organizations involved in cultural heritage protection, like the department of state, the fbi, the national council museums, and others who have participated in this program as instructors, guides, and enablers. the ceremony today and what it stands for is especially significant.

and since we as a museum study and present history all of the time, let me take the liberty for a few moments to tell you how and why we got here. the recent history begins in 2010 with the earthquake in haiti. it killed over 200,000 people, left the country in a devastated state. patients look towards their history and culture to give them strength. a sense of resilience at the time, they need it most, to recover from that tragedy. but their artwork, their artifacts, their archives, the museums, the libraries, galleries that were buried under the rubble, and in danger of being lost forever. the smithsonian had close ties to many cultural figures in haiti, and wanted the help but quite frankly we did not know what to do. enter cori wagner, a curator at

the minneapolis institute of art, it reservist who served in iraq, and a civil affairs officer and help save the baghdad museum and the jewish archives sponsored by the work of the monuments men and women of world war ii. she called a meeting in washington, leaders of cultural institutions came, and as smithsonian undersecretary at the time, a listen what she had to say. she knew what she was talking about. and a few weeks after meeting cory, we were in haiti meeting with southern command general -- who was leading some 12,000 u. s. troops providing humanitarian civil supports in haiti. he encourage our effort to save the cultural heritage then. we worked and plant with haitian officials.

the minister in charge of response and recovery was a guy named patrick de la tour. he had been a research fellow here at the smithsonian and the curator for folk life festival program years before. at the time, after that earthquake, with his country in ruins, he was reading a book, a recently published book, that was written by robert called the monuments. that inspired him, and convinced him that we should undertake this effort to try to rescue haiti s cultural heritage in the wake of the earthquake and its destruction. the haitian president and the white house agreed, and with smithsonian backing, funding from the broadway league, and u.s. aid and expertise from the american institute of conservation, and corine wegener prowess, we did a major. effort we went to the compound, we hired haitian staffed, we established conservation facilities, deployed 80 expert from the smithsonian and other museums, and save 35,000 artworks and artifacts. trained more than 100 haitians

conservation first aid, repaired and improved galleries and museums and with the health of ben stiller established a conservation center at the university in port-au-prince, so that haitians could be trained to conserve cultural heritage in their own hands as rightly should be the case. i hired cory at the smithsonian, and we started the cultural rescue initiative. we got a congressional appropriation and crucial key support from bank of america from the very beginning. with short order, we were called on to respond to crises in mali, syria, iraq, egypt, bahamas, and working domestically with fema, we took on projects like super storm in new york, texas, south carolina, the midwest, puerto rico, u.s. virgin islands, and elsewhere. cory ran trainings and workshops for civil affairs officers. we cooperated with the d. o. d.

on new target list for the middle east's. our colleagues with the museum conservation center were running trading programs and an appeal for a archaeologists imperatives professionals and the smithsonian was training fbi agents and experts as well as those from homeland security. cory lead our efforts working with the university in pennsylvania control heritage center, the american association for the advancement of science and others, to develop methods for analyzing cultural damage and destruction by isis and by assad, via satellite monitoring. in 2016, president obama signed the protect and preserve cultural property act, and under the leadership of the state department, that is brought to bother d. o. d., doj, the fbi, the smithsonian, and another dozen federal agencies to coordinate efforts to help save culture heritage around the world. with d. o. d., the cory in the

u.s. committee of the blue shield, university of pennsylvania, and others resurgence and graded booklet that pinpointed cultural sites that would do protection during the ally taking of raqqa and mostly from isis. those booklets were carried by troops in the field on the ground and they were written and arabic, kurdish, and english. the point of them was that in our retaking of those ancient cities, we're not purposefully destroy what isis was trying to destroy as part of the mission. but he has 19, plus only efforts in florida, we've got more would be needed in the future, as the u.s. and its military would be called on both conflict and humanitarian crises to help safeguard cultural heritage. we need to up the partnership with a great ally and colonel scott dejesse, who worked

closely with cory. colonel scott dejesse knew his stuff, had a great sense of mission, and a vision of what we can do together. in 2019, he and general jeffrey kogan from the u.s. army civil affairs command, and it's more, as you said -- , i know that, came to the smithsonian, it had meetings with lynne nicholas, who had written a seminal study called rape of europa, about work to preserve the coal pro heritage world war ii, you the collections of the archive of american art, where we keep the monument officers and materials, and the photographs from their mission, notebooks from monuments and officers, and we signed an agreement. re establishing the training of monuments officers. we then faced training in the

midst of covid, but worked closely together with the military, and with the situation in afghanistan, trying to protect both artifacts and people. i remember those days 24/7 scott george and i were on the phone email you texting and trying to do right by the heritage of afghanistan. with ukraine, we've been getting supplies materials or to our colleagues. -- who is trained by cory the team, was a smithsonian fellow at the time of the heavy project, and he is now a leader of ukrainian cultural heritage protection efforts in light of the russian invasion. and one of our graduates today, captain hayden basset, who works at the virginia museum of natural history, leads the cultural heritage lab at the smithsonian. in his team, minute by safari light some 28,000 cultural sites in ukraine. and the cooperation with the state department, document potential war crimes related to cultural damage and

destruction. all of, this that's capsule history, sorry for taking so time, it's important to know that story. all of this is what brings them together today. cultural heritage, it gives us as human beings, as people of particular nations, and communities, a sense of identity. it gives us a sense of history. the provides touchdowns about learning about the past. it provides knowledge, and hopefully some wisdom in the president, and it provides hopefully some strength and resilience enabling us to overcome trails and build, sometimes rebuild, our future. in light of so many, so many increasing threats to cultural heritage, we need to increase our capabilities. you, you are the founding inaugural class of monuments officers. men and women, and you are the

foundation of that effort. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> my boss, lonnie bunch, secretary of the smithsonian, cannot be here today, but lonnie has been with this miss o'neil for over 40 years, the founding director of the national museum of african american history and culture, a great colleague, and historian, lonnie bunch. i think that we have the video. >> inaugural graduates of the office training program, i looked graduations on a special day. as secretary of the smithsonian, i am so glad for the work that you are doing. for the past several days, you have undertaken rigorous training, the military operation concepts you have

learned, and the cultural heritage emergency response methods that the smithsonian staff have told you will give you the tools to make a real difference around the world. you've also volunteered and sworn an oath to serve as military officers. the selfless commitment that demonstrates the degree to which you care about this project. as the nations preeminent cultural institution for 175 years, it is the smithsonian's responsibility to protect architecture, artifacts, and other objects of cultural religious heritage. the 1954 hey convention was the first multilateral treaty to urge cultural institutions to protect cultural heritage. and the preamble to that convention noted that quote, the damage to cultural property belong to any people means

damage to the cultural heritage of all mankind. since each people makes this contribution to the culture of the world. to me, it was a clear call for our profession to recognize the culture is essential for our shared future. the threats that loom over our irreplaceable heritage are as pronounced as ever, whether it is natural disaster, climate change, political instability, or war. when an earthquake devastated haiti in 2010, it galvanized the smithsonian determination to help provide culture, no matter where it was. my dear friend, dr. richard keeran, smithsonian distinguished scholar, and ambassador at large, led our efforts to help train colleagues in haiti. the work that began more than a decade ago continues in the

permanent conservation facility in port-au-prince. the networks that we created and the impact that we made commit us to create the smithsonian cultural rescue initiative, led by corey wagner, and implemented the lessons of haiti, it is had a tremendous impact, and that is true in places around the world, like egypt, nepal, and syria. but also here in the united states, in places like post hurricane florence, south carolina. another way we protect cultural heritage is through our collaboration with the u. s. state department's cultural heritage coordinating committee. and as a charter member, the smithsonian facilitates data, and knowledge, to better preserve and protect the cultural output of peoples everywhere. the war in ukraine is a reminder of just how important these kinds of efforts are. and as a charter member, the smithsonian facilitates data, and knowledge, to better preserve and protect the cultural output of peoples everywhere.

the war in ukraine is a reminder of just how important these kinds of efforts are. as the war takes a terrible toll, not just on its citizens, but also on its history and culture. it is vital that we continue improving our ability to make a difference. the smithsonian cultural resource initiative is partnering with the virginia museum of natural history on the cultural heritage monitoring layout, using satellite imagery to monitor about 28,000 ukrainian cultural sites to document any damage and share it with the proper authorities. and the profound value of making connections was underscored when calling from ukraine who participated in previous cultural heritage courses, alerted us to the plight of several ukrainian full bright scholars. thanks to the efforts of our office of advancement, the

office of international relations, and the office of academic appointments, this is sonia is hosting four of the scholars whose academic programs ended in may. i've been on how this opportunity, they would've had to return to an uncertain situation and their war torn home. at heart, the army monuments officers training program is a recognition that culture transcends geography, or race, or religion. preserving the artistic and cultural projects of human creativity is a noble endeavor. i think you all for recognizing the intrinsic value of protecting the tangible and intangible expressions of our shared humanity. congratulations again and thank you for all that you do.

>> thank you. gives me pleasure to introduce larry derita from bank of america. larry? >> thanks very much. just to show that the army still has enough time, they put me in front of general -- from our tommy aisle. i was the navy for 15, years but how biden embarrass you too badly. i'm larry derita, as cohen, said the president for bag america, for greater washington, d. c. i fear in fact of 20, 000, teammates including -- to thank you for what you're doing, to express our great pride and privilege that we have to be the principal corporate founder of the smithsonian rescue initiative, and it, we truly value history and legacy in our company. we don't measure it in the thousands of years of work that you're doing, but our companies all this element goes back to

1784, the massachusetts bank, we have letters with john hancock and paul revere's clients. in washington, it goes back to the bank of metropolis. we funded 20% of the rebuilding of washington after the british, and i see a few brits in the audience, destroyed our capital. we are over that now. we are really proud and our time with this cultural rescue initiative goes back a little bit less, time doesn't, 18 in the original corporate founder, we are very proud to do that. it is in line with other work we do and our company has an art conversations program, and we founded the restoration of 6000 piece of art around the world, and more than 40,000 -- 40 countries. pieces of art that needed to be restored, sculptures, et cetera, it's something that we believe is a very important aspect of culture and of society. we also had a long-standing relationship with the military, i'm a former military officer, myself and we had about 20,000

plus or minus for military spouses, military family members in our company. and this year alone, 20% of all of our hires and our company have been for military. and we have a great legacy with the nice its military of which we are very proud. and then, finally along relationship with the smithsonian. lonnie, terrific great american, one of the finest men in the city. we were founding members of the board of the national museum of african american history and culture, and our ceo remains on that board, and we are very proud. and so this program actually ties together three strands of activity, conservation, supports the military, and some reports of the smithsonian. it's very important company. it's really terrific to work with cory in the others, colonel scott dejesse, and to support what you're going to do in this very important program. at a privilege and a prior life to be a head of the global affairs in the department of defense, and i got to work with a lot of operations officers in related professions and the

other services. as a agents to spend time doing the face for operations in iraq after iraqi freedom in baghdad with the team that was over there immediately after the hostile operations went to the baghdad museum, saw the terrible devastation, and cory was there at the, time i don't think we were the same, time but the rescue taking place of the, time coming full circle with the restoration of many of the pieces of art over the last 20 years, it is incredible what you are doing. it is a privilege for think of america to be a part of it, and privilege for me to be with you bellevue celebrate your incredible achievement. so thank you very, much and congratulations. [applause] >> thank you, larry and we give our thanks to brian moynihan as well. he's been with us every step of the way. now i would like to introduce brigadier general andrea carter

from fort bragg, who is with us today, and i guess we will tell you about our partnership in our future together. general carter. [applause] >> i want to start out by saying, thank you to the organizations individuals who have supported and continued to cultivate the partnership between the smithsonian and the united states army civil affairs and psychological operations command. that is the whole thing. having a partner like the smithsonian offers a platform for top army professionals to train with respected experts and top level institutions, and build a network of cultural heritage specialists. it is an honor for me to

congratulate the first cohort of army monuments officers. each are cultural heritage professionals and experts in their respective fields. we have archaeologists, archivists, curators, educators, that is scientists, museum directors, historians, artists, providence researchers, legal advisers, environmental managers, and cultural program managers right here. and they will selflessly serve in the united states army reserve and impart their specialized skills to protect cultural property and conflict zones. cultural property protection is a military necessity. during world war ii, general eisenhower's guidance to ally commanders on historical monuments was very clear, and i

quote, today we are fighting a country which has contributed a great deal through our cultural inheritance. a country rich in monuments, which by the creation, helped, and now in their own age, illustrate the growth of the civilization, which is ours. we are bound to respect those monuments. so far as war allows. general, eisenhower, then orders all commanders to recover historical monuments. and whether they were headed their front lines, where in areas occupied by allied forces. together, the monuments man made that happen and track down millions of stolen artifacts. why? why would general eisenhower make it a military necessity? what is the operational value

of cultural property protection to the military? well it is quite simple. it is because we value our partners cultures, and we are committed to protecting it. monuments are rich sources of history and culture. they are central and how societies interpret and remember their own past. heritage is a human right. protecting cultural property is a military necessity. and as such, you are charged to advise military commanders and civil authorities on how cultural heritage offers the means and ways to identify catalysts of instability and conflict to develop an operational approach and how it

serves as a foundational piece for reconciliation. that is what you are charged to do. considering the recent conflicts in iraq, afghanistan, and now ukraine, this graduation is timely. the value of our partnership and the partnerships that you have built here in this training class, is not only in the training that you have had in the past in these. but also represented in the u. s. army's legacy of protecting heritage and our partners legacy of protecting heritage. from the men and women of world war ii, through the conflicts of the korean in vietnam wars and the global war on terrorism, we have answered the call to service. and to you, today's new monument men and women, it is

an honor and privilege to serve alongside you my brothers and sisters in arms. thank you for your service, and to the family members of those who served, and those serving now, thank you, and congratulations. [applause] >> thank you very much, general carter. and i would like to introduce robert edsel. robert was a very successful athlete, successful businessman, a noted in distinguished philanthropist, and gave the world a gift, he gave us a gift in the remembrance of the story of world war ii, and the

monuments men and women who helped give attention to culture, cultural heritage, and help save the spirit of humankind. robert, in his book, turn into a movie, really exposed tens of millions, leaving hundreds of millions of people and so many places, around the world, about this mission. and as i noted, and i told robert ahead of time, they did not know that story about haiti, here is the ministry in haiti, charged with rebuilding his country after 200,000 people had died. in this country lay in ruins, and he was inspired by robert at school's book. robert? [applause]

>> thank you very much for those comments, richard. exceedingly kind and i'm deeply touched by your story about what took place with the minister in haiti. that is something else. i want to thank general carter, of course, the teams at the smithsonian cultural rescue initiative, and our army several affairs and psychological operations command airborne. in particular, cory wegener and colonel scott dejesse for their work and creating this army monuments officer training program, and making this event possible. trustees in advisory board members of the foundation are here today, and i want to thank you. and we have special guests among us. family members of the world war

ii monuments men and women. please stand when i call the name of your hero, and art -- hours. lieutenant commander george stout. major robert posey. captain james warmer. captain walker hancock. [applause] >> charles burnholes. [applause] and captain walter hutchhousen, one of two monuments officers killed in action during the final weeks of the war. [applause] thank, you your presence adds meeting to the ceremony, and words alone cannot express. to the proud families and friends of the graduates, your

loved ones have run the race well. your constant support, and encouragement, of them makes a stay yours as much as there, is congratulations. and to the graduates, the monuments men and women of the 21st century, this is not a normal graduation ceremony. each of you has already built and accomplished career. you have answered many of life challenging questions, but you wanted more. something that evolved and even great their personal sacrifice, for an even higher cause. now you embark on this new and noble journey as monuments officers. you follow in the footsteps of a group of scholars, archivists, artists, librarians, who 80 years ago were tossed into the chaos of world war, with pitifully few resources and a mission that they largely designed and implemented on the fly.

along the way, they learn more than a few things about overcoming obstacles. in the course of the past 20 years, we church in the monuments men and women, so did i. in our time together, i would like to share with you a few stories about their journeys and mine. today,, those two rows converge with yours. my interest in these heroes began in 1996 while standing on the pond of a bridge in florence. i wondered how millions of priceless works of art and cultural items survive the biggest conflict in history. he were the people that saved them? in the ensuing years, my curiosity about the subject that me to produce the emmy award nominated documentary that was based on a book. at that project wound down, i realized that it and so many other works concentrated on the bad guys.

the story that i wanted to know involve the good guys. who were these middle aged men and women who walked away from established careers and families to volunteer for military service and go into harm's way to save museum treasures, libraries, and churches? my small team try to find every living monuments men and women. i began traveling around the country to meet and interview those that we had identified. my eighth trip took me to williams college in massachusetts to meet a man named -- his wartime involvement involved interrogated the bad guys to unravel and document hitler's plans to build museum in his hometown of leeds, austria. it appeared to be in good health for a 90 year old man. one of his sons wound me in advance that he seldom stayed awake for more than 30 minutes. he admonished me.

don't be disappointed if pops does not stay awake long and you don't learn much from the conversation. what a conversation it was. it lasted more than three hours. lane flipped through pictures i had of the monuments men and women. you stop periodically to stared images to transport him back in time. assess memory was job, a twinkle appeared in his eye. his arms moved enthusiastically with the telling of each story. they are both exhausted needed to stop. as a rose to say goodbye, i extended my hand and thinks. lean reached a. firmly gripping it with both things in his hands. i have been waiting to meet you all my life. that statement left me but wilder. what did he mean?

deep down inside, i knew what he made. i knew what he wanted me to do. -- they left me feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. ten days later, one of my colleagues cold to inform me that lane had died a week shy of his 99th birthday. it was veterans day. i flew back to williams college three weeks later to attend the memorial service. his four sons warmly greeted me. your dad seemed to be in perfect health when i laughed. he was. the day after you left, they told us to say our goodbyes sees. he was ready to go. he then slipped into a comment and died peacefully the following week. meeting lane phase in changed the course of my life. a project that began out of curiosity was a mission from that point on. my rule was that it messenger.

my jewish friends refer to that moment a destiny. at the outset of my mission, ignorance well as an asset. i could not foresee any reason why the monuments men and women story could not be used to engage the public and change the world. the array of opportunities seemed and luis from honoring the monuments men and women for their military service to reconstitute any monuments officer program to a narrative telling another story, to a film. even building a permanent museum exhibit honoring and preserving guide on time. i had no training and how to write, much less of a book. i had no experience in how to produce a film, i did not have any experience starting a non for profit organization. i had money, curiosity, and boundless passion for these heroes and stories.

the time passed, by learned the hard way that ignorance is also a pain. in 2005, brimming with confidence, i met with publishers about my idea for a photographing of the monuments man story. they told me that no one was interested in world war ii stories anymore. everyone knows the monuments mandatory. a i told him to save me from myself, tell me the name of the book and i won't do it. they could. and there was no such book. with no all convict step for quitting, i decided that i would self publish the book. infinite just writing the book, that means i also had to learn about how to publish and distribute the book. that book ended up being a great success. it's lasting important wasn't laying the foundation for the work that followed. more obstacles awaited me. in 2006, i met with congressional aides about recognizing the monuments many

women with the congressional gold medal that is here at the smithsonian. that is our nation's highest civilian award. how hard could not be? right? they discourage me from even trying. it is a long process. you do realize that you had to pass a bill -- you have to get the president to signed into law, don't you? they were created in part. it was a long and difficult process. in 2015, after nine years, meeting with net members of congress and their aides, we watched with joy's minority leader john boehner, harry reid, nancy pelosi, and mitch mcconnell welcomed three monuments men and one women onto the stage. they presented to them on behalf of the 348 individuals from 14 nations. they served as monuments men and women, the congressional gold medal. they were concerned about my mental well-being in 2012. some of my friends begged me to

abandon my dream of sharing the hero story with a global audience. they pitch the films a dozen times. it is never going to happen. declare victory and go home. you have done enough. i heard an error where never a lot in those days. also heard the voice of lane phase in whispering in my ear. hang in there while longer. the phone came in and that george clooney wanted to make the film. today, the term monuments man is ubiquitous and as familiar to volunteers in timbuktu who are trying to preserve gracious manuscripts. >> but there was a moment where it could've turned out very differently. when my idealism had to overcome my ego. after several weeks of negotiations, a lawyer conveyed a take it or leave it offer to me, and told me that i had one hour to decide, where there

would be no deal in no film. i stormed out to my car and drove around the block for about 20 minutes, thinking about all of the work i had done, researching and writing the book, and it wasn't that selfish mindset, that my better angel appeared to remind me that my role was that of the messenger, being an author was just a mode of transmission. the story did not belong to me, it belongs to the world. getting the film it was all that mattered. that is what lean phase and would have wanted. in the years since i have been reminded often that dedication to a cause presents never-ending challenges that plum the depth of your commitment. sometimes in life, the biggest obstacle to completing your mission is yourself. the monuments men and women of world war ii, they would be proud of what you accomplished, and your dedication to this important cause. if they were here, i know they

would want you to consider two difficult questions that defined their military service inmate to find yours. the first would be the timeless question of priorities. in a world struggling with disease, starvation, and war, why even bother with something so esoteric as the protection of cultural heritage? as early as 1942, aren't restored george stout, who had become the leader of the monuments men and western europe, and establish their operation and postwar japan, address this question when he made the moral argument for cultural preservation officers. he said, to safeguard these things will not affect the outcome of battles, but it will affect the relations of invading armies with those people and our governments. to safeguard these things will show respect for the beliefs

and customs of all men, and will bear witness to these things as they belong led only to a particular people, but also to the heritage of mankind. in december 1943, the monuments man who were in europe, all 12 of them, were concerned that the operation had stalled. they were hitchhiking their way from town to town, with no command authority and few resources to do their job. some question whether the army was truly committed to this state of protecting cultural treasures, or was the operation merely a attempt to stop not see propaganda that the troops were on the shores of europe determine distilled sarin treasures? today we know the answer. i'm a summer 29th, 1943, eisenhower issued orders to his commanders to work with the monuments officers and respect treasures so much as we're allowed. this was the endorsement of mission that the monuments men desperately needed. eisenhower issued a similar report two weeks prior to the

normandy landings. at wars, and he set aside bureaucracy to accelerate the return of major cultural objects, to the countries from which they had been stolen. after the war, general eisenhower weighed in, staying that in a democracy at, least there always stands beyond the materialism and destructiveness of war, those ideals for which it is fought. one of those ideals was the preservation of works of art and other cultural objects. ideals don't have in expiry date. it mattered then, and it matters today. they constituted the moral arc of why we fought that war. learn from our experience, the monuments men and women would tell you, confiscation and destruction of cultural property provide advance notice of the mass killings that are sure to follow. it is the mounting playbook used by the taliban, al-qaeda,

isis, and now russia's leader, vladimir putin. as we bear witness to the loss of life in ukraine, and the destruction of its cultural heritage, can there be any question the preservation of our shared cultural heritage matters more today than ever. then there are the practical arguments. united states represents 4% of the world's population. most americans don't have a centuries-old tradition of integration for art and cultural objects. our new nations tend to be more intangible, for example, ideals that aren't embodies our most historic documents including the declaration of independence in a constitution. it is often difficult for us to appreciate the deep emotional connection that other nations have for their cultural heritage. but building and strengthening alliances with the remaining

96% of the world depends in part and demonstrating a basic understanding and respect of their culture. and that begins a challenge for not just you in your work, but for all americans. one thing that americans do value is protecting the lives of our troops. that makes protecting the cultural treasures of our countries where they are deployed a moral imperative. this temperatures this, but the responsibility of a military force to protect the cultural treasures and the territories of which it operates is absolute. owning that narrative depends on good deeds and action. failing to do so breeds contempt and anger that will cost lives. with the monuments men had boots on the ground, they had to confront the dangers of their mission, which led to the second question. is art worth a life? the death of monuments man british captain ronald golfer,

and arthur which house, and would seem to answer that question with a resounding yes. there were also million -- many close calls. stuart was the director of a small director in key west florida before becoming a bomb disposal expert. ever the philosopher, leonard later told bernie tape, or a fellow monuments man, that there was one good thing about being in the bond disposal unit, , taper took the bait, and asked what could ever compensate for the dangers of that job. limit smiled and said, well, you never have a superior officer looking over your shoulder. [laughter] in fact, now looking over his shoulder as he dismantle bombs that chairman snappers had placed round one of the wonders, the cathedral in france. the monument in -- the monuments man found a 43

year old profession of art at yale university. he left his wife and son to his kid's life and save countless monuments and works of art innately. he had a decidedly different view, he told his wife in a letter that the life of one american boy's fourth infinitely more than me than any mom and i know. like the other monuments man, he raised his life not to say beautiful objects, but to defend a cause. the same cause that monuments man wrote about a 1942. it was the preservation of our shared cultural heritage. what can you learn, what can we all learn from the experience some of the men and women that will help you complete your mission and how our nation reestablish the high bar for the protection of the world shared cultural heritage? first and foremost, leadership it is vital. the monuments, fine arts, an archive program of world war ii

worked despite the many faust. leadership from president roosevelt of the army chief of staff mall marshall, general eisenhower, they were all aligned in the support of the mission. back them up with the best and brightest lines in the arts. museums, archives, and libraries were in the united states and in the united kingdom. the critical component, the x-factor, it was that men and women who volunteered to go into harm's way and provide their professional expertise and training to say much of the world's cultural heritage. this wasn't our historian. he had the defense of damage but repairable buildings in florence. he's spared countless medieval towers and structures from the devouring bulldozers of army engineers. he was an unsung hero. that was with the state department.

they spent more years than any other monument officer continuing to locate and return stolen works of art to their rightful owners. this was at a time when so many people just wanted the topic to fade away. secondly, no two conflicts are the same. learn from the past. be flexible in your planning for the future. your predecessor spent years of their live working throughout europe in parts of asia. there are challenges that may stretch in the plains of eastern europe to the parched deserts the middle east seized. in the literal pacific. the most time consuming part of their mission is centered on returning more than 4 million cultural objects. your challenge is maybe focused west on theft and more on preventing deliberate destruction. the one certitude than, justice now, it is the the world is never going to have a shortage of a determined to raise the

culture of others. be vigilant. third, you are not just cultural preservation officers. you are frontline ambassadors. they will be many things that you cannot control. but you must be resolute and communicating to commanders that you are protecting these cultural treasures wherever you are fighting forces -- trust your training, trust your instincts. do the job right. in all likelihood, few people will notice. even fewer will say it is a job well done. that is okay. do it poorly and you will be reading about it on the lead story online print media around the world. in some respects, i think that your task is more difficult in the monuments man woman of world war ii. the threats to our share cultural heritage then were centered around theft of the nazis, the destruction of war. today, armed conflict is both

one threat. add to that the government budget shortages for the arts. thursday mitch management and in competencies. this can lead to self inflicted loss. this one is moving up on the list by the day. there is the poor and effective communication by our leaders and the social media world that is driven by short explanations, unrealistic expectations, an immediate gratification. it undercuts the sacrifice and effort of all of those who dedicated themselves to create this force. the protection of cultural property was not a republican versus democrat issue during world war ii. nor should it become one today. it was then and now remains a leadership issue. president roosevelt was on a feeling the clear that the united states would take the issue and they would respect

the cultural property of others. our leaders today must not lower that standard. threats to target cultural sites at a hostile nation or soundbites that may cause damage as great or greater than the destruction of the objects themselves. it feeds a bad guy narrative that americans don't care about the future of others. it undermines your mission. it stings the legacy of the monuments men and women of world war ii. remember the wisdom of monuments woman--. in 1947, more than 50 years before the invention of social media, they profoundly stated that it is not enough that they appear fearless, they must also appear to be so. the relentless criticism in the united states in the aftermath of the iraqi national museum day that of 2003 convinced me the popularizing the story of what your predecessors did

during world war two and sharing it with the world was an essential step to reconstitute any monuments officer program. my work led to invitation to go on base in fort mead. i was able to speak with civil affairs officers that were apparent preparing to deploy. i was with members of congress. eventually to the white house with president obama for a screening of the monuments men film for officials from various lead government agencies. there were many other powerful advocate to should be recognized for their steadfast commitment to the program. that includes dick jackson, laurie rush, john russell, command sergeant major, and the colonel scott dejesse. we have an interim in between monuments women. between world war ii in the 21st century graduates here, mrs. wagner. her passion and relentless

determination to see this materialize cannot go overstated. i am the one standing here addressing you. know that they and many other names of people that i have not mention also deserve credit. in closing, general eisenhower once said this about the work of the monument men and women. -- you use the role of the united states army to protect treasures. it is our privilege to pass on to the coming centuries the treasures of ages past. as a military officer, one might have expected eisenhower to use the word duty. privilege convey the measure pride that he felt knowing that history would judge his decisions and the performance of the armies under his command.

next year, that remarkable legacy would be shared with the world. this is an idea that we have nurtured since 2009 becomes a reality. this is the national world war ii museum. monument men and women gallery. it is the first permanent exhibit to tow these heroes the origins of your story. now my friends, we arrive at the most important moment in the relay race. 16 years ago, the place the legacy of the monuments men and women of world war ii firmly in my hands. today, i pass responsibility for that portion of their legacy on to you. godspeed. good luck. [applause]

>> thank you very much for those very moving keynote addresses. now i would like to call up colonel scott dejesse for the oath of service. >> thank you. several of the members of the 2022 army monuments officers training cohort was recently pointed to the u.s. army reserves i for the specific purpose of protecting cultural heritage and armed conflict. at this point, i want to invite those newly appointed victories, the heritage of preservation officers to come up on stage and receive their oath.

38 goals, six victories. the heritage and preservation office areas. they are newly-. appointed post. >> raise your right hands.

>> i, state your name. having been appointed and officer of the united states army was are the united states of america -- -- in the grade of captain -- i do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemy foreign and domestic. >> against all enemies, foreign and domestic. >> that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. i will take this obligation freely.

without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> without any purpose. >> i will, well and faithfully, discharge the duties of the office on which i am about to enter. >> discharge the duties on the office that i'm about to enter. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. [applause]

>> this is the preservation officer. return to your seat.

>> ladies and gentlemen, we will now present the certificates to the 2022 graduating class. class, please lineup and prepared to receive your certificates. >> captain william bear. staff sergeant nathan -- -- captain sonia dickson.

captain timothy -- >> major william fitzsimmons. specialist nathan -- sorry, specialist nicholas hamilton. pardon me. sergeant first class david -- colonel yousef -- >> captain anna kaiser. captain timothy labert.

staff sergeant hector -- captain peterson. warrant officer pierre alto. major benjamin roberts. captain william welsh. captain hayden basset.

captain christopher king. captain andrew -- captain tyler lowe. captain blake -- last but not least, captain jessica wagner.