Fingertips. You can also stay current with the latest episodes of washington journal and find scheduling information for tv networks and cspan radio plus a variety of compelling podcasts. Cspan now is available at the apple store and google play. Downloaded for free today. Your front row seat to washington any time, anywhere. On behalf of the soviet institution and the secretary, lonnie bunch, i would like to welcome you all to the Smithsonian National museum of Natural History and this very special graduation ceremony. I am richard kurin, the smithsonians distinguished sh scholar and ambassador at large. First and foremost, i would te like to extend a welcome to our colleagues and friends from the u. S. Army, distinguished leaders, and of course, our officer graduates and their rightly proud and maybe loud er families. I would like to welcome, if they wish, guests hi from the foundation including members of the board and t relatives of the world war ii monument sponsorship. This is a very mspecial occasion. I dont usually wear this for everything at the smithsonian. But, i would also like to welcome our guests from bank of america who supported the d initiative from the beginning, and my smithsonian colleagues and those from sister organizations involved in Cultural Heritage protection like the department of state, the fbi, the interNational Museums and others who participated in this program as instructors, guides and enablers. The ceremony today and what it stands for is especially significant. Since we study history over 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 that killed 200,000 people, left the country in a devastated state. Haitians looked toward their history and culture to give them strength. A sense of resilience at the time when they needed it most r. To recover from that tragedy but there are artifacts, archives and museums and libraries, galleries buried under hthe rubble and in dange of being lost forever. The smithsonian had close ties to many cultural figures in haiti and wanted to help but quite frankly, we did not know what to do. Enter Corine Wegener, a curatori at the Minneapolis Institute d of art, a terrorist who served l in iraq as a Civil Affairs officer end helped 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. As the smithsonian undersecretary at the time, i g listened to what she had to say. She knew what she was talking about. A few weeks after meeting. Corine, we were in haiti meeting with several command generals who was leading some 12,000 u. S. Troops providing humanitarian and civil support in haiti. He encouraged and aided our va effort to save the Cultural Heritage. We planned with haitian officials. The minister in charge he h had been a research smithsonian years before. At the time, after that earthquake with his country in r ruins, he was reading a recently published book called the monument. That inspired him and convinced him that we should undertake this effort to try to rescue haitis Cultural Heritage in the wake of the earthquake and its destruction. The haitian president and the white house agreed and with smithsonian backing funded from the expertise of the american 00 institute of conservation and Corine Wegeners prowess, we mounted a major effort. We rented a building and compound, we established conservation facilities, and deployed experts from the smithsonian. Y 30,000 artworks and artifacts, trained more than 100 haitians, repaired and approved galleries and museums. With the help of ben stiller, established the Conservation Center in portauprince so that haitians could be trained to conserve Cultural Heritage in their own hands. I hired corine at the smithsonian and we started the initiative. We got a crucial key support from bank of america for the very beginning. In short order, we were called e to the crises in maui, iraq, syria, the bahamas and working directly with fema, we took on s projects in new york after superstorm sandy, in texas, South Carolina, puerto rico, u. S. Virgin islands. Corine ran trainings for Civil Affairs officers. We cooperated with dod on no target lists for the middle east. Our colleagues were running Training Programs with heritage professionals and the smithsonian was training fbi nd agents and experts as well as those from homeland security. Corine let our efforts working with the Cultural Heritage center, the american ve association for the advancement of science and others to develop methods for analyzing cultural damage from isis via satellite monitoring. In 2016, president obama trying to protect and conserve property tax and under the leadership of the state department, that is with dod, doj, the fbi, smithsonian and another several dozen agencies to coordinate efforts to help save Cultural Heritage around the world. With dod, corine and the u. S. E committee researched and printed booklets that pinpoint the cultural site that were due protection during the allied taking. Those booklets were carried by troops in the field, on the ground and they were written in arabic, kurdish, and english. The taking of those ancient cities, we purposely destroyed what isis was trying to destroy as part of their mission. By 2019, when so many ur efforts it is clear that war would be needed in the future as the u. S. And its military would be called on in both j conflict and humanitarian crises to help safeguard Cultural Heritage. We needed to up the partnership. We had a egreat ally who worke closely with corine. Colonel Scott Dejesse knew his stuff, had a great sense of mission and envisioned what we could do together. In 2019, he and general Jeffrey Coggin from the u. S. Army Civil Affairs command came to the smithsonian and amidst meetings with lynn nichols who had written the study rates of europa about working to protect Cultural Heritage and world war ii, viewed our collection at the archives of american art ee where we keep the materials, photographs from their mission. We signed an agreement reestablishing the training of monuments officers. We then faced training in the co midst of covid but worked closely together with the military, with the situation in afghanistan, trying to protect w both artifacts and people. I remember those days, scott, l corine and i were on the phone, texting, trying to do right by the heritage of afghanistan. Now, with ukraine, we have been getting supplies into our colleagues. A smithsonian fellow during the haiti project is now a leader of ukrainian Cultural Heritage protection efforts in light of the russian invasion. One of our graduates today works at the Virginia Museum of Natural History and leads the Cultural Heritage monitoring web and partnership with the smithsonian. He and his team are hereby satellite, some 28,000 cultural fights in ukraine. In cooperation with psrrthe sta department, documents potential war crimes related to cultural r damage and destruction. That is capsule history. Sorry it took me so long but it is important to know this story. All of this is what brings us together today. Cultural heritage gives us, as human beings, as people of ho particular nations and communities, a sense of identity. It gives us a sense of history. I it provides touchstones for learning about the past. It provides knowledge and some wisdom and it provides a source of strength and resilience and enabling us to build, sometimes rebuild our future. In light of so many increasing threats to Cultural Heritage, we can increase our capabilities. You are the founding inaugural class of monuments officers, men and women, and you are the foundation of that effort. Thank you. [ applause ] lonnie bunch could not be here today but lonnie has been with the smithsonian for over 40 years, a founding director of the National Museum of African American history and culture, a great colleague and historian, lonnie bunch. I think we have the video. Inaugural graduates of the ta Army MonumentsTraining Program, hello and congratulations on this specialm day. As secretary of the smithsonian, i am so gratified for the work you are doing. U for the past several days, you have undertaken rigorous training and military operational concepts e you have learned and the Cultural Heritage response methods the smithsonian staff has taught you. It will give you the tools to d make a big difference around the world. You have also volunteered and sworn an oath to serve as military officers. A 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 mu smithsonians responsibility to protect architecture, artifacts and other objects of cultural and religious heritage. The 1954 convention was the first multilateral treaty to urge Cultural Institutions to protect Cultural Heritage. A preamble to that convention s noted that, quote, damage to Cultural Property belonged to any people means damage to Cultural Heritage of all mankind. Each people makes its contribution to the culture of the world. To me, it was professional to recognize that culture is essential for our shared future. The threats that loom over our a 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 smithsonians determination to help preserve culture no matter where it was. My dear friend, smithsonian distinguished scholar and ambassador at large led efforts to help train colleagues. It is a work that began more than a decade ago and continues in a permanent conservation facility in portauprince. The networks we created and the impact we made convinced us e. T create the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative led by corinet wegener and implementing the lessons of heidi. It has had a tremendous impact. That is true in places around the world. Here in the United States, in places like post hurricane florence, South Carolina another way that we protect Cultural Heritage is through our collaboration with the us state departments Cultural Heritage coordinating committee. As a charter member, the facilitate team data and knowledge to better preserve and protect the cultural output of peoples everywhere. The war in ukraine is a at reminder of just how important these kinds of efforts are as d the ward 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 ae difference. The Smithsonian Cultural Resource Initiative is t partnering with the Virginia Museum of cultural history on the modern layout using satellite imagery to monitor 28,000 Ukrainian Cultural sites, to document any damage n and share it with the proper authorities and the profound ra value of making connections underscored with callings from ukraine who participated in previous Cultural Heritage courses alerted us to the plight of several ukrainian fulbright scholars. Thanks to the efforts of our office of advancement, the office of International Relations and the office of academic appointments, the smithsonian is hosting four of the scholars whose academic programs ended in may. Had they not had this opportunity, they c would have had to return to the, uncertain situation in their wartorn home. At heart, the army dumonuments Training Program is a recognition that culture c transcends geography, race, or religion, preserving the ai artistic and cultural products 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. Thank you for all that riyou do thank you. Now it gives me pleasure to introduce Lawrence Dirita from bank of america. Ll [ applause ] thank you very much, a richard. Just to show that the army has a sense of humor, they put me th in front of general carter to march down the aisle. I was in the navy. I hope i did not embarrass you. T i am the president of Great America for the greater washington, d. C. I am here on behalf of 200,000 teammates including 3000 in this area. Ea thank you for what you are doing to express our great r pride and privilege we have to be the principal corporate en funder of the smithsonians corporate rescue initiative and of this program. In we truly value history and legacy in our country. We dont measure in the thousands of years with the work you are doing but our companys oldest element goes back to 1784 at the massachusetts bank. Here in washington, it goes back to the bank of metropolis. E we funded 20 of the rebuilding of washington after the britishr destroyed our capital. We are over erthat now. we are really proud. Our times with this cultural Risk Initiative goes back to 2018. We were the original corporate funder. It is in language, all the work we do. Our company has an Art Conservation program we have funded. We have pieces of art that needed to be restored, r tapestry, paintings, et cetera. It is something that we believe is a very important aspect of culture in our society are. We also have a longstanding n we have 20,000 plus or minus military spouses in our company and this year alone, 20 of all of our hires have been military, former military. We have a great velegacy of whi we are very proud. Finally, a long relationship e. With the smithsonian. We were a Founding Member of the board of the National Museum of African American history and culture. The ceo remains on the board lo and we are very proud. This program tries together activity conservation. Pa it is very important to our company. It is terrific to work with iv richard and corine and the others , to be able to support you and what you are going to do with this very important program. Had a esprivilege and another life to be the head of this defense. I also had a chance to spend he time doing the phase for operations in iraq after a record freedom in baghdad with the team that was over there immediately after. We went to the bakken museum, saw the terrible devastation. I dont think we were there at the same time but corine, the rescue that was taking place coming full circle with the restoration. It is incredible what you are doing. It is a privilege for bank of america to be part of it and a privilege for me to be here with you today. Thank you very much and congratulations. [ applause ] thank you. A big thank you to Brian Monahan as well who has been with us every step of the way. Now i would like to introduce Brigadier GeneralAndree Carter from fort bragg , who is with us today. Nt general carter . [ applause ] i want to start out by saying thank you to the organizations and individuals who have supported and continue to cultivate the partnership hip between the smithsonian and the United States army civil t 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 experts in their respective fields. We have archaeologists, curators, educators, data scientists, museum directors, y historians, artists, providence researchers, environmental managers and Cultural Program managers. Right here. They will selflessly serve in ec the United States army reserve and impart their specialized skills to protect Cultural Property in conflict. Cultural Property Protection is a military necessity. During world war ii, general , eisenhower to commanders on the Historical Monument was very m clear. And byi quote, today we are fighting in the country which has contributed a great deal to our cultural and herritys. A country rich in monuments, which their creation illustrate the growth of the civilization. We are bound to respect those monuments so far as war allows. General eisenhower then orderedm all commanders to recover Historical Monuments. Weather they were ahead of their frontlines or in areas wh occupied by allies, together, the monuments made that have been. Why would general eisenhower make it a military necessity . It what is the operational value of Cultural Property protection . It is quite simple. It is because we value our partners culture and we are committed to protecting it. Monuments are rich sources of history. They are central and how society interpret and remember their own path. Heritage is a human right. Protecting Cultural Property is a military necessity. As such, you are charged by military commanders and civil authorities on how Cultural Heritage offers a moving way toy identify catalysts of instability and conflict to develop an operational approach and how it serves as a foundational baseness for reconciliation. That is what you are charged to do. Considering the recent conflicts in iraq, buafghanista and now ukraine, this graduation is timely. The value of our partnership and the partnerships that you have built here in this training is not only in the training you have had in the past 10 days but also represented in the u. S. Armys legatee of protecting heritage and our partners legacy of protecting heritage. From the men and women of world war ii to the conflicts of the korean and vietnam wars and the global war on terrorism, we have answered the call to service. To you, todays new monument men and women, it is an honor and privilege to serve alongside you my brothers and sisters in arms. Ns thank you for your service. To the family members of those who served and those serving now, thank you and ra congratulations. [ applause ] thank you very much, general carter. Now i would like to introduce robert ethel. Successful very athlete, a successful businessman, a noted and distinguished philanthropist and gave the world a gift. He gave us a gift in the remembrance of the story of in world war ii and the monument men and women who helped give attention to Cultural Heritage and helped save the spirit of humankind. Robert in his book turned into a movie, really exposed tens of millions, maybe even hundreds h of millions of people in so many places around the world about this mission. As i noted i told robert ahead of time, he did not know that story about haiti. Here is the minister in haiti charged with rebuilding his country, up to 200,000 people have died and his country lay in ruins and he was inspired by this book. Robert . [ applause ] thank you very much for those comments, richard. Exceedingly kind. I am deeply touched your story about what took place with the minister in haiti. I want to think as general cr carter, of course, the team at the smithsonian cultural rescuef initiative and army civil an affairs and psychological officers command, in particular, Corine Wegener and Scott Dejesse for their work in creating this Army Monuments officer Training Program and making this possible. Trustees and Advisory Board members with the foundation are here today and i want to thank you and we have special guests t among us, family members of the world war ii Monuments Men and women. Please stand when i called the name of your hero and hours. Commander lieutenant george south. Major robert posey. Captain james former. Captain walker hancock, charles bernal. Captain walker, one of two officers killed in action during the final weeks of the war. Thank you. Your presence adds meaning to the ceremony words alone cannot express. To the proud families and friends of the graduates, your loved ones have run the race well. Your constant support, encouragement noof them, makes this to yours as much as theres. Congratulations. To the graduates, the Monuments Men and women of the 21st century, this is not a normal at graduation ceremony. Each of you has already built an accomplished career. You have answered many of lifes challenging questions but you wanted more, something that involved an even greater personal sacrifice for an even higher cost. 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 talked into the chaos of a world war with pitifully few resources and emissions that they largely designed and implemented on the fly. To along the way, they learned more than a few things about overcoming obstacles. In the course of the past 20 years, researching the Monuments Men and women, so did i. In our time together, i would like to l share with you a few stories about their journey and mine on because today, those two roads converge with yours. To my interest in these heroes began in 1996 standing on a bridge in florence when i wondered how millions of priceless works of art survived the most destructive war in ho history and who are the people c who saved them . In the ensuing years, my curiosity about the subject led me to produce the Emmy Award Nominated documentary, the of europa based on an outstanding book by scholar lynn nichols. As that wound down, i realized that it and so many other works concentrated on the bad guy. The story i wanted to know involved the good guy. Who were these middle aged men and women who walked away from m established careers and families to volunteer for eg military service and go into harms way to save museum treasures, libraries and churches . While my small team tried to find every living monument, i began traveling around the country to meet and interview those identified. My eighth trip took me to Williams College the wartime an involvement involved interrogating the bad guys to h unravel hitlers plans to build a museum. Lane appear to Ingood Health foh a 98yearold man but one of his sons warned me in advance that he seldom stayed awake for more than 30 minutes and admonished me, dont be disappointed if pop does not stay awake long and you dont learn much from your in conversation and what they conversation it was. It lasted more than three hours stopping periodically to stare at images that transported them back in time. As his memory was jobbed, a twinkle in his eye appeared and his arms moved enthusiastically with the telling of each story until we were both exhausted and needed to stop. As i rose to say goodbye, i approached the recliner and extended my hand to send i thanks. He reached out, firmly gripping it with both of his hands, pulled me close to him and said, i have been waiting to meet you all my life. That statement left me bewildered. For days, i ask myself, what did he mean . Deep down inside, i knew what he meant and i knew what he wanted me to do. It was the thought of how i was going to do with that left me feeling inadequate and li overwhelmed. Then, 10 days later, one of f m colleagues called to inform me that laine 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 where his four sons warmly greeted me. What happened . Your dad seemed in Perfect Health when i left. He was, they told me, but the day after you left, pop called h each of us and told us to say our goodbyes. He was ready to go. He then slipped into a coma and died peacefully the following week. That changed the course of my life. The project that had begun out of curiosity was, from that. Point on, a mission. My jewish friends referred to that moment as destiny. At the outset of my mission, ignorance was 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 endless from honoring the Monuments Men and women to h the military service, to reconstituting the monuments ni officer program to a narrative telling their story to a film, even building a permanent t Museum Exhibit honoring and preserving their legacy for all time. Though i had no formal r education in art and architecture, no training on es how to write, much less sell a book, no experience and how to start a film, i had a little bit of money, a little th curiosity and boundless passion for these stories. Me as the time passed, i learned the hard way that ignorance is also a pain and sometimes painful. In 2005, brimming with confidence, i met with publishers who told me no one is interested in world war ii stories anymore. Everyone knows s the monuments c the story. I said, save me rkfrom yourself tell me the name of the book and i wont do it. L i couldnt. There was no such h book. With no alternative except quitting, i decided i would self publish the book which meant that instead of just writing the book, i also had to learn about how to publish the distribution business. That lasting importance was in laying the foundation cfor the work that followed. In 2006, i met with congressional aides about recognizing with the congressional gold medal which is here at the smithsonian, our nations highest civilian report. How hard could that be, right . They discouraged me from even trying. It is a long and difficult process, they said. You do realize that t you have pass a bill in both houses of the congress and then get the president to sign it into law, dont you . They were correct in part. Nn it was a long and difficult process. We had to overcome many challenges but in 2015, after nine years of meeting with members of congress and their aides, we watched as leaders welcomed three Monuments Men ane one woman on stage and presented to them on behalf of the 348 individuals whose 14 nations who served as Monuments Men and women, the congressional gold medal. In 2012, concerned about my mental wellbeing, some of my friends begged me to abandon my dream of sharing the story with a global audience. You have been out to hollywood g to pitch the film a dozen times. It is never going to happen, they said. Declare victory and go home. Ha i heard the word never a lot but i also heard the voice whispering in my ear, hang in there a while longer. The phone call informed me that George Clooney wanted to make the film changed all of that. Di today, the term Monuments Men is ubiquitous. It is familiars to volunteers in timbuktu trying to preserve manuscripts as it is to our e graduates but there was a moment when it turned out very differently. My idealism had to overcome d m ego. After several weeks of negotiations, a lawyer conveyed a take it or leave it offer to me and told me i had one hour to decide or there would be no deal and no film. In 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 was at that selfish an mindset that my better angel appeared to remind me that my an role was that of messenger. Being the author was just the mode of transmission. The story did not belong to me, it belonged to the world. Getting the film made was all that mattered. In the years since, i have been reminded that dedication to a cause presents neverending challenges that flung the or depths of your commitment. Sometimes in life, the biggest opticals to completing your mission is yourself. The monument men and women of e world war ii would be proud of what you have accomplished. Your dedication to this important cause. If they were here, i know they would want you to consider two difficult questions that define their military service and may define yours. The first would be the timeless question of priority. In a world struggling with disease, starvation and war, why even bother with something so esoteric as the protection . As early as 1942, art restored george stout who had become a s leader of the Monuments Men in western europe and established their operation in postwar japan, addressed this question e when he made the moral argument for cultural preservation es officers. He said to safeguard these things will not affect the outcome of battles, but it will affect the relations of lo invading armies with those people and their governments. To safeguard these things will e show respect for the beliefs and customs of all men and will bear witness to these things not only per a particular people but the heritage of mankind. In december 1943, the monuments, men who were in europe, all 12 of them, were concerned that d 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 the state of objective preserving Cultural Treasures were was the operation merely an attempt to counter propaganda that western allied troops were arriving on i the shores of europe determined to steal its art and Cultural Treasures . Today, we know the answer. On december 29, 1943, eisenhower issued the orders to its commanders to work with the monuments officers and respectful treasures so much as were allowed. This was the endorsement of thea mission that the Monuments Men desperately needed. Eisenhower issued a similar order two weeks prior to ethe normandy landing. At erwars and, he sat beside 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, stating in a democracy, at least, they always stand between the ex materialism and the destructiveness of war, the ideals for which it is fought. One of those ideals is the preservation of works of art and other cultural objects. Ideals dont have it mattered then and it matters today. They constituted the moral art,l learned from our experience, is confiscation and destruction of Cultural Property provide advance notice of the mass killings that are sure to follow. It is the playbook used by the taliban, al qaeda, isis, and now russia 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 nt question that preservation of our shared Cultural Heritage matters more today than ever . Then, there are the practical arguments. United states represents 4 of the worlds population. Most americans dont have a century old tradition of generation for art and icultur objects. Our new nations treasures tend to be more intangible. For example, ideas that are embodied in our most historic documents including the declaration of independence ande the constitution. It is often difficult for rus appreciate the deep emotional connection other nations have for their Cultural Heritage. Building and strengthening alliances with the remaining 96 of icthe world depends in part on demonstrating a basic understanding and respect for ur their culture around that presents a challenge not just for you and your work but for all americans. One thing that americans do value is protecting the lives of our troops and that makes protecting the Cultural Treasures of the countries where they are deployed a moral imperative. The simple truth is this. The responsibility of a military force to protect the Cultural Treasures in the territories in which it operates are absolute. Owning that narrative depends on good deeds and action. Failing to do so breeds contempt and anger that will cost lives. Once 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 deaths of british captain and american captain would seem to answer that question with a resounding yes. There were also many close calls. Stewart leonard was the director of a small museum in key west, florida before e becoming a bomb disposal expert. Leonard later told a fellow monuments man that there was one good thing about being in the bomb disposal unit. Taper took the bait and asked, what could ever compensate the dangers of that job . Leonard smiled and said, well, you never have a superior officer looking over your shoulder. In fact, none were looking over his shoulder as he dismantled bombs that were placed around one of the wonders of the world. Monuments man captain jean keller, a 43yearold professor of art at Yale University and an artist himself, left his wife and 3yearold son to risk his life to save countless monuments and works of art in th italy but he had a decidedly different view. He told his life in a letter, the life of one american boy is worth infinitely more to me than any monument i know. Like the other Monuments Men, keller risked his life not to say beautiful objects but to defendl the call, the same that george wrote about in 1942, the preservation of our shared Cultural Heritage. What can you learn . What can we all learn from the experience of the world war ii Monuments Men and women that will help you complete your mission and help our nation reestablish the high bar for the protection of the worlds shared Cultural Heritage . First and foremost, leadership is vital. The fine arts and Archives Program of world war ii work because despite the many flaws, leadership from president roosevelt to army chief of staff marshall to general eisenhower was aligned in its endorsement and support of the mission, backing them up for the best and brightest minds in the museums, archives and libraries in the United States and the united kingdom. The critical component where the men and women who volunteered to go into harms way and apply their professional expertise to go inn way. They applied to professional expertise and training to save most of the heritage. Men like, fred hart, an art historian spared countless Historic Structures from the th devouring bulldozers of our engineers. Women, such as hero, are delia hall, spent more years than any other monuments officer, continuing to locate and return stolen arcs to people when they just one of the topic to fade away. Second, no two conflicts are the same. Learn from the past but be flexible in your planning for the future. Your predecessor spend years off their lives working throughout europe and parts of asia. Your challenges may stretch from the plains of Eastern Europe to the parts of the deserts of the middle east. The most timeconsuming part ofs their mission, centered on locating and returning more than 4 million cultural objects. Your challenge may be less focused on theft, and more on deliberate destruction. One certitude then as now, is this the world is never going to have a shortage of by guys. Be vigilant. Third, you are not going to be just preservation officers. You are ambassadors. There will be many things you cannot control. You must be resolute in communicating to commanders the importance of protecting Cultural Treasures were ever our fighting forces may go. Trust your training. But, trust your instincts. Do your job right and in all likelihood, few people will w notice. Even fewer will say, job well done. That is okay. Do it poorly, you will read about it in print media around the world. In some respects, i think your task is more difficult than thee monuments of the men and women of world war ii. Our shared Cultural Heritage na then was centered on threat from the. Today the conflict is one threat. Add to the government budget shortages for arts. Mismanagement and an competency where shortcuts with maintenance lead to loss. Climate change and the consequent natural disasters. This one is moving up on the list, poor or ineffective communication by our leaders in a social media world driven by short explanations. Unrealistic expectations. Immediate gratification, that undercut the sacrifice and effort of all those who have dedicated themselves to create this force. The protection of Cultural Property was not a republican versus democrat issue during world war ii. Nor, should become one today. It was then, and remains a leadership issue. Resident roosevelt, was clear that the United States would take the lead in respecting the Cultural Property of others. Our leaders today must not uy lower that standard. Threats to target cultural sites in a hostile nation are soundbites. They may cause damage great or greater than the destruction of the objects themselves. It feeds a bad narrative that americans dont care about the culture of others. It undermines your mission and stains the legacy of the Monuments Men and women of world war ii. B remember the wisdom, monuments woman, eden, 1947, more than 50 years before the invention of social media, pro finally stated, its not enough that we be virtuous, we must also appear so. The relentless criticism in the United States and the aftermath of the iraq, convinced me that popularizing the story of what your predecessors did during world war ii, sharing it with the world, was an essential rs step to reconstituting the monuments officer program. My work led to invitations the gone base to fort mccoy and ft. Meade, to speak with several officers preparing to deploy. Then members of congress. Eventually, to the white house,c president obama, for a screening of the Monuments Men film. There were many other powerful advocates who should be recognized for their steadfast commitment to the program, including, colonel jackson. Dr. Rush. John russell. Constance. Colonel scott to jesse. Our interim between monuments woman, between world war ii and our 21st century graduates hered karen wagner. Whose passion and relentless determination to see this materialize, cant go over stated. While i am the one standing iz here addressing you, know that they and many other names of ha people i have not mentioned, also deserve credit. In closing, general eisenhower once said about the working men and women and the role of the United States army to protect Cultural Treasures, it is our pleasure to pass on the coming centuries treasures of past. As a military officer, one mightve expected eisenhower to use the word, duty. Privilege conveyed the measure of pride he felt knowing that history would judge his decisions and the performance of the armies under his command. Next year, that remarkable legacy will be shared with the world when an idea we have nurtured since 2009 becomes a reality. National World War Ii MuseumMonuments Men and women gallery. The First Permanent exhibit to tell the harrys story, the origins of your story. Now, my friends, we arrive at the most important moment in a related race. 16 years ago, the legacy of the Monuments Men and women of world war ii. Today, i pass responsibility for that portion of their legacy on to you. Godspeed. Good luck. Thank very much, robert, for those really moving a keynote address and now id like to call up scott the jesse colonel scott thank you very much, robert, for the very moving keynote address. Now, i would like to call up colonel scott jesse for the oath of service. Training cohort were thank you, richard. Several of the members of the 2022 Army MonumentsOfficers Training corps were recently appointed to the u. S. Army reserves. For the specific purpose of protecting Cultural Heritage in our conflict. At this point, we want to avoid , appoint the six victors, Heritage Preservation officers to come up on stage and receive their oath. 11. Raise your right hands. I state your name. I having appointed an raise your right hands. I state your name. Having been appointed an officer in the United StatesArmy Reserves of 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 enemies foreign and domestic. That i will bear true faith in allegiance to the same but i will take this obligation freely , without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which i am about to enter. So help me god. 38 golf six. Victor herridge and preservation officers return to your seats. 11. 38 golf, six victors, return to your seats. Kiefer might. Ladies and gentlemen, well now present the certificates to the 2022 imo graduating class. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now present the certificates to the 2022 graduating class. Class. Please line up and prepared to receive your certificates. Captain william baer. Staff Sergeant Nathan bacher. Captain sonja dixon. Captain timothy. Hamilton. Pardon me. Sergeant first class david special in. Specialists nicholas hamilton. Sergeant first class, david. Captain timothy le captain anna kaiser. Captain timothy leber. Staff sergeant hector. Werent. Officer pierre alto captain peterson. Warrant officer. Major benjamin roberts. Captain hayden se captain william welsh. Captain hayden bassett. Captain christopher king. Captain andrew. Captain tyler low. Captain blake. Last, not least, captain jessica wagner. The ceremonial party can take their seats. I just have a few brief closing remarks. Im corey wagner of the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative and colonel de jessie and i have so colleagues the ceremonial party can take their seats. I just have a few brief closing remarks. The colonel and i have so many colleagues and partners to drink. You will find thanks and acknowledgments on the last page of the program. Please have a read of that. Quickly, i would like to especially thank and recognize my partner, colonel scott. He started this journey with the many years ago. I want to thank all of our colleagues who have supported training. Pushed through orders. Getting people quickly into the units. All during the whole thing of covid. So, thanks. I also want to give special thanks to the smithsonian rescue staff who supported the dream and vision for such a long time. Such a long time. Other smithsonian staff, who supported the training and all of the instructors who supported the training and worked hard to realize this important program. I want to thank my boss, dr. Richard, for believing in the need and supporting us 100 of the way. Finally, thanks to my husband, retired major paul wagner, who supported my dream for this course and supported everything as a volunteer and chief logistics training officer. Of. Last but not least, ladies and gentlemen, may i present the 2022 inaugural class of the army officers. Watch cspans new series. Books that shaped america. 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