And for whatever reason, i did this time see a story, and the reason for seeing the story is that every book, particularly in history, has what i like to call scaffolding, which is the structure that holds everything together and makes sense of it. This story has so many elements to it that there is no obvious scaffolding beyond the fact of the chronology, from 1939 to 1945. But within that, what do you do . And the second time around, i saw some scaffolding. Not all of it. It sort of evolved as i went along. But im very grateful to peter for being so persistent because at the end, i ended up with a book i had no idea i was going to write. And that is the one id like to tell you a little bit about. Why does it matter . It matters because world war ii literally shaped the world we live in today. It preserved at it easy to forget this because it sounds like a cliche but it preserved the world for democracy. World war i had the slogan that Woodrow Wilson called making the world safe for democracy. Didnt work out that way. It made the world ready for yet another war. But in this case, if the axis had gained more momentum they might very well have snuffed out the largest Democratic Society in the world. Thats one element of it. It also ended the depression. The new deal had failed to do that, despite very strenuous attempts but the start of large expenditures in may of 1940 is what finally started putting the depression to bed, and from that point on the economy grew by leaped and bounds because of the war effort, and in doing that, it put a whole generation of unemployed americans back to work, and then some, and a lot of people who had never worked. When we talk about sacrifice, which we will in a couple of minutes, its an ironic thing that the war made a lot of americans much better off than they had been in the past, if at all. Because they had gone through some very a lot of them had gone through some very hard times. It created all kinds of modern institutions. Everything from the tax system, to social security, which was on the books then but which was in effect nailed down during the war. It created what we now call the industrial military complex. And it created literally the american military. If that is the way that this war turned out, nobody saw this pretty much at the beginning. And that is where this story starts. I want to make two or three basic points that really governed where the book went. The first of these is that theres really two eras that were talking about here, and theyre very, very different. The first one, which we call preparedness, begins when hitler invaded poland, september of 1939, and goes to pearl harbor. That 27 months is the most difficult time of all because were not in the war, we dont want to be in the war. We want to in many cases pretend we had nothing to do with the war, and ill explain why in a moment. And as a result it was very difficult to get america to start mobilizing its defenses. So this period is full of conflicts, disputes, denials, and so forth. The second point is that one of the reasons why you have this kind of difference is the legacy of world war i. The end of world war i left a very bad taste in americans mouths. Didnt come out the way it was supposed to. The idealism got crushed. It ended up with very cynical treaty of versailles that set the stage for world war ii. Theres the joke about we beat the germans since 1913 and they hardly bothered us since. They bothered us very much in the years to come. More important for the americans was how the war ended at home. Number one, on the tail end of the war was the great flu epidemic of 19181919. Which killed over 20 Million People world side and quite a number of americans. That was a side car. Number two, the American Economy had ramped up to produce armaments for the war. Most of those never got in the war. When we went into the war in april of 1917 we used mostly european weapons. For example, we started building airplanes. Not a single american airplane got into the war, not a subject American Tank got into the war. Our hand grenades and ammunition and so forth we brought from the british. But we had at that point what by 1918 was the largest armaments industry in the world. Almost immediately after the armistice and the end of the war, the government started canceling contracts. And when i say canceling, i mean just like this. Without warning they pulled them, factories were left literally with production lines half full. Thousands of workers let go without warning. In a state like connecticut really felt this because it had so many of these kinds of plants. And companies were left with buildings, factories, plants they had built to produce armaments. Well, they said, you have to do something for us. What are we going to do with these buildings and the machinery and soing forth . At the very least give us a tax credit so we can carry these in case theyre needed again. The government wouldnt do it. The result was that in almost every case, these companieseverybody from rem Remington Arms to you name it, simply tore down the factories, gutted them because they didnt want to carry the expense of them. The result was, by the time you get to 1939, we have no armaments industry. So when the war breaks out in europe, were in very pitiful shape. The u. S. Army is Something Like 28th in the world. When it went on maneuvers in 1940, which were kind of a farce, Time Magazine said that after looking at these it appeared as if they might give a good battle to a group of boy scouts. And not much more. All of this coupled with the scandles that emerged in the or 20s and fors over munition contract and bankers and developed this whole idea, which became very popular, the war had been brought on by the bankers and the munitions manufacturers simply for profits. And that weighed very heavily, so that when it came time in the 193940 period to talk about mobilizing preparedness, one theme was, were not going to make another generation of instant millionaires. Franklin roosevelt was very sensitive to this because he obvious hi had had his conflicts with the Business Community and wasnt about to let that happen. But at the same time, he had to get this process moving. And so that was one of his many dilemmas after the invasion of poland. Third thing that i think confuses the way we look at this is the way in which the past very often gets encrusted in some sort of mythology that shapes the way we see it in this case, that mythology is the greatest generation. The notion that somehow this generation of americans linked arms, marched forward, did the patriotic things, stepped right up to the plate, choose your own cliche. That didnt happen. It didnt happen first of all because there is no such thing as the greatest generation. Theres no way to measure what is great about a generation. What you measure is Human Behavior. History repeats itself im sorry history never repeats itself, but historical patterns do because those patterns are based on Human Behavior. And if you go down through the generations Human Behavior runs the whole gamut from the ultimate givers to the ultimate takers and thats no different from this generation than from any other. For every patriot who went out there and tried to enlist to serve his country, there was more than one of him that was doing anything they could to get out of getting into the military. For everybody who cheerfully accepted remarking rationing anr bit with shortages, there were people who simply thumbed their noses and visited mr. Black. The black market. Mr. Black was one of the busiest business men throughout the years and no way to contain it. If you want to call this generation anything, i call them the unluckiest generation because they found themselves having to deal with the worst economic crisis in American History that literally threatened the american dream. Only then to deal with a colassal war on an unprecedented scale that literally threatened the existence of democracy itself. Not many generations have to deal with that much within a short span of time. In looking at how they did what they did, its important to realize why and how we managed to win this war. First of all, as john pointed out, no war had ever even remotely approached the scale of this onement it is truly a world war. Its fought on three continents, fought on virtually every ocean, and the fact that we are split between a war in europe and a war in the pacific, vastly complicates not only the production of goods but even more, the delivery of goods. Getting them there. The problem in the atlantic is getting them through the german submarines taking an incredible toll of ships, first with the british, and then when we got into the war, they were literally up and down the american coast, and in that coast, from some places you could literally see ships beinger to pea er to pea doughed and junked and if you went to the beaches you could find anything from body parts to pieces of a ship. It was a very ugly scene. The same problem did not exist or except on a tiny scale in the pacific. The problem there was sheer distance. How do you get stuff all the way to where it was going. Erernow, in trying to mobilize e country, roosevelt, who had not, as far as we know, this seems to be the case had not planned to run again in 1940. He thought that if we could mobilize industry to at least start preparing war goods, that we would be in a position to help the allies once the war started. Problem was that Many Americans didnt want to help the allies. They didnt care who they were. You had someone extreme, like henry ford, who suggested let britain fight it out with germany and maybe theyll kill. The both off. And henry fords attitude was, during this period, after the european war broke out, the french and the british rushed to the United States with orders because they, too, were behind in their armaments, and they wanted to buy stuff from us. And we were cheerfully ready to sell them this, and one of the things they needed were aircraft engines for their planes. And edsel ford was called to washington and told, we desperately need engines for the raf. Can you make them . He said, oh, sure, we can turn out quite a few of those. He went back and told his father what he had said, and then with an embarrassed face had to tell washington that we cant do it because my father will not build any goods for foreign government. Hell make them for americans but not make them for foreign governments. So that order ended up with chrysler, which didnt have the same qualms. The opposition to the war, and to getting not only getting into it that was widespread but even helping the allies was incredibly strong, and roosevelt had to literally walk a tightrope. The first thing he ended up doing, of course, was running for president for an unprecedented third term, because he did not want to leave the country bereft of leadership. And he did not announce, by the way, he was going to run for the third term until the Democratic Convention met in july of 1940. And everybody was playing the will he or wont he . It was the Great Washington lottery of the spring of 1940. When he finally did inform the convention that he would be a candidate, they breathed a sigh of relive because they didnt have a strong candidate. And he couldnt campaign because he had so much else to do, so his campaign consisted of seven speeches, major speeches, and his traditional tour of his neighborhood on election eve. Now, roosevelt had a difficult time campaigning anyway because he had to go by train. He could not he hated to fly. He had only flown once in his life and that was to accept the nomination in 1932. Never did it again. And he had a large entourage as the president does. So to the extent he could give speeches they all had to be within 12 hours of washington. That was just part of the political game for him. What helped him immensely in 1940, and what helped the process were talking about, of bringing American Opinion around, was that he happened to be at the edge of a revolution in the Republican Party. The Republican Party was pretty much bankrupt of ideas and new blood in 1940. So much so that an outer, wendell wilky, who was a utilities executive and had once been a democrat, but they managed to get wilky the nomination in 1940. Wilky, like roosevelt, was an internationalist. Wilky believed that the allies should be helped. And by taking that position, he took the issue basically out of the campaign. Which was a great help. In fact he took some other issues out of the campaign, and then had a hard time finding something to run on. And that is why the campaign got kind of personal and nasty by the end. Once roosevelt was elected, he could move forward a little more boldly, and what he proceeded to do was stepbystep increase american aid to the allies, increase the buildup of american armaments, and in every way possible, find outlets that would increase the finances available for all of this. Because this is going to be an unprecedented set of expenditures. Thats why the tax system was revolutionized during the war. The way it was revolutionized is a way that might surprise you. It was not a case of soaking the rich. It was more a case of moving the exemption down farther and farther until millions of people who had never had to pay taxes now did have to pay taxes. In other words, not just the middle but the lower middle and even below, now found themselves having to pay taxes. And that never went away. That is where you can thank that part of the tax code. It was a strange time and it was a strange way of doing things because, in polls, americans said, yes, they should be tacked more. They should be taxed more. They didnt really kick about it. The hard part was finding the two things. Finding the ways of getting goods to the allies, and creating an organization that would ramp up production. The key to getting goods to the allies turned out to be one of the most powerful bills ever passed by congress, lendlease. At the time it was said that this bill, this act, gave the president more power than any act that had ever been passed by congress. And roosevelt never hesitated to make use of the power. And he had difficulties even then, for example, when hitler invaded russia, the russians were in dear need of weapons. Roosevelt was perfectly happy to furnish them if we could get them to them, but there was a lot of opposition in this country to giving weapons to the godless communists. And remember, this is on the heels of all the stalinist purges of the 1930s. So, there was a lot of tapdancing around the issue. The argument of roosevelt and others is simple. Every nazi soldier that russians killed we dont have to deal with. Every nazi tank they destroy, we dont have to deal with. And if they can do it, let them do it. The only question was, how long could they hold out . Because, remember what hitler had done. He had taken poland very quickly in september of 1939. Then nothing happened. There was what was called the phony war. Now, when he invaded poland, american businesses sensed there was going to be a wave of war orders and they were encouraged to build up their enveiner toes, inventories and they did, and then nothing happened. And business went flat again. For the next several months. And everybody thought, not going to be any further war. Not until may of 1940, when hitler launched the real blitzkrieg and took over the lowlands, france, and eventually other countries as well, not only planted the german flag over most of the european continent, he collect all of the resources of those countries, and those resources were considerable. Germany is very short of a lot of resources. And this was one way that he could get them. If in a sense, germany owned europe, where would they go next . And a lot of people warned that it would be south america, or even north america. We actually at one point roosevelt sent troops to greenland to make sure that they didnt go there. Because that would have been a nice stepping stone to this country. The real menace when hitler began pounding Great Britain, was if Great Britain fell, not only would hitler get its resources and maybe even its navy, but that is the navy we counted on to control the atlantic. The American Fleet is install the is all in the pacific, as pearl harbor demonstrated, and what would happen if hitler controlled the atlantic . We would have no trade routes, know capacity for getting out of our own ports, and at that time, we didnt have a twoocean navy and that had to be built up. So this is a very serious situation. How, then, did we meet it . We met it largely by utilizing the one thing that americans had always done best, which was mass production. We invented it. We invented it in the auto industry. This is the first wholesale mechanized war in history, and youre talking about a country, the United States, that is basically on wheels. Way more americans own cars and are drivers. Than europe. And as a result, we have not only the scale of our productive capacity, but we have the technical know how. All we had to do is organize it. All we had to do. And thats basically what the book is about. If in fact we could do that, the goal was literally to bury the axis in weapons. The germans had better weapons. They had superior weapons in many cases. Ill give you one exception in a moment. But they didnt have nearly as many. And the result of that was, once we got production moving that did not occur until 1943 the tide of the war could change. And it did change. And we made the decision that we would basically focus on europe, and even though the first attack had come in the pacific, we would fight a Holding Action there. Now, a couple of quick examples how illequipped we were to do this. There is a shipbuilder, marvelous character named Andrew Jackson higgins in new orleans. Higgins built landingcraft. He had originally built small boats because new orleans and the shallow waters in the bayous and so forth, and he got a very nice start, first by building fast small boats that the coast guard could use to chase rum runners, and then by building slightly faster ones to sell to the rum runners. And he did pretty well at this. But he was nobody could match his boats. The navy hated his boats because the navys bureau of construct wanted to design its own boat, and when they designed them and put them in competition against higgins boats, they died. They just absolutely died. They had no chance. Nevertheless, they were very reluctant to give higgins contracts. The marines were entirely different. The marines said, we need landing craft. And we need them badly. Because we have virtually none. And theyre part of the navy, remember. To which the navy said, you dont need landing craft. What on earth are you going to use them for . Their idea was, you see, world war i. In world war i, if you have to land stuff, you simply go to the nearest port in france or wherever and offload it. No problem. Only problem now is, number one, hitler has all the ports. Theres no place to offload. Number two the war in the pacific is going to be an island war. How are you going to get to those islands . Because theyre already in japanese hands, youre going to need landing craft. The marines understood this. The navy didnt. And finally they began to pry the boats out of a reluctant navy. Theres a wonderful letter that i quote, written by general holland smith, to higgins, saying that i dont know what we would have done if it had not been for you and the marvelous ships you build, and were forever grateful for that. The date on that letter is december 6, 1941. There are many, many examples like this in the book of how we simply didnt know what to do or how to do it, and we had to learn. Nobody knew how to build tanks. When president of chrysler, man named k. T. Keller, was called and asked if chrysler could make tanks for the government, keller said, dont see why not. Whats a tank . So he and his engineers went to the rock island arsenal, there was an an actual tank. They had never seen one. They took the tank apart, piecebypiece. They made drawings, and from which they could do blueprints, so they would have every piece because now were talking mass production, which im coming to. And then the left the pieces for the local engineers to put back together again, and then they went back and they made wooden copies of each one of those pieces so they could fit together a model because what theyre trying to do in mass production, is you have to build Machine Tools that can turn these out in quantity, and you have to know what each of those pieces are. And then and you literally end up with thousands of blueprints by the time youre done with this sort of thing. And none of them i repeat had ever seen a tank before. But by the time they got through this, they were building tanks. They were not as good as the german tanks. They were much weaker than the german tanks, but there were so many more of them. The way mass production works, is most people didnt understand this because they would come to, say, chrysler, or ford, and say, look, you guys turn out a thousand cars a week. Why cant you just turn out a thousand tanks . Well, number one, tank is not at all like a car. Totally different. And number two, theyre not set up to make tanks. To set up to do that, you dont just say, okay, stop making fords and start running tanks down the line. Need a whole new set of machinery. You either have to take everything out that there is and put new machines in, or you have to build a new plant, which in most cases is what happened. Lot of new plants got built. And it takes time because you have to go through the process i described. You have to first break down what it is youre making, make it in a form the engineers can understand, and then find and design Machine Tools that can manufacture those parts in large numbers. And then you have to design how those Machine Tools are going to fit on the factory floor so that the product can flow from one station to another, and that is a very complicated piece of engineering. And only then then you have to start bringing in Raw Materials only then can you start production. In other words, what im saying is, its a very slow startup but once youre there, it rolls. And because it was so slow, there was a lot of criticism, particularly in 1942, when not a lot was happening and everybody was saying, where are the planes, the ships, the tanks . Nobody had ever tried to build plane on aassembly line before. And the guy who was one of the instrumental people in working that out was charles thorneson of ford because automobilemakers knew how to do mass production, and he went to the aircraft plants, which is basically boutique operations, but which i mean you build planes one at a time, piecebypiece. And before long, there were Assembly Lines turning out planes. Henry kaiser did the same thing for ships, for at least liberty ships, and a great engineer and architect named William Francis gibbs was instrumental in doing this for naval fighting vessels. Theres two navies. The merchant marines merchant me navy, and the merchant marine was crucial because everything has to go overseas so you better have a lot of ships to carry this stuff. So that in essence is what won the war, the ability to solve these incredibly complex problems, and to design a couple of new weapons. Which changed the world in every sense. The two weapons that were truly unique to us were the b29 bomber, and the atomic bomb. Which, of course, the publish 29 b29 bomber carried. The single most expensive weapons during the war was not the atomic bomb. It was the b29. It was so difficult to design. I it was so radical a concept. It had so many problems. It had particularly engine problems. Theres a wonderful quote by a pilot that says i love more three engine time on that plane than you could ever know. By contrast, you see, the b17, which had been around for a while, most pilots loved. They called it the queen of the skies, and by the time the war started it was already in phase four. So, there is an example. Ill give you one more before we go to questions. Which was something little known that won the battle of britain for the raf. If you wonder, how did so few pilots and so few planes ward off so many german planes, the answer was, 100 octane gasoline. We had it. We could produce it in quantity. We got it to the british. The germans did not have it because they did not have an oil industry. Thats why conquering europe and places like that is important to them. And so their planes did not have 100 octane gasoline. Why did that matter . If you use 100 octane gasoline, the plane takes off in a shorter distance, it can fly faster, it can fly higher, it can carry heavier armaments. Its a far more efficient fighting machine, and thats what made the british spit fires, the pilots, too of course, but thats what made them such formidable weapons in the sky. And that gasoline came from the United States. 100 octane gasoline was the one commodity that we never succeeded in making enough of during the war. There was always a shortfall of it. Even synthetic rubber, which we had to do from scratch, by well into the war, say, 43 to 44, we had enough that there was never a problem, but there was always a shortage of 100 octane gas because air war was taking so much larger a part. And the farther away the war moved, the more gasoline we needed, and in the pacific thats a long, long way. So thats just kind of a little preview of a very complex story. One of the things that i did in this book was to tell the individual stories of a lot of ordinary people, and the source for those stories was one of the things that enabled me to find the scaffolding for the book, and that were the magazines of the period. They had incredibly good writers. Id like to have acknowledged them but very often they dont have a byline so you dont know who wrote these wonderful articles. But if you should happen to get a copy and look at the footnotes youll see how many of the citation goes back to these magazines, and youll meet a wonderful collection of people. I certainly enjoyed my spending time with them. I loved to know what they did after the war. One of the curses of doing what i do is that your knowledge roll stops where the book stops and if you want to take it beyond, you have to do something else, like another book. So, let me see if you have any questions. Yes, sir. Wait for the mic. Id like to ask you if you could expand a little bit on the role of henry j. Kaiser, just how efficient he was with his boatbuilding. Kaiser became im not sure if you know how he got his start. He got his Start Building hoover and grand coulee dam, and he had a concrete business and played some part the hoover the shasta he did not build. He had never built boats. He didnt know very much about them. But his partners had. And there was a con con sew schumacher consortium of them and they built ships and that got kaiser interested. What kaiser was interested in was developing the west. He gave the west a big cement plant. He gave its first steel mill. He gave it a magnesium plant. And he gave it a host of shipyards up and down the pacific coast. And once he went into this business, he had this group of very talented young guys, and he would do one guy named clay bedford, and one was his son. Both his sons, henry junior and edgar. He calls up clay, who had with kaiser built roads in cuba, knew how kaiser worked. Said, clay, were going build a shipyard. Clay didnt know a shipyard from a banana boat but he knew his boss and said, okay, where . Richmond, california. There was nothing there. Before long there were three shipyards there. Richmond one, richmond two, and richmond three. So edgar went up the coast to vancouver and there were two more shipyards there. Huge ones. And what kaiser did was, if you looked at the existing shipyards they were always cramped for space so when you built a ship, what happened was you have you build it piecebypiece. Another boutique operation, and you have all these people falling all over each other, trying to do whatever job their doing and its very inefficient. It would drive a production manager crazy. Kaiser changed all that. He said, you build them from the bottom up. First of all, you break them down into as large parts as you can make. You number the parts and they literally do this. Its like a puzzle. And what determined how large a part you could make, two or three factors. One, how much would the crane left . Because without that youre in big trouble. And, two, if the parts are being made here, and theyre being assembled here, what is the railroad how much clearance does it have some can it get through . That sort of thing. And in california that wasnt a big problem. There was lots of land so they could spread it out and literally fabricate the parts here, have what is called the ways where you build the ships here, and they literally built them first he took them out of the water, put them on dryland. And they would build them on dryland, and they would build them, if you look i think i have a picture of this in the book just a row of them. And theyre going down and each person is doing their job. Just like an assembly line. Its a Different Assembly line. If you look over in this part of any shipyard youll see the parts and their labeling. We need this, we need this deck hull. Grab one of those, stick it on the crane and get it over there. And thats how it went from building one ship at a time to turning out a. At one point clay and edgar had a contest to see who could build one the fastest. Everybody thought it was publicity stunt but it helped the people who came to see and it gave them ideas on what to do. Clay built one. In ten days. The whole liberty ship. Edgar then turned around and did one in five. And after that, they went back to normal production. But this is you have all your crews set up, everything is just in place. But that is basically what kaiser did. Now, if you ask what kaisers role . Its not doing all that stuff. Thats his boys doing that. His role is, he learned to become the ultimate washington insider. So he knew where to go, who to talk to, he had, for example, an idea that one of the weapons for submarine warfare would be baby flat carriers. Because one way to effect the submarines was airplanes but you can only go from a land base. What if you have these minicarriers they called them baby carriers and you can put ships out at sea to go after submarines. And what finally ended the submarine menace was not convoys, which the navy the Navy Leadership was they insisted, the head of the navein zested not just the best we. The only way to fight submarines was with a convoy. Wasnt working. What finally beat them was a combination of lots of new type of destroyer, escort destroyers, and airplanes. Especially modified b24s, which south sought out the submarrones submarines when they surfaced and got them them. So kaiser went to roosevelt, and roosevelt said, lets build these and thats the kind of thing he could do that was his ultimate talent finally, and he got so much publicity, he became the celebrity of the production process. Anyone else . Could you speak very briefly about the rationing that was necessary, and price controls. Uhhuh. One of the biggest problems you have in war time, and it was a horrible problem in world war i is inflation. Theres a couple of ways to fight inflation. The best way, but this kept getting bogged noun politics is taxing. Remember, americans are making more than theyve made in ages, so you have to tax them to do that. And they were willing to be taxed. But congress was reluctant to do this. The other way is by rationing goods so that there are goods available to buy, and the military kept growing and, therefore, kept absorbing more goods. So the rationing started on a modest scale, and it eventually extended to a large number of products. When it first started ill give you an example so you can see hugh these things evolve. Lets say shoes were rationed, which they were. Okay. Youre entitled to x number of dollars worth of shoes. Well, that could be a five dollar pair of shoes or what if you want a better pair of shoes . The way they went about it finally when they saw that wasnt working, was youre entitled to a pair of shoes. And what they are is up to you. And in the case of strategic foods, the stamp books basically when they finally evolved into the final form, every food on the list had a point basis and that point thing was revised according to the supply. So lets say you wanted beans. Canned beans. That might cost you five points. Every person had a ration book with which number of points for that month, and you could spend the points any way you wanted. Originally they tried to ration it by commodity, and that was incredibly cumbersome and awkward. So this way if you want to blow it all on a piece of beef, do that. Beef was the scarcest thing. But let me say in addition to that, food in general is the hardest possible thing to control or ration, and the government had to control it. Price controls were necessary to keep the inflation from eating up, literally eating up the economy. And that would take a little while to explain but its a serious menace in 1941, too. A lot of the food ultimately, particularly meat, which was the hardest thing of all and i go into considerable detail on that in the book a lot of that stuff mr. Black did very well. Mr. Black made out like a bandit. The black market is worth a book in itself. The way it worked during the war. Anybody else . Id like to know how roosevelt was able to get lendlease through the isolationist congress. By a very familiar tactic. He had the voice im sorry he had the votes. May they made the noise but he knew going in that in this particular case he had the votes. In other words, enough republican support, who saw the necessity for it. And it was not a particularly close vote. But let me describe another vote which was just as important. One of the most controversial acts that passed was our first peacetime draft. Now, how are you going to get americans to accept a draft at a time when were not in a war, and were very convinced were not going to be in this war. But it got passed, and when it was passed, people were called up for one year, and that year came to a close, to have not renewed in other words, could not extend the term of service of these people would have literally gutted the army. Literally gutted it. And george marshall, the chief of staff, was beside himself at this possibility. But it had become a political issue. We made a promise to the boys they could go home after a year. We have to honor that promise. And this went around and around and around, and when it came, the bill to extend came before congress in the senate it passed by a few votes. In the house, one vote. Shortly after this happened, a reporter was talking to one of a british citizen, in london, which is getting bombed unmercifully at this time. And this britt brit said these americans are curious people. One day they talk about extending freedom and democracy everywhere, the next day they decide by one vote that theyll good on having an army. [laughter] any other questions . Yes, sir. In looking at americans, did you ever look at how russia performed in building their armament up . Were they as poorly prepared as we were, and if they were, how did they address it . No. The reason you may remember that the world was shocked when stalin and hitler signed a nonaggression pact. The reason for that, from stalins point of view, he knew he was pretty sure an invasion was coming, and basically he was buying time to build up, and so the russian industrial plant insofar as it existed it wasnt too bad was in pretty good shape when the war started. The problem is a lot of that is in western russia, which i exactly what the germans were overrunning show. Russians kept having to pack up plants and pack up equipment and machinery and keep moving it farther inland. When roosevelt wanted to know what we could do to help them and he didnt know stalin yet. He sent hari Harry Hopkins who was sick but underwent this flight to russia, and he met stalin, and he asked stallin, what do you need . And stalin said, machine guns and antiaircraft guns now. Tanks, and airplane later. And hopkins got a feel for stalin, and it was a pretty good one, and he came back and told roost, told roosevelt this is worth doing. But roosevelt had to push his owncap cabinet to get this done, even after helpedlease lendlease, at one point he went on a tirade, and the only time he can ever remember roosevelt upgrading people in the cabinet like they were School Children because he wanted this done and wanted it down now. And its not as if the stuff was lying around. It had in fact to get some of the planes to russia, we borrowed them from british planes in storage and then replaced those. Any other questions . So now you know everything. Let me leave you [laughter] well, not quite maybe. Let me leave you with one interesting fact that always stuns people when you talk about sacrifices that people made. It is true that more americans had a rising standard of living during the war. However, it may surprise you to know that more americans died in industrial accidents during the war than died in combat. Now, when you consider theres about 11 million in the military, theres about 40 some million or 30some million in the work force, but if you look at those factories and look at all of these people working under some really tough conditions, it wont surprise you. But that is a shocking statistic. I thank you very much. [applause] [inaudible] discussion [inaudible conversations] on the next washington journal we look back at the 1963 march on washington and how america has changed in the last 50 years. Guests include professor michael eric dyson, the author and radio tack show host and sociology professor at georgetown university. Also be joined by owen uhlman, managing editor of print news at u. S. A. Today. Washington journal is live every day at 7 00 a. M. Eastern. President obama, former president s clinton and carter, are among the speakers wednesday at the 50th anniversary of the march on washington at the lincoln memorial. Well bring you live coverage of the event honoring the march and Martin Luther king kings i have a dream speech starting at 11 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan. We picture june cleaver with a vacuum cleaner, or in the kitchen frying bacon for breakfast in her pearls, that image actually does an obscure one of this most important trends for women, is that the Labor Force Participation increased in then 1950s. American women workers, not only did not go home after world war ii, but they increasingly entered the labor market across the 1950s. And a decade that we associate with womens domestic history. What are you reading this summer . Book tv wants to know. I have a couple of books. I dont finish any one book at one time. I keep going back to different ones. 1861, about the first year of the civil war, and overin 1863 now and what is happening in gettysburg. We just commemorated that battle. But really getting a sense of what was happening during 1861. The first shots fired at fort sumpter, and all the behind the scenees, what was happening around the country as pertained to the slavery and other issues. Obviously during that time as well. Leading up to the emancipation proclamation and the lincoln administration. Fast forwarding 100 years, fire and rain. A great book about 1969 and 1970, about the breakup of the beatles, about the emergence of james taylor, crosby, stills, nash, and young, from a musical standpoint what was happening politically at the time. We had woodstock in 1969. You had the remnants of the Civil Rights Movement moving to the war in vietnam, and the political unrest, kent state, and all that was happening during that time. Remarkable book. Reading a book called the executioner. A book about the diary of an executioner from the 16th 16th century, 17th century. A little bit gory, but very interesting all the same. An executioner, his diary in germany in nuremberg during that time. And a book, duel with the devil. Bat murder trial that took place just as our country was at its dawning, and it was the trial of someone named levi weeks from manhattan, and he was on trial for the murder of a woman named elma sands, and mr. Weeks Defense Attorneys were both aaron burr and alexander hamilton. The title duel with the devil. And was a remarkable trial that took place as our country was just coming to being and to have both these two rivals as your defense attorney. I wont give away the ending of the trial or the book itself. But its Remarkable Book as well. So, so far those are the four books i am juggling around. Let us know what youre reading. Tweet us at book tv, post on facebook, or send us an email at book tv cspan2. Org. Next, the book secret rescue. All begin by setting the stage for how the americans arrived in albania just across the adriatic from italy. Of then discuss the daring rescue, read a small section from the book, shearson photos, and again and with any questions in half. In early november 194313 Flight Nurses and 13 flight medics boarded a c53 transport plane with a fourman flight crew. The nurses and medics were traveling from their headquarters when there were scheduled to the pickup wounded patients pit region near the front lines and transport them to more fully equipped hospitals around the mediterranean. Bad weather had placed the area played the area. The weather was sunny and clear. When the plane took off my the aircraft seining coverage of violence on the pushed the plan of course. The flight crew managed to avoid dangerous waters bows that formed around them, buthey were disoriented by weather, and lost communication with the station and the Instrument Panel was malfunctioning it decided the best chance of survival was to land a plane. They saw an airfield with german planes that look like they had been abandoned, as so many and during the war, but when they attempted to land, the plane suddenly claim to life and the americans are under fire. The pilots quickly there were dodging enemy planes. They ducked in and out of clouds in an attempt to evade the fighter planes and eventually found a small patch of land near a lake nestled between rugged mountains where they could land. As the plane careened along the ground still saturated with water, the landing here solely sank in the mud until it was completely submerged. It brought the plane still violence stopped. The force imbedded the planes nose in the marshy land in the fuselage covered up by for a few seconds before falling to the ground. The crew chief who was in the back of the plane and not buckled and is the other passengers were was severely injured in the crash. The passengers tried to get their bearings and eventually exited the plane to find there were surrounded by rugged terrain. Within minutes a group of men dressed in homemade uniforms came out of the woods and surrounded them. This began the americans month long journey in which they faced a barrage of lifethreatening incidents, have very little food , and were forced to hide at night with villagers who were risking their lives to help them. During one german attack which occurred within a week of the crash landing, three of the nurses were separated from the others. Not knowing if there were alive or dead the rest of the party had no choice but to wander through rugged terrain tired, hungry commando. For weeks they were led through one village after another by albanian partisans who werent members of our resistance group. At times the americans are not sure they could trust these people who seemed to be using them as propaganda for the cause rather than helping the mistake. Meanwhile, the Army Air Force scramble to find out what happened to the missing plane as passengers. The Army Air Force sent out search planes throughout the mediterranean, but there were no signs. The stranded americans quickly learned that albania was a small country which change ferry little. German troops that occupied albania two months before and thousands of abandoned church, many of whom would not survive the winner still wonder the countryside. The americans also learned that tensions between albanian resistance groups had erupted into civil war. After 22 days the american men and women finally located a british officer who escorted them to missions cant. The americans did not know at the time, but the minute the camp worked for the clandestine special Operations Executive which was churchills secret army. They had been granted control over albanian in 1942 when oss and as of the car of the world and designs that will be controlled by one of the other are shared by both. The majority had received the same type of training has other officers, but at schools in the middle east. The basic course work remained the same as those taught in britain. There were some specialty courses offered, such as skiing and climbing and even new management. One officer found that the management class was the most useful course. Instead of being in disguise, like other officers working in other countries, these men wore uniforms that could withstand the harsh conditions of the mountain caves from which they operate guerrilla warfare. Some added local touches. The first and arrived in april april 1943 to help the two main resistance groups. To the mens growing frustration , the resistance groups seemed more interested in killing one another than anything else. By october 19431 month before the americans crash landed 24 British Special operations and more in the country and organizing the seven small missions, all of which faced constant danger. 1650 or eventually capture killed. The british are weary from three weeks of walkman and san contacted headquarters in cairo who relayed the information to american officials and the american oss that the party was safe. Oss said its first man into albania just a few weeks earlier after setting a new headquarters in italy where the plane was originally headed. Having been in albanian atlanta establish a Vital Communications link that would be critical in coordinating the desperate rescue mission. Oss quickly devised a plan which involves sending an officer to help get them out. Ben mann would be lloyd smith. Smith had been stationed in egypt for almost a year and promoted to captain when recruited by oss in cairo in Early September 1943. An oss recruiter promised in the excitement he craved particularly because his brother was headed overseas to serve as a pilot on the beach. Bomber. Smith later wrote, unless i do something more exciting and ordnance i would have trouble living with them and we got back, after the war. Soon after he arrived his Commanding Officer said to him, we have a priority job. How would you like to volunteer to go albanian . He knew little better agree to locate the stranded americans and bring them to the coast for see evacuation with a 3hour briefing. He received his orders on november 30th. By the evening of december 2nd he had made two attempts to cross the adriatic by both. When his second attentive been canceled that day because of the discovery of german mines he decided to go back to the zero ss office. He just arrived when the germans unleashed a massive air attack on the harbor just three blocks away that would later be known as the second pearl harbor. Fortunate not to be heard, at least 1,000 people including civilians were killed, countless injured, and 17 allied ships for destroyed. On his final attempt he took a british motor fishing vessel under the cover of darkness and wearing the uniform of the captain tells supporters cover story of a downed pilot. The treatment of a prisoner of war was far better than that of a spy, particularly with hitlers commando order in place. The order demanded that all allied men, behind enemy lines be killed immediately, policy violated international law. In charge of this bill was lieutenant jack taylor, a former dennis from california with the United States navy reserve who also served as chief of all assets oss maritime unit. Not only secretly delivering smith into knocks the occupied country but also bringing in desperately needed supplies, some of which eventually landed in hands of the americans. The captain was able to safely anchored half mile off the coast. The crew went to the near shore. But the black shadows of mountains looming over and he had from 800 feet to reach a series of caves overlooking the adriatic that allowed as soviet and oss to deliver and evacuate weapons and supplies in the country and pass on intelligence materials. The temporary home of several as of the personnel, an officer with mi as well as to americans. The conditions of the camp program in the days long. One soe officer who had just been evacuated road of his last few days. He said, we were desperately keen to galen very rapidly running out of food and water. For the week that we were there this was the only mediate. There was no water locally and we would have run out but for a very fortunate storm. After that i meager supply was what we collect from the rocks with a sponge. The situation become worse where local appeared and tried to convince the many on the cave and if it did not pay him he would turn the men. After five days of waiting for information about the location smith decided to see what he could discover and is on. With a 45 caliber handgun and a shepherd to guide him he set out on his mission. The soe in coordination with oss assigned to amend. After days the party was left in the hands. His dark hill, slight build, and clark gable mustache give him a distinguished appearance. Led the group along with a quiet baby faced a man with blond hair from north london. It was december 7th, the second anniversary of the attack they spend days walking with little food and the americans were more exhausted than an ever been. The americans 43rd day, the lender would have to start backtracking because the nearby fighting. It was too much for some, including the american pilot to send a message on his behalf asking for an air evacuation. They receive the message in florida to the Army Air Force. The americans came down for several days in the same mountain villages hoping for an air rescue. With that on read the prologue which takes place the morning of the attempted air evacuation. On a chilly overcast december day a special operations the tennant working for burton peered through his binoculars and watched in frustration as waves of german troops and tanks near the steep and winding road. Burstein about an abandoned airfield or American Rescue plans for scheduled to land that morning in a risky and Dramatic Mission to evacuate group of stranded american men and women barely surviving that treacherous landscape while evading capture by the nazis. As it continued to watch the activity across the valley, three german trucks and one armored car drove from the town and parked near the main road that ran in from the airfield. Now he was certain it was too risky for the rescue plans. With no way for and to communicate directly with the pilot his plan had been to signal that it was safe to land by laying out there should panels from a supply dropped to make a large tax on the field. Now that the german said move then there was nothing he could do away with the others and watch. His party riddle the fly some more now from weeks of traversing the rugged terrain while eluding the enemy stood near as cold and cut through the uniforms and blasted down aristides. There are now so weak from hunger, sickness, and despair that the several miles had turned into a slow and grueling journey. Some of the men who volunteered to help nervously fingered the pieces parachute. The others continued. Then at half past and in the sudden roar of multiple planes filled the air. Seconds later three lightning fires flew so low over the airfield that there really group huddled in the hills. One of britains most famous and durable bombers, machine guns poised for action suddenly appeared as well. The ready to provide cover. Not only with the americans coming to the rescue, so with the british. More twinengine beech creates came until 21 planes fill the gray sky. The men and women were transfixed. The most glorious sight there never seen. None of them had expected so many planes. Amazed at the effort being made to save them that there were even more effective by the stark reality that they cannot signal planes to land. With each passing second there hopes of rescue were being shattered and there were overcome with feelings. Frustration, loneliness, and arctic. It will be many more days in obstacles before it the oss and soe completed their mission. Eventually located the party being led by the officer. After a search for a month and faced is a lifethreatening hardship. Is the highestranking officer in reorganize the group putting this low in sick in front. Together they made an extraordinary push to get to the coast while avoiding german patrols. During an allnight marshy ask the group to vote on whether there would stop and rest at in a day to their journey for keep going. The vote was unanimous. The american women and men would do whatever it took to escaped. By the time they reached the coast the party of 47 or 11 and 600 miles. There would rescue the necessary been trapped. 27yearold marine corps gun resurgent from ohio was is wireless operator. Arrived in early january 1943 on the same boat as Anthony Quayle who was also working for soe. On the run from the germans. He sent the signal to italy with them along with several a albanians arrived at the evacuation. 4 months after the first landed in the country. For his heroic efforts he was first nominated for distinguished Service Medal but was not awarded the cross. His citation reads for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy during september 7 to march 201st 1944 Catherine Smith in the face of great peril throughout an extended time, hazardous and Difficult Mission that exemplified the finest traditions of the armed forces. Awarded the military cross in recognition of exemplary gallantry for his work including the rescue. For the party in general they behaved splendidly, especially the masses. What might have been quite a disastrous journey. Hunter b. Should be paid to captain smith he did magnificent work in the latter part of a journey. Trivia should also be paid to the people of the villages for which we passed, most of them were extremely has been a bull, even when a reprisal by the germans to be the price to be paid. The bravery and courage of these men and all those involved was extraordinary and is what inspired me a write the story. Khaled like to switch a little bit and show you some of the photos the bring this story alive. If we have a connection. [applause] all right. Here it can you see that a gay . On not sure we can do that. A day. So the nurses and mandates in the story were part of the medical air evacuation transport squadron. That was an Innovative New program that had been started in 1942. Over the course of the war it transported over 1 million loan did and six soldiers. So it was revolutionary. In 1945 played the eisenhower deemed air evacuation as important as other medical of innovations including penicillin. This is a photograph. Of the enlisted men as well as the nurses. The group was made up of 90 personnel, including 25 nurses which include their head nurse as well as 24 medics. They came from across the country and it all receive special training. While some of the medics volunteered for service, of course others have been drafted. All of the nurses were volunteers. Interesting note about the nurses, some have been stored this is before the war and at the Time Airlines required stories is to be nurses. So it was an easy transition for them to make. This is a photograph. The time of the crash landing, 21 years old. Todays 91. York very closely. He has an incredible memory which helped a lot. Very willing to share all of his experiences. He was one of 30 medics on board the plane. All 12 of them were from the eight 1 7, but one from the gallegus second, catching a ride basically to try to pick up this paycheck. He ended up getting more than he bargained for. Is actually the only living member of the group still with us. This is a photograph of harold showing me the root that detector albanian. I use reports from the air force Historical Research agency as well as his memory and other reports of a civil fine to various archives to recreate most of the villages. Begin all but three of them. Winter dozens of villages. These are some of the nurses who were involved in a crash landing. There were 13 nurses on board the plane, including all the ones of the fatah. What was interesting to me is to be part manassas had to be between the ages of 21 and 36, with between 105 and under and 35 pounds and stand between 62 and 72 inches tall. The nurses ranged in age from 23 to 32 while the medics ranged in age from 19 to 36. There was a very wide range of ages. This was the flight crew. On the far left is the copilot. Second from the left is the pilot who was actually only 22 at the time. The senior officer on board the plane. He had just been promoted to first the tennant a month before, so we out rent everyone on the plan. Next as the Radio Operator command and on the far right is the crew chief. He was the one who was injured. This is a photograph of the c47, the type of plan iran was a c53 which is very similar. Nicknamed the gooney bird. It was almost identical except for the door. Designed specifically the carry paratroops. It lacked a large cargo door. Here is just a brief shot from that time frame giving you a sense of the rugged terrain. Most of the area there were and looked a lot like this for the month that there were there. They came across a few towns, but most of the time or in villages. Most of the bombs at the time lack Running Water or did not have electricity. The main mode of transportation was still mule. This is the town, one of the largest towns that passed through. It had a population of about 10,000. And this was actually the town that on their fourth morning the american civil to the german attack that forced 27 of them to flee for their lives. The other three hit in the home and ended up being stranded for several extra months. This is about 1945. With him is his wife. Actually still living today, 101 and lives in italy. Unfortunately he did help the american, led them through many miles of rugged terrain, but the americans were very suspicious of him at various times because they felt like he was leading away from the coast, their ultimate destination. In fact, after he parted ways with the americans to his tortured for several days and was eventually executed for helping with the allies during the war. This is a telegram that his family received alerting them that he was missing. Its very brief. Regret to inform you report received. Missing in the north african area since a november. Further details other information. You will be promptly notified. His family ended up getting to other telegrams in the course of the experience and without any clear answers. This was the british officer receiving thank you cases in two of the nurses when theyre in the hospital where there were quarantined basically for several days while the military figured out what they did and did not want to say. This is the american officer, l. Ss officer. He is the one who returned to albania for the Second Mission on his own and retrieved the three nurses. This is a map the shows the exact route. They started up here, the crash site is appear. Theyre trying to get here, but this is the way it were taken. When they were debriefed and got back to italy the Intelligence Officers told them that theyd probably traveled anywhere from 30500 miles. Given the terrain you could double a triple and. And with that will take any questions that anyone ask. There were eventually taken briefly to italy, it cant in bari, and allowed to travel back. There were only there for a few days in a actually thought that they would all be back together again. Many they probably would not stay in italy in the mediterranean because of the iran and other crash landing would be considered spines. So they all anticipated seeing each other again. Only a few of them never got back. There are all in different places. Most of them were in the United States. One nurse went to france and served there, but it would not see each other again until they have their union in 1983. They had to reunions in the 80s. Of course not everyone was still living at that point. According to the picture, 1948, excuse for having collaborated. Why 1948 . Did the execution . After the war a partisan during the war became the dictator. For unknown reasons he killed most of his friends as well as anyone he saw as a potential threat which included anyone who had worked closely with the allies. He had done the same thing. So why he did it. The story is that. His wife who is still with us bake for them to let him go. In prison for several months, and she finally been told he would not be executed the serve a hundred years of Something Like that. Says she baked cake canastas son to deliver it for her to the guards as a thank you. When he got there the guy still debate executed the father them morning. The partisans were communists. Theyre rivals or anticommunist and anti monarchist. So they were really basically fighting to see who would control albania after the war. Did any of that team expressed regret that despite the grueling experience they did not get to work on a mission and all . The medical air evacuation, they had all been doing it. There arrived in october. They only have a month of actually evacuating troops. Some of them ended up training. Several of the nurses ended up turning. So i think they felt like there were actually doing that in a different kind of way. And know that some of them would have liked to abandon there and avoided the whole situation. What prompted you write this book . I was working on an article for Smithsonian Magazine and came across as toward newspaper article about the account. A fund is so intriguing because id never heard the story before , but you hear a lot of stories about downed airmen fighting their way back. The idea that there were 13 women as part of this really interested me. I thought it changed the dynamics of the groups. Want to know exactly what they were doing when the plane crashed. I started investigating it. There were two memoirs written. One was by one of the nurses in 1990 when she was 85 years old. She published a memoir. Then one of the medics to passed away in the 80s, found his fathers long lost memoir and self published in 2010. So i have cussed documents as well and then i started doing archival research. What made me decide to pursue it as a book is once i found barely days, the living survivor of the group, being able to ask someone all the questions that are written in the memoirs or have come up in the research in some much of what harold tall man was able to validate have the information i could corroborate. So he has a very accurate memory and is careful not to embellish which is a very important thing to have been a source. They didnt. A good question. The nurses were all second attendance. They now range most of the enlisted men. What was interesting to me in researching a story is finding out that the nurses actually held relative rank which meant that the they were given a Second Lieutenant rank, the pay was half that of what a Second Lieutenant would make. So there was that officer enlisted man break between them when they started. Even though there were all together, when they boarded the plane that morning a lot of them were strangers. The nurses were friends with each other, the medics were friends with each other, but there was not a lot and so as time went by a lot of that was forgotten. But the british officer was asked the question. He was actually the first one to speak when they get back. There were all told not to say anything about what happened, and then the british officer actually ended up talking to the press. Someone asked about romance. He said, if you had been there you would know there was no romance. It was a grueling process. It did not pay for weeks on end. Encounter any resistance from the u. S. Government to tell the story . Today assist you in the . There were not really involved. I did meet with the u. S. Embassy actually it was one of the highlights of the whole experience. Harold wrote a letter of thanks to the albanian people it had delivered to the president when i went there. It was covered in the media lot, but the u. S. Embassy sent someone to that meeting. I think the real reason that it was kept secret during the war was to protect any downed airmen who would need rescuing. It was also to protect the people who had helped him. When communism took over, that was when everyone in the Group Continued to hold their silence because they felt like there were still going to jeopardize those people. There would be executed. After the war they continued. Correct. Today have longterm Health Effects from their ordeal . Thats a good question. The crew chief who was injured in a crash landing actually continued data lent for the rest of his life. I talked to a lot of the children of the group. Several of them told me that there parents had tried unsuccessfully to get benefits for Significant Health problems than it had and were not fortunate enough to do that. But most of them, his only fault was that he would not eat corn bread which was the staple of there were there. Probably for 40 years. He was very lucky. To the group offer any assistance . Well, when they first crash landed there were at one village for couple of days. While a group of the man went back to burn the plane because of the time of the crash landing it was raining in the war also fearful of needing to get away. The new the germans were close. When they went back the next day they decided to go back and burn it. While there were doing at some of the people were looked at by the nurses according to a couple of articles that i found in which the nurses were interviewed. But i dont think there were not doing a lot of that. There were really looking for help in the next place where they could find a place to sleep harold tell me that the is certain that there were many days that the people who gave them food in the villages went without because there was just a little share. Its extraordinary. The heroes of the story to me by the oss and the soe and the albanian people. What was the other article you were working on . Of down on a lot of articles on female spies during world war two. Virginia all is a fascinating oss officer. I believe i was working on that piece of the time. Smithsonian magazine on line, i was there when better. I mean, theres some many heroes. In fact, i spoke at the oss Society Annual meeting. A surprising number of people who are still with us. That was such an honor to be among them. Their stories are just incredible, and there are so many of them. A lot of them have been documented, but its just fascinating to me. I know your mother. Want to know something about your visit with the albanian president and how that went. How you were received and if its not classified. Its not. They were very gracious. I was actually in contact with the Albanian Embassy in d. C. , and they recommended the former ambassador had a particular interest in a story. I got in touch with him and he was actually the one who are raised for the meeting with president. But you know, his letter was just some moving. It meant so much to the president to a never heard the story rather. And then a lot of the albanian people had not heard the story. So the media was interested in it. It was a lovely meeting. It just as an author it made me feel like i was really having an impact on getting the story out there. Its very meaningful to me, and i think it was to herald. You want to travel with me. We ended up deciding it was just himself isnt good enough for that. I sent him pictures. He felt like he was ominous. I trust he has read your manuscript now. What did he say to you about it . I was with him on the launch date. Fl like that was important because we worked so closely the gathered. Primarily the story of these 30 people. I feel honored to of told the. He said when he gave them remarks that day that he learned a lot more than he ever knew about medical air evacuation. Because i was able to supplement my research to the air force Historical Research agency and archives, that they just didnt know. That was fun to be able to share that with him, but i think it also when i first contacted him he was unsure how much interest there would be. I think when he sees it is finally proud of it. So is meaningful to me. Says the United States government ever recognize any of the albanians, formally recognized . I dont believe they have. , 12 or above are you able to get anything from the german side of it . The german army, how they were viewing this . Sense a great question. I was hoping i would find this incredible story of one officer going out and it really flesh that out. I did hire a researcher in germany. I dont speak german. He spent many days doing it. We found a few things. The germans did find the burned plane, which is interesting. There are not able to use anything from a. We also know from the archives that the town where they all fled when there was a german attack, there was a german soldier who was a prisoner. He actually reported back to is officer when he escaped that he had seen americans and saw them fleeing the attack. So that was interesting. How much the germans were actually pursuing the americans is a completely clear from the archival records. They played a key role in shepherding them through the villages. Why did the americans start to distrust and . Was he doing . Than the they want to get to the coast. The plan was to find a boat that could take them all there. That was the best plan at the time. They kept feeling like he was taking them to the east instead of west where the coast west. Every time there would talk about it and ask him he would say, no, dont worry. Are we have to as a partisan not go into the territory. You would say that he was trying to avoid that. One point when the group is on the run, scattered from the attack, they separated the two groups, they hear rumblings from one of the villagers saying dont trust that man. I think that kind of but this diaz of the mines. I think ultimately it was doing everything he could help them while also being a loyal partisan. For him it was taking the americans around. There really wanted the american and british to help them win the war. They had a group of americans in their hands. I think they thought, why not use them as propaganda. English speaking . There was the red cross has set up a school in albanian. A handful of young men went. Fortunately he was one of those. The first man who greeted them when the plane crash landed. Why did they take such a roundabout way to get to the coast . They were in the hands of the partisans. There were trusting them to guide them. So some of the was there were being led for their way intentionally. Some of it was that there was fighting that would break out. Particularly wants them now with the british in the british were getting into the coast, there were some germans fighting close by. The british officer really want to get them as far away from that area as possible. It was a mix of things. Since it takes place in your, what effort by the Publishing Company is being made . What do you think the reception will be . So heavily involved. Coming out . Were hoping to get an albanian publisher. This seems to be a lot of interest. The beauty of todays society, you can find anyone on the internet. I was able to find a lot of the relatives. So were actually going have a reunion in november. A lot of the families including the partisans. Excuse me. So i think based on those families reactions and albanians as a small country, i think theres a lot of interest there as well as in britain, but i dont know the specifics. German soldiers learned that there were there. They must not have reported to the others in their command. Can you comment on that . Evidently they did not really anything. This second day that the nurses were in the home, german troops came and, two of them and saw them sitting in the basement. The nurses actually never knew why they did not report them. I was able a fund a man who was just seven years of living in the house of the time. He explains to me that his uncle whom he lived with was actually a wine maker and an ally of local connections. So when the german soldiers came and commis convince them to look away and not report to women and save the lives. In fact, that man actually still had the clock from the Instrument Panel from the original plan. The nurses had taken it and kept it with them. When they made their escape it was left behind. He kept it all these years. Yup. Were you able to travel . Yes, i spent some time in toronto, which is the capitol which feels very modern, but if you go outside the capital into some of the villages, i dont think they have changed much since the americans with there. So we actually were able to find a couple of people who actually remembered the americans. We found all this people in the villages and would ask questions. Some of them remembered, which was a real treat for me. There were so surprised that an american and showed up to ask them questions about something that happened years before in the small village. Is there any one memory that stuck out the most . Any one single experience from memory . One of the hardest things for him was knowing that his family did not know where lives. They probably assumed he was dead. He was very emotional about that, whereas most of the other material he could talk about. And every talked about his family, not knowing where he was , that was a very poignant thing for him. One little anecdote, he started dreaming a lot about deep dishpotato pie, one of his favorite meals. There were all fixated on food much of the time because there were so hungry. There were days when they had of a small piece of corn bread. That would be it. I would just like to thank you for writing this story. That era, so many of them unknown that will go on now on without people like you bring it to everybodys attention. What is next . I have to figure that out. Im researching ideas right now. But i think that is one thing and took away from this experience. When i talk to various family members this that i always knew my mom was in albania. I knew my dad was there, but i never ask the questions. Some of them were just delighted i did research to piece together the story because they had such a sketchy outline of what happened to the family. Particularly like the children of the nurse who wrote a memoir, because she was writing a memoir and they traveled together, they were able to talk a lot about a. Another treasure those moments. Its a great thing to be able to talk to people and ask them questions when you have the opportunity. Family members, parents that participated in the exact this, then never really want to talk about it. Bits and pieces but down of the whole story. Its one that needs to be told. That generation just did not talk as much as we do today. Heralds daughters whom ive met did not know much about the story of all. In the process he is extraordinary because is 91 and emails and scans pictures. We communicated almost on a daily basis in addition to be visiting him in person several times. But getting that kind of information from them has just been really helpful. He started opening up about more outside the memoirs you were the only one that tackled the subject thats the gym. Thanks. It was such a fascinating story to me. Im honored to have been able to tell it. Delighted have so many family members of the not and talk to me. These are their loved ones. I took that very seriously. These are their parents, grandparents. I want to portray it as accurately as possible. It took about a yearandahalf to two years. A bit rushed. But it was a fun experience. And really enjoyed it. Did you have a publisher before you wrote this book . I did a book proposal. I was working with an agent and we submitted the proposal the publishers. Little brown bought that. At the time to work on the book. Typically what happens with nonfiction versus fiction when the book is complete and submit it to publishers. Save money. Right. But it actually was on about the plants 2011. It recommended it as one of the best places to go because its still cheap. Its actually beautiful, ride on the mediterranean. We really have a nice time. The food was excellent. Any other questions . When did the oss evolved into the cia . That was in the 50s after the war. There was a lot of talk about whether it should stay. It was the nations first intelligence agency, whether it should stay as one or be divided into others. Im certainly not an expert in that, but i believe thats what happened. A lot of people dont know what the oss is buried at think it was really such an important part of our countrys history because they were really groundbreaking and what they did. I dont know if you can talk about this, but are there any movie possibilities . I hope so. [laughter] thats a good question. Have not spent a lot of time casting, but that would be a fun thing to do. I think it has potential. Lets hope that happens. [inaudible question] yes, i will be in d. C. Speaking at politics and prose. Also speaking at this by museum this summer, few of the things lined up. Thank you very much. [applause] our coverage of book tv in primetime continues with a look at events from this years book fair in festivals. The National Business group on health conducted a survey on how large employers view the role of Health Insurance exchanges and providing benefits to employees and retirees and what there will be doing in 2014. Wednesday at the National Press club de announced the results of the survey. See it live at 10 00 a. M. Eastern here on cspan2. And our original series first ladys influence and image we looked at the public and private lives of the women who served as first lady during the nations first 112 years. Now as we move into the modern era the first ladies in their own words. Human rights would be one of the Foundation Stones on which we would build in the world an atmosphere in which peacekeeping role. I dont think the white house cant completely belong to one person. It belongs to the people of america. At think whoever lives in it should preserve its traditions believe something of yourself there. Twentyone ladies from the beginning of the 20thcentury until the present live monday night including calls, Facebook Comments and weeks starting september 9th at 9 00 eastern on cspan what you reading this summer . Book tv once to now. Have a lot of bucks on one terry this summer. As a political journalist on looking at the 2016 president ial race, the candidates are probably going to run on the republican side. One of the people on looking at is chris christie. And picked up the new book. Its a fun read so far. It takes you back into his political cents in new jersey. Before he became u. S. Attorney he was a Morris County freeholder involved a lot of county politics. So it takes is behind the story, the politician with president obama in new jersey and asks who he was. Still by people who really know new jersey politics. I would recommend it. The very likely contender, and you have to know where it came from and what is politics mean at of the election. Second book, a list, kevin d. Williamson wrote a new book called the end is near. Have going broke will leave america richer, happier, and more secure. The fiscal cliff earlier in 2013 was a big story recovered. Later this year youre going have the debt limit be the story that consumed congress. Ted williams and looks at the debt from a political perspective, historical perspective, talks about the consequences of the debt cavallas been taking a whole lot of congresss time and could potentially ruin the country. He does it with some way, fine, and so i think its a great book third on my list, as a journalist here in washington there is always gossip and talk about what is really happening, our stories really get written, who is leading to who, the power struggles not only within politics but the media. The really as the year of the beltway crowd and is coming in with the book in july its all about the inside seen in washington and Dupont Circle in the georgetown salons. The book really gives us the story in the color of what washington in the political Media Establishment is all about for fun a book come looking for to reading, mickey and willie. The parallel lives of baseballs golden age. Dallas just down in spring training in arizona watching the cleveland indians, chicago cubs play baseball. Willie mays is getting a pair n. H. , but this booklet said twoman who came of age at the same time and actually formed a lifelong, something i never knew. Thats a great book for baseball fans the summer. Thats my list, and a looking for doreen the mall. Let us know what youre reading. Posted on my Facebook Page or send us an email. Saving italy is a mecca of the since story one that i am excited to share with you and did all started in 1997. I was coming against over the caravaggio one day the only one not destroyed by a the not sees as the left 1944 standing on the average by a wondered how is it with the most destructive conflict in history 65 million lives lost what Cultural Treasures survived to save them and that led me now to this remarkable journey now 50 years later to make sure everyone in the world knows this story of saving italy. Norwich of our story is a failed artist then architect from the Vienna Academy of arts and the story begins with hitler or the nazi leaders is the first and they will accompany them to look at this wonderful sculpture after four or five days they needed to florence on their last day. The only had 10 hours bit more than two were allocated to the great Museum Following the introduction. Then they went to the next museum piece of masterpieces he had only seen in books. He was fascinated with all of these things and it showed him the art of what was possible the jury of building a museum he would be known as a legend he made these drawings and sketches while the 1938 also erected a scale model to rebuild the entire town at the center of the cultural mecca of this museum. September 1939 with the nazi Germany Invasion of poland throughout europe they closed works were moved outside of the cities for fear of damage of from the allied bombings or four to thousand objects in 10 days the same thing took place in 1941 at the arbor tosh. In italy though works removed on multiple locations to castle san villas in the countryside works that could not be moved to such as the iconic david were creating a scene in the a italians officials deserved a bomb might land on academia they can only hope this would deflect the falling debris and save michelangelo. Landed in the courtyard and obliterated the area blowing all the east wall of the dining hall on the right and leaving the last supper exposed to the elements would be some time before i ty officials could build a new roof and two years before the monument officers would arrive and begin the effort to supervise the removal of the san begs to see if either it would survive for the wall would stand. This is the same the shortly after the bomb fell and you could see the sand banks year on this side of the scaffolding. This diagram gives a more clear perspective showing sandbags on both sides of the north wall. About that same point in time the New York Times released a newspaper article letting everyone know that a group had been formed to to try to create typhoid a new kind of soldiers charged with saving in not destroying and the official group name was monuments and fine arts Archives Section with a responsibility to help allied air commanders to steer the bombing a wave to avoid these close calls by the time there was cruz on the ground they were charged to give temporary repairs to other important structures. Ultimately as he reached some of the cities that had severe luting when they became a defacto art detectives chasing down the most important masterpieces worth billions of dollars all the way to the end of the war. This is an experiment not tried before nothing on this scale involving a group of men and women, museum directors, curators art historians, architects and artists. Few volunteer for Service Almost had careers average age was 40 years old about 70 percent were american and 30 percent british. They had every reason in the world to not volunteer for military service but they did volunteer in they went into combat attached to the various armies working with them the first officer was from harvard named kamins he way of arrived six weeks after it had begun but he was flown to north africa because president roosevelt understood the war was proceeding at a pace faster than the officers could be its assembled and trained a and he thought five he would become a monuments officer of the in north africa but they said no. Youre going to sicilys so he tried to study at the library but thought Army Intelligence prevented him because they were convinced german spies could have been handed to it for so this is the one step forward to step back but they dealt with. One by one of might and its officers from the United States and from Great Britain signed oftentimes about jeeps or transportation or a staff no cameras when they did arrive they did not have a film but they had positions of great responsibility. They were unintimidated but resourceful a and clever. Very familiar. By december 1943 trying to get the operation coordinated with the military resulted in numerous and request of eisenhower to issue a directive not just the commanders of all troops on december 29, 1943 was the responsibility not just of his commanders battle soldiers general eisenhowers directive stated if it comes down to the lives of our men or object the lives of the men, held more but he pointed out this is the excuse of convenience the foundation there was some underneath the effort or the very first test to his order came just 45 days later to add a battle that had drug on a month and a half fed would continue on with British Forces in American Forces that German Forces had occupied the abbey in the decision was made to mitigate the loss of life to bomb the abbey to force the commanders that they were convinced were launched with inside out of the abbey. We learned after the battle dead German Forces were surrounding it in the inside of it but many agreed in hindsight they thought it was mocking the troops and as i mentioned the battle continued for another three months before the break occurred but as a result of the coordination with the allied air commanders the dislocated 467 feet away from the train station where most people arrived in florence and the allies determined to help the troops to knockout the courtyard here in the center area of lawrence and in fact, there really arent so close to the church it is most precarious but successful Bombing Mission but less than half a mile away is the caravaggio from where the bombing took place. By april and may 1944 to key monuments officers reimposition and through their experiences a portrait painter named deane keller studied it in rome of after that he was a professor of arts at yale and he left behind his wife and three yearold son. Teeeighteen was suddenly charged with this tremendous responsibility but also trying to be a dad from a Long Distance to understand his son three letters and started to send home dozens of drawings and mrs. One of him selling his packed onto his uniform in naples evader one of three celebrations he missed on the birthday of drawing a cake of wishing him well. The other monuments officer was a budding parts scholar named fred hartt and was 29 years old much younger than most one of its officers and he had visited the eurobond a number of occasions and he loved art. It was his dream to save the things in this country that have meant so much to him as a youth growing up. As the war and advanced beyond the of valley north, through rome and siena to reach the tuscan hills outside the city of florence, the monuments officers arrived to a terrific discovery that horrified them with the news that this castle, right outside florence house works of art from the museums in florence that were there leaning up against the wall, not in crates and led to believe by italian officials when they arrived in rome that the works of art had been moved back and into the city out of the way of oncoming Ground Combat but they found quickly this was not the case. It set the alarm bells off so the handful of officers maybe 20 or so gathered and attempted to get as many to florence and tuscany as they could out of fear that more vilas had in the works of art that could be lifted or damaged in combat. Fred hartt was there before deane keller. By the time deane keller arrived at was too late to move into the city if he is standing next to primavera inside the villa one of the many hundreds of works of art in this one of the love of load endeavor 38 others containing similar works that were moved out of this city by the superintendent. The field Marshal Kesselring was determined to avoid making the mistakes that was made in rome by hillers order to not destroy the bridges of rome and flee north and he was in the process of supervising the demolition charges trying to delay the allied advance. By the time the might of its officers in the u. S. Fifth army arrived all of the of bridges except the caravaggio were not destroyed but it was the lesser of the important with the most important was a Bridge Design was influenced by michelangelo. Hitler was told that during his visit but he would have nothing of it and convinced hed do better than those art historians and caravaggio thought that was more important in order that it not be destroyed but in the effort to destroy not destroy the bridge they may be concentrated effort to destroy access of the both and this is of a drawing that fred hartt wrote drafter the areas were demolished. The gray area was severely damaged as a you can see the bridge that did survive but in an effort to avoid destroying get there was so much demolition charges agent 134,915th century medieval towers that for so many centuries to find the city of florence, loss out of the effort to keep the lesser bridgehead and this is thus seen the surviving that on either side of the bridge it is all simply erasers to changing the landscape changing the fingerprint of florence forever. The monuments officers learned from officials and then placed but the casino january 43 or 44 german troops with the highly visible ceremony delivered the works of art with another painting where you may have seen mussolinis speaking in an effort that they had remove these from the abbey knowing that the ground war was headed there and they were trying to safeguard the works. But because of the indian seeing more rome officials did not have time at the moment to go through the inventory the works of art that also included also from pam pompeii but after the liberation of rome the inventory was taken and they realize that 187 cases of works of art were amazed missing and they were not complete theft but there was a deliberate effort to open the zepa and select which would be taken out with a different paintings and case is not managing the inventory some put together some hastily. That with the monuments officers had their first knowledge that there was a deliberate effort to steal works of art and this was the first significant theft that they overlooking to find works of art so fred hartt being aware of thus the first person he finds is the superintendent of the art. Now he is a fascinating figure in the young man that played an Important Role during world war i during the Cultural Treasures of tuscany and here is a man that has already been through this drill once before. But he had an interesting experience in 1911 and 1912 you may know that mona lisa was stolen from the louvre in 1911 that was determined to repatriate the work of art to his country and he brought back in a sting operation that involved him in 1914 if you have been to florence you may have passed the hotel that the work was found. Then it was temporary placed on exhibition at uffizi. He told incredible story of german Art Preservation officers that did appear on the scene late 1943. The policy toward our production was to have the officers went in countries that were occupied. But italy for the first three years it was the allies so there were no german art Protection Officers with the change of allegiance of German Forces september 1943 with the activists correct destruction and looting began as we saw after the lifting of the works from the museum in naples. The fate of so many of the works of art in italy rested upon the individual commanders with access this was conveyed an end with lambsdorff was head of fed German Protection or even if there were some outstanding scholars that tried to do a good job to protect the works of art but being an officer of the ss also with a background in art was someone after one of the officers referred to as onehalf of his heart dedicated to the protection of art but also dedicated to the ss. But then he proceeded to tell fred hartt about the agreement the a time officials had with german officials under no circumstances were these works of art from the florentine museums placed in the nearby villas, the castles of the tuscan hills out to be removed without authorization. But yet they discovered that the works had been removed hundred works including Michael Angelos sculpture issa and donatello, a painting by boat to chile and also a german painter so greatly admired by a not see Party Leaders during mid1930s eight yen in 1940 visit to florence and they were gone. In fact, fred hartt would later say with a loss of 529 paintings, wind hundred 62 works of sculpture, all totaling 7305 objects, the florence suffered a robbery on the scale to ludendorff said the losses of napoleon. He was not acting alone with the supervision and approval of a man known as ss general carl wolf often overlooked. He is a fascinating figure for seven years he was an adjunct from 1936 to 1943 is a favorite of hitler im sorry, also of hitler because he is the ss liaison to the fuehrer headquarters. He is looked at as a tall figure berry aristocratic aristocratic, well cultivated in bonterre. Blond hair and wolf can be seen on one of their many visits to concentration camps this one in the soviet union. He plays the role was a desk murderer signing documents to help facilitate the trayvon system moving concentration in camp interns from one place to the camps were. When but following the removal of mussolini from office and italy switching sides adolf hitler in a rage swears the German Forces will go into the vatican to empty it of the cultural objects treasures in case will decide and assigns him secretly the responsibility including kidnapping the wind had general end later kill the pope pius 12th. He thought this was a bad idea he understood the neck about italy that the church and the vatican played in insurable goal to maintain the fabrications structure of the country and whether or not this plan developed is a topic of Ongoing Research with these words were uttered by the figure at 1. In time and wolff managed to delay implementation distractions as occurred and he would worked very hard to implement the ec he and to cultivate a relationship with the vatican officials realizing there could be favors he could extend perhaps thinking ahead or may be returned to. The works of art from florence were moved north over palm cratered roads from allied pilots using trucks and fuel that general wolfe had been available. The understanding is that these works of art were the safest and the thai officials could not move them back into the city because the trucks were confiscated by German Forces. It was the judgment that they needed to be saved in their overtaking them north to places to be headed to an area that legally is in italy but predominantly germanspeaking and even to this day. There they were unloaded a you can see the minimal amount of protection provided moving 350 miles north over the iraqi roads sometimes no t. A. R. P. Their life being in light drizzle you can see the strong the ground the paintings swinging back and forth over the vibration of the road and there they stayed. Wolff understanding they would not be returned to he would not return them to the italians who were clamoring to hand have them they felt was safer it neither was he by december 1944, willing to obey orders from his former boss himmler that wanted them moved into austria and germany into the salt mines. Wolff professed at that stage he had a shortage of the palm dash vehicles and gasoline and could not deliver them at that time in well there were shortages i do believe he had the resources had he wanted to. He had not one but two families he was married and had a family with a brunette ignoring some of his biology lessons, finally realized he would not have blind children with this woman and forster and married his second wife and had a happy result with the children that were born. And then realizing the war would end in not to germany would be defeated convince the days were numbered knowing that other nazi Party Leaders would be jockeying for opportunities to make their own deals to survive, wolff extremely gifted survival skills surface and he made contact the oss leader the american chief spymaster working in switzerland. Of the next few months he made several visits to zurich incog need go outside the i love field schiller trying to work outside the vision of his former boss himmler. To discuss his desire to surrender all forces and more than 1 million troops. Those that which hitler had provided in wolff promise he would make sure his sources ignored the orders there were 350 pilots from the United States and other Political Prisoners being held he also inform did dollars of the 800 masterpieces under his control in he would make sure they were delivered to allied forces. Dulles was under extremely strict instructions from president roosevelt he could have a meeting with wall street and listen to what he had to say but under no circumstances was he to enter into any kind of negotiations much less make any deals with this not see officer. Something dollars to his grave swore that he did. However it is interesting to know that karl wolff manage to survive the war and was not prosecuted at nuremberg in fact, he did appear as a witness for the prosecution. And aware of the negotiations behind the scenes fred hartt is determined to find these works of art that he loved and studied so much and he took it upon himself with the risktaking officer with another zero ss man that he met into plea for his help in the man with the perfect disguise a priest was also a partisan in the leader of a brigade and was recruited to use his network can run better disguised in the alphabet of the priest . But there were difficulties in the areas that he needed to be so they decided they would fly behind enemy lines allowing him to have his very first airplane ride going up but the plane did not land so they gave him a parachute to jump out. [laughter] story proliferates after having jumped out a couple of officers in the back of the plane and saw his prayer book clear in the pilots circled around engrafted in the red again tied a rope around it and dropped it dealt so he became legendary the flying priest among his parishioners. [laughter] and then well stream was realize the surrender document was signed and then that there is the righthand man who hooked up with wolff shortly afterwards about a week and a half later the surrender was keep kept a secret three more days to allow both sides to work out the terms of the ceasefire before was announced the very first rounder of German Forces during world war ii. In days later, news came to deane keller of the two locations of the works of art that had been taken from florence and the sculpture many of which had been moved and it traded in he arrived at a jail sale to go through with the works of art he cannot even do the paintings to see what were behind them. And keller and fred hartt and perkins on the righthand side and they were put out a had taken fred hartt so long to get their day he was acting under the orders of general wolfe there were not returned to italy not to be given over to the American Forces. Over the two months they struggle to get those works of art and move to new trains to get them back to florence. Not as difficult as it was a the shortages were severe to find the laborers to build those things or food was a challenge of the bridges north of florence were blown up or the not too forces as they moved north to impede the allies advance so many bridges had to be rebuilt and it was the first train to be back in operation to get the works of art back to florence and they arrived late july 1945 in this is the really hard with deane Keller Holding up the notebook with the inventory of the works of art they supervised packing up and fred hartt signing the inventory schedule formally transferring responsibility back to the republic of italy. Deane keller but down there were valued at 500 million. The works arrived with a joyous celebration and ceremony by local officials including the mayor with the Civil Affairs section when he stood there his vision for the 1,000 year reich now the monuments officers will be remembered for their remarkable work saving the works of art from florence but i think the great legacy is the preservation the this Ancient Cemetery in the house is the great leaders with a towering party over the nearby rifle in florence. Today most people go to see the Leaning Tower of pisa but before the war 90 did go to see there inside the gread go to see there inside the great cemetery was 20,000 square feet of fresco. 3,000 more square feet than the painted surfaces of the sistine chapel. But then the roof that should be there is gone. The roof was made of lead and it melted and the lead down the sides of the wall blistering the fresco leaving this tragic situation of millions and millions of pieces the a little fragments that had fallen off the wall and you can still see some attached blistered baked by the tuscan sun over the months that it took to get German Forces out of a piece of pisa before deane keller could arrive he reacted immediately to Contact Senior military leaders if theres ever a moment for the archive section and officers to prove their worth this is it. I need engineers, fresco restores from florence, food to feed them and i have to have housing made available we need people and we need them now. His commanders responded immediately. His workers came bringing wheelbarrows and shovels to began picking up the pieces. This is a painting painted in the 19th century in one portion, and this is what used to look like and this is what looks like by the time teeeighteen arrives to concede that symbol that was painted in very severely blistered. Teeeighteen concern knowing the weather having been in italy was what would happen when the fall rains came to wash off what remained would eliminate any possibility of repairs so there was an innovative design to deflect the raid water away from the walls to allow ti for the replacement of to be built. He died in 1982 but not before visiting with his son 21 years later with his son vino. And this boy whom he had sent the drawings tear from his arrival he and these endearing drawings celebrating the absences of christmas, worked for eight years with italian officials to make it possible for his fathers remains to be buried in the one place he was convinced that they should be that was here this is an his tombstone and for those of you that visit pisa you can walk over to the laboratory where the work continues to this day gluing the piece of fresco that they saved back onto wood panels 65 years later. Fred hearts contributions to saving important elements was certainly no less. With the history of this city and the leading role the medieval towels if you visit florence today walking north you can see the tower there and it is there because fred hartt negotiated and worked with Army Engineers to not having an appreciation for these buildings was damaged in unrepairable theyre interested to have the remains in use the rubble for roads there was the urgent need to clear the roads to get emergency help but fred hartt had an understanding of the difference between buildings cover damaged in damage beyond repair and this was one of them. This is one example of the work they did including finding glass and a title to make sure that at 1. In time this had water up to the ankles because there were no windows or a roof on the portion of it. Parts dedication to italy with those floods in november by other officers traveled around can treat traveling around to make available to help this disaster situation to begin to repair the works of art. And apropos, fred hartt companion of 30 years similarly labored with florentine officials to make sure fred had a chance to be buried in the church ladylove so much, overlooking the city. This is the tombstone where fred is very. Over the course of my work the last tenures full time i had a chance to be 70 monuments officers coming to women i have interviewed the medium the members of today there are five still living one woman is british and forbid it i have asked each of them one question, among others is art worth of life in one monuments officers is of the question this way. I remember having a very lengthy discussion with the berlin apartment one night. What is of value a work of art or a human life . I would say the human being here he say a work of art. So we have another drink and another drink. I said would you give your life to save the cathedral . He said sure. Then he said it actually i have that choice to make because there were bombs placed around the cathedral and as a bomb disposal expert i was the one that had to take them and dispose of them. He won the argument that way [laughter] i was with him several years ago when i travel around the country my mother is very fond of reminding me i do too much of. And i oftentimes ask questions the coz they like the rest of us think of new things and i said is artur sell life if he said is theres something wrong with your memory . [laughter] i said note know maybe you remembered something he said i told you about having at drinking and the berlin apartment and i told you about he told me about the one good thing about being the demolition squad. He said wait a minute i film is how could there be such thing . I wonder the same thing myself i said what in the world could be a good about being with the demolition or the bomb disposal squad . He said you never have a superior officer looking over your shoulder. [laughter] but bertie went on to tell me more if he said i remember now the steelworkers said it was all worth it for their reward that he received in he said to gave that you . He said after i got the last bombs out, i was alone inside the cathedral for one hour by myself. So these are the stories that we gather with this living part of the final chapter of World War Ii History that has not been written but it is written today not only to have a chance to have the front row seats to watch history be written but also to have a chance to write it. Now deane keller had a slightly different twist of an answer on this question and of course, i came along after he passed but with our research for his documents i could see in essence that he also thought about and his view was he believed the life of no american boy was worth a single work of art or monument however the life of a soldier or american boy was worth a cause. I think it is a better way to frame this that we do risk lives for democracy and the principles that we believe in and the opportunity to be stewards of what have survived not by accident but people from centuries before from our civilization that we should have a chance to have them to pass on the responsibility they are protected Dan Deane Keller in fred hartt risk to their lives on numerous occasions wafting through booby trapped buildings into one of its officers and Northern Europe was story that i described these are not then sitting in an office somewhere sitting on the frontline to do their job. They came back after the war someone on to bigger and Better Things but there is not a museum or a Major Cultural Institution that doesnt have a connection with the one given officer and i want you to see prominent people in the years that follow. We dont have to the monuments officers nearby that could make it tonight when doesnt live too far from philadelphia but we are fortunate in this such an honor to me to introduce deane keller other son bill and his wife judy that our share with us tonight. [applause] i recall reading a quotation by president kennedy that says a nation reveals itself from the men it produces or the men that it honors in reid did a poor job because we dont remember a and we dont know this remarkable legacy of cover country during the most constructive destructive conflict in history so not having monuments officers him in in the baghdad 2003 this is one of the things i created for the preservation of our to not only preserve the legacy but to put it to used to reestablish the United States leadership in the production who thought with the modern day officer of this disastrous response and since became the curator and i ask the question in in here was what she had to say for me in 2003 caused a lot of anger not just bad p. R. Was bad p. R. Throughout the world we have to be ever vigilant to educate elective leaders, to protect our property during that conflict and during world war tarot their general eisenhower took great measures not because its the right thing to do but that was part of the toolkit those of you keeping an eye on world events know of the ongoing civil war in syria with the destruction of some of these columns to drive across them the tank fire but within weeks this 11th century minaret. This is a call to action for all americans to spread the verge with president roosevelt and general eisenhower, this historic action by these men and women, a handful and i say to all people, surely an a world war with no technology , no more than 40 monuments officers ever in 100 and Northern Europe, if we can do the job we did then we can certainly do a better job today that is why in 2007 for the preservation of life to show a few minutes of the initial years of our work. In particular general eisenhower of our Cultural Treasures is the return of the stolen property the monuments mint those that affected the policy, their legacy is rich and filled how to protect Cultural Treasures. But their legacy has all that been lost. We as a nation pay a high price for not having utilized that and time is running now. We are announcing today the creation of the preservation of art the mission is to preserve the legacy of the budget and then during world war ii to raise Public Awareness of the importance of protecting civilizations most important artistic and Cultural Treasures. Recognizing the monuments nin and what we are doing today is very appropriate. Thank you for the awareness of this part of preservation in the world for the future. Video. [inaudible] event also was interviewed he said with patriotism of highcost a victory our allegiance was to our to through injustice. Through the national 2007 to the monuments been a foundation for the preservation of darfur sustained efforts to recognize the contributions of the soldiers of the second world war. Were forever indebted to the men into women who rescued them preserved the precious portion of the worlds heritage. [applause] [inaudible] in addition to completing research on these men and women the foundation will promote and support Educational Programs with their work in schools and universities. This is one of the most significant finds. To the original documents they are still and and being found. [inaudible] we appeal to the people to join us all over the world to honor these heroes of the most appropriate manner possible, to preserve in utilize their legacy. Thank you. Thank you for telling your story. Tell the story again and again and again. It is the culture. God bless. God bless america. [applause] one of the things i am quite proud of my serve as a trustee in the museum in new orleans as part of their remarkable campus of 160 million campus and build out another 160 million to go telling of the american rule to help as day to help americans understand freedom is not free to learn about these men and women who sacrificed so much to make sure we have the opportunity dash opportunities to date and the roper to museum even the monuments amanda that they will be the first place in the world to build a permanent exhibition for the Monuments Men in the next few years we will recreate a salt mine to give kids and adults a chance to experience the exhilaration in fear in the remarkable journey that these officers experienced during world war ii. Of course, marlowe was kind enough to mention my friend george clooney. [laughter] i share all of her views about this matter. It has been a wonderful opportunity working with to gifted artist and businessman incredibly dedicated to the telling of this story and focused when telling the story of Northern Europe, yes of course, they do hope they make a film about it lee. Other people around the world, not just in our country, would have a chance to know the story. I believe that as a result of this film there will be some billion people around the world will never be confused anymore when they see the phrase Monuments Men are wondered when they see the destruction of cultural property. That is going to allow us to get back to the standard that talked about. Politicians in going to know that there are a billion dollars around the world and know the story and are going going to want to make sure tha