I feel like I must tell the world about The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel. It tells the tale of the MFAA [Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives] troops in the armies of the western Allied powers. Their objective was to protect works of cultural significance, regardless of the nation whose culture it represented. It ranged from tracking down and recovering works looted by Nazi officials to keeping troops from using culturally significant buildings for administrative/military purposes.
I consider myself fairly well informed when it comes to the second world war. History has always interested me, but these men and women, and the incredible work they did, escaped my attention all this time. If you have a chance, I would really recommend it. Not many people would be willing to put themselves in harm's way, risking life and limb on the battlefield, to preserve humanity's creations. And the risks are not an exaggeration- a few were killed in action and in many cases, art was hidden deep underground, in mines, often with booby traps, explosives, and other hazards.
But one phrase stands out to me in particular:
"I suppose the stern and the cruel ones rule the world. If so, I shall be content to try to live each day within the limits of my conscience and let great plaudits go to those who are willing to pay the price for it.”
My hope is to emulate this mentality- living a life of conscience and simply doing the best I can to leave the world a better place. If I can achieve this, then it was worthwhile.
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