that's what lane faison would have wanted. in the years i've been reminded often that dedication to a cause presents ending challenges that plumb depth of your commitment. sometimes in life, the biggest obstacle to completing your mission is. thanks. the monuments men and women of. world war two would be proud of what you accomplished and your dedication to this important. if they were. i know they would want you to consider too difficult questions that defined military service and may define 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, art restored. george stout, who would become the leader of the monuments men in western europe and establish their operation in 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