I had hoped to resume blog entries September 1st, however the nature of writing a book often times resembles a bear going into hibernation. The last few weeks have been intensive periods of creativity as I close in on the final section of my new book on the Monuments Men. When researching and writing, there is simply no way to forge ahead without shutting out the world and focusing on completing that next page of text. It is an exciting process but mentally and physically exhausting, especially trying to balance the multitude of other projects we have underway. Sorry for the delay, but I am back!

The highlight of my summer was time spent with my son, Diego, who was embarked upon a new chapter in his life attending school in Miami, Florida. I also had the opportunity to do a little work around my house which has been neglected as a result of my focus on our Monuments Men projects. I even spent a little time doing nothing more important than feeding the swans the meander up and down the creek in front of my home.

I hope your summer was enjoyable and I look forward to sharing with you in the weeks ahead the exciting developments underway and providing reports from the long list of cities that I will be traveling to this fall for lectures about the Monuments Men.

Sherman Lee

1918 - 2008

A renowned expert on Asian art, Sherman Lee served as a Lieutenant in the Naval reserve from 1944 until 1946, when he began working as an advisor to the MFAA in Tokyo. Unlike in Europe, the Monuments Men were not sent to Japan until after hostilities ended in 1945, and even then there were only a handful of Monuments Men and several Japanese assistants and colleagues charged with inspecting cultural property across Japan. Their mission was to inventory all Japanese art and monuments, including buildings, gardens, and national parks, to evaluate war damage, and also to promote exhibitions of Japanese art and living artists. Through Lee’s negotiations with the Japanese government, the collection of the Shosoin Imperial Repository in Nara was exhibited publicly in 1947 for the first time in history.

Lee used the experience of working as a Monuments Man in Japan to further his career as well, "I took every opportunity to avail myself of the chance, and such knowledge as I now possess I owe to our Japanese representatives in the field." In recognition of his service, the Japanese Government awarded Lee the Order of the North Star and the Order of the Sacred Treasure. He also received the Legion of Honor.

(photograph by Yousuf Karsh)

Prior to his military service, Sherman received both his Bachelors and Masters of Arts from American University, and his Doctorate degree from Case Western University in 1941. He became Curator of Far Eastern Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1941. From 1948 until 1952 he taught at the University of Washington and also was Associate Director at the Seattle Art Museum. In 1952, Lee began his long career as Chief Curator of Oriental Art, Assistant Director, and Associate Director, becoming Director in 1958. As director, he greatly expanded all areas of the museum’s collection, and highlighted the role of educational programs, adding an education wing in 1971. Lee retired from the Cleveland Museum in 1983 and began teaching as an adjunct professor of art history at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The Ruth and Sherman Lee Institute for Japanese Art was founded in his honor at the Clark Center near Fresno, California.

(Visiting with Sherman Lee in 2006. Robert M. Edsel Collection)

Sherman Lee is survived by his wife, Ruth, daughter Katherine Lee Reid, former director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Elizabeth Lee Chiego and her husband Bill, Director of the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, and Margaret Gray Bachenheimer, and one son, Thomas Weaver Lee.

(Lieutenant Charles Parkhurst, 1913-2008)

One of the greats, Charles Parkhurst, has died. He was 95 years of age.  Charles had an incredibly distinguished career as a museum director, curator, and art historian which spanned more than 50 years.  During those years he worked at the National Gallery of Art, The Baltimore Museum of Art, the Albright-Knox AA Gallery in Buffalo, and the Princeton University Art Museum, among others.  He was also an outstanding educator of art with teaching positions at Oberlin College and Williams College.

But we will forever remember and honor Chuck for his service not just to our nation as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War ll, but his critically important work as a Monuments Officer.  Beginning in May 1945 Parkhurst served as the Deputy Chief of the Seventh Army MFAA section of the U.S. Military Government in Germany.  He helped coordinate the numerous tasks of the Monuments Men in post-war Germany centered on restitutions of the hundreds of thousand of stolen works of art and other cultural belongings stolen by Hitler and the Nazis and located by the Monuments Men. 

But Charles Parkhurst’s service was much greater. In addition to standing with his fellow Monuments Men on the principle that no works of art should be removed from Germany,  in the face of great controversy, he also played a key role in jump-starting cultural life in Germany after the war by creating exhibitions which allowed local citizens to see works of art even though German museums were closed due to damage during the war.

For his wartime efforts as a Monuments Officer, Charles was named a Chevalier, Legion of Honor by France.

(Photo taken on my visit with Charles Parkhurst in 2006.)

Charles was so fortunate to have a magnificent lady and art scholar in her own right, for his wife, Carol, and a wonderful family.  It was one of the personal highlights of my work these past 7 years having the opportunity to meet Chuck and Carol two years ago at their charming home in Amherst.  Knowing he was ill, and of course the age of all the Monuments Men and women, underscored the sense of urgency to our effort to seek Senate and the House of Representatives support for our Resolution honoring the men and women of the Monuments, Fine Art and Archives section. 

We will miss Charles Parkhurst, and all he stood for in the education, appreciation and protection of art and culture, enormously.  Our condolences go out to his family and numerous close friends.

(Mrs. Edith O’Donnell, Ms. Serena Rich, Director of Arts Program at O’Donnell Foundation, and NEH Chairman Dr. Bruce Cole at the Nasher Sculpture Garden for the announcement of Picturing America.)

On April 16 I was proud to be the master of ceremony at the Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas for the announcement of the National Endowment for the Humanities newest educational initiative, Picturing America. NEH Chairman Bruce Cole, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Loriene Roy, President of American Library Association, Dr. Michael Hinojosa, Superintendent of Schools of Dallas Independent School District, and others participated in the ceremony to introduce this exciting program. In fact, Dallas was the very first city of six (Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco) to receive this program.

Picturing America will provide forty iconic American images - from Gilbert Stuart’s incredible painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware to James Karales’s unforgettable photograph of the 1965 civil rights march to Selma. These forty images plus lesson plans and teacher’s guides will be gifted to schools and libraries across the nation at no cost! By the day of our announcement, more than 30,000 schools had already applied to receive Picturing America.

This creative program brings museums and art galleries into the classrooms of our nation’s schools by affording kids and their teachers the opportunity to experience images works of art in a first hand, tactile way. It creates an innovative solution to the practical difficulties of getting all our school kids into museums to be exposed to these masterpieces. (To learn more about the Picturing America program please click on the following link: http://picturingamerica.neh.gov.

The NEH has allocated substantial funds to enable thousands of schools to receive Picturing America at no cost. However, like all organizations, the NEH doesn’t have limitless capital. For that reason, the ability to fund this great program for all schools and libraries that apply will ultimately depend on private donors. Wealthy cities such as Dallas have the resource base to seek and obtain such financial support: many smaller towns and communities in our country do not. For that reason, I was so please that the O’Donnell Foundation of Dallas stepped forward to make an important donation to the National Trust for the Humanities to help underwrite Picturing America. Edith and Peter O’Donnell have been such great philanthropist to our nation, in particular in the arts and educational arena. I hope their act of wisdom and generosity encourages others to come forward and support this wonderful program.

For those interested in learning how they can help support Picturing America please contact Ms. Mindy Berry, Senior Advisor to the Chairman, at mberry@neh.gov.

(Another happy day with my friend, Dr. Bruce Cole.)

(From left to right: Lieutenant Colonel McGarrity, Staff Sergeant Ramus, Staff Sergeant Rabe, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Martinez, Warrant Officer 1 Gochenauer,
Sergeant Hammontree, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Mullen, and Major Stinson
Kneeling: Staff Sergeant Torres and Master Sergeant Hunter - Bagdad, Iraq)

In case anyone doesn’t know, the men and women who protect our nation every day serve voluntarily. They could be doing a lot of different things with their time. Almost any of those choices would entail little or no risk which stands in stark contrast to the peril many face each day in uniform. Meanwhile, because of their sacrifice, those of us in the United States have the luxury of going about our day, enjoying life, seeing friends, building careers, raising families, and all too often having days pass with nary a thought about how lucky we are and who is making this luxury we too often take for granted possible. Ask yourself, when is the last time you stopped for a moment and thought about how lucky you are to have the freedom to do all the things you did yesterday?

I’ve had many great moments with military folks, more so with Veterans of World War II and than current soldiers, but on each occasion I have come away wondering how I can in some way do something that would say to them, “thanks” for all you have done to make our nation better and safe. To wit:  I was recently contacted by Chief Warrant Officer Ely Martinez, who is an Army man serving our nation in Baghdad. Ely had, somehow, heard about my book Rescuing Da Vinci, and wanted to know if he could get a signed copy as he was really moved to learn about the role of the Monuments Men during World War II. His email opened up a dialogue between us, which I have greatly enjoyed. One think lead to another, and in short order we sent him a gift of not one but twelve signed books, each inscribed to officers and fellow soldiers who were important to him and his life. To all readers: you can send a Fed Ex to Baghdad just as easy as you can to New York City (in fact, we used Media Mail due to the weight of the books), so don’t let that be an excuse for not contacting a veteran in theater.

A few weeks later I received confirmation from Ely that the books arrived safely and quite an expression of gratitude. He was happy; I was very happy to do something, anything, no matter how small, to say “thanks” to these remarkable young Americans. Hardly much a sacrifice on my part, but it made me feel good, plain and simple.

(Chief Warrant Officer 4 Greg Boen and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Curtis Harcus)

This morning I returned to my office after a long road trip of lectures and research to find a box sitting under my desk. In it was an American flag that was flown on the 25^th of March by Bravo Company, 603^rd Aviation Support Battalion, 3^rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3^rd Infantry Division, on a combat mission over Baghdad in my honor. They also gathered and sent me several photos holding my book….well, the photos speak for themselves as all good photos do. Talk about speechless….I never left my office or home to do this small gesture: these men and women haven’t seen their homes in months, in some cases longer. Still, I am SO grateful to Ely and his teammates for their thoughtful gift. I shall cherish it all my life.

To the brave men and women of Bravo Company, and all their compatriots, THANK YOU FOR “WALKING THE WALL”, FOR KEEPING US SAFE AT HOME. WE OWE YOU A DEBT WE CAN NEVER REPAY.

Yesterday I addressed an audience of about 150 people as part of a symposium entitled "Protecting the Past: the Fate of Cultural Property in Times of Armed Conflict". It was befitting that this event was held at the headquarters of the National Trust for the Historic Preservation. In addition to the important role that organization plays in the preservation of our nation’s cultural history, the building was once an elegant apartment for Andrew Mellon, in my view our nation’s most benevolent patron of the arts.

It was a great honor to join my friend Lynn Nicholas and other speakers who included András J. Riedlmayer, Bibliographer in Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture in Harvard’s Fine Arts Library, who discussed the destruction of cultural property during the Balkan Wars of the 1990’s, Hays Parks, U.S. Department of Defense, and a decorated Veteran himself, who made an excellent presentation on the 1954 Hague Convention, Corine Wegener, President, U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield, who served in Iraq in the aftermath of the looting of the National Museum and is herself a modern day "Monuments Man", John Russell, Professor, Massachusetts College of Art, who also served in Iraq as an advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, and Richard Jackson, a retired Army Colonel who is now the Special Assistant to the Judge Advocate General for Law of War Matters.

This great group of experts, brought together by The Lawyer’s Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, Andrews and Kurth law firm, and the George Washington University Museum Studies Program, put on a heck of a show. I took 18 pages of notes and learned much more detail about the pervasiveness of this problem in past and present conflicts. It was sad in so many ways to see how painfully expensive the cost to our nation and civilization as a whole for not heeding the lessons learned by the Monuments Men during World War II However, I remain hopeful because of the people I met who are deeply committed to seeing improvements in our performance as a nation and as a member of the global community in this vitally important area.

A copy of my remarks follows:

(Lynn Nicholas, Thomas Kline, and me)

THE MONUMENTS MEN: HEROES OF CIVILIZATION

Let it be said that the telling of history is a never-ending relay race run at inconsistent intervals. Each historian advances our knowledge of a particular subject. Someday, others follow and, building on that body of work, further the research and provide new insights and understanding. For those of us working in this arena of cultural property, we will always owe a debt of gratitude to Lynn Nicholas for her extraordinary achievement in researching and writing “The Rape of Europa."

President John F. Kennedy once said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but the men it honors, the men it remembers.” We as a nation have done a very poor job honoring the accomplishments of the Monuments Men and women, and even worse when it comes to preserving and utilizing their rich legacy In these last few years our country has paid a horrible price. The wisdom of the ages tells us that those who ignore history are destined to relive it. Events in Iraq in April 2003 made sad proof of this timeless truth. How different it might have been!

Within weeks of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, key American museum personnel, scholars, and other respected officials in the cultural world set in motion actions that within less than two years resulted in the creation of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, known as the “Roberts Commission”. Under their aegis a section was created known as the Monuments, Fine Art, and Archives, or MFAA. These “Monuments Men”, initially a part of the Civil Affairs Division, were later attached directly to the various individual Allied Armies in the field of battle.

This small group of museum directors, curators, art historians and educators volunteered for service to protect cultural monuments and works of art, and assist with temporary repairs when possible. With no more than a dozen or so men working in Italy, and another dozen in France by D-Day plus 30, their task was seemingly impossible. Hitchhiking was a common mode of transport as they had almost no vehicles. The resources available to them to do their job were pitiful. So much of what they accomplished occurred as a result of personal initiative and ingenuity.

As the war progressed and the full scope of Hitler and the Nazi’s greatest theft in history became known, the Monuments Men’s attention shifted to locating and rescuing tens of thousands of the most treasured works of art including paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Leonardo da Vinci, and sculpture by Donatello and Michelangelo to name but a few. In the closing months of the war these Monuments Men, by that time numbering no more than 50 or so American and British officers and soldiers, located in more than 1500 hiding places—salt and copper mines, castles, and other structures above and below ground—paintings, sculpture, church bells, Torah scrolls and other religious artifacts, stained glass, the great libraries of Europe, the entire contents of the Reichsbank including gold worth in today’s dollars about $5 billion, and even the trolley cars from the city of Amsterdam. It was the greatest treasure hunt in history, a hunt that continues to this day.

At war’s end, when most of the western Allied Forces were being demobilized and sent home, the Monuments Men’s work had just begun.Collecting Points were created almost overnight to house the hundreds of thousands of cultural items and art treasures being located and removed from repositories throughout Germany and northern Austria. The Monuments Men needed everything: research assistants, photographers, typists, packers and shippers to name just a few of their personnel needs. Within a few months their ranks rose to a total number of about 350 or so men and women from 13 nations of which about 70 percent were American. Restitutions began almost immediately. Paintings and sculpture belonging to the great museums of Florence made a triumphant entry into Piazza Signoria in July 1945. In northern Europe, returns initially focused on the iconic works of art stolen from the key Allied countries. The great Ghent Alterpiece was first, followed by the Bruges Madonna and then token restitutions of select paintings to France and the Netherlands. The restitutions that followed took years and in fact, occupied a few of the Monuments Men and women until 1951 when the final Collecting Point was closed. By that time, more than 5 million cultural items had been returned to the countries from which they had been stolen.

The actions of the Monuments Men were without precedent. It was the first time an army attempted to fight a war while mitigating damage to cultural treasures.Historic orders were issued on numerous occasions by the Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, stating that “We are bound to respect those monuments so far as war allows.” At the end of the war, the policy of the Western Allied nations was clearly announced to the world: to the victors do NOT belong the spoils of war. That which was stolen was ordered returned.

More orders were issued:General Bradley stated, “we are a conquering army, but we are not a pillaging army”. The statements of these leaders during World War II stand in stark contrast to comments we heard from the Secretary of Defense in the aftermath of the looting of the National Museum of Iraq:“Freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things…stuff happens.”

And lest you think all the attention of the Monuments Men was focused on Europe, consider that Monuments officer Langdon Warner, one of the world’s leading authorities on Asian art and a noted archaeologist, pleaded with the War Department to avoid bombing the key Japanese cities of Kyoto and Nara in the closing days of the war. He successfully made the case that destruction of these cultural centers would forever impair Japan from rebuilding. Today, in both cities, there stand shrines built by the citizens of those cities honoring Langdon Warner for his actions.

Several years ago an archeologist was interviewed about how Iraq’s treasures could have been better protected. In response to a suggestion from the reporter that perhaps such noted scholars could assist in the field, the archeologist demurred and said, “it is too dangerous; someone could be killed.” And during the fighting in World War II, two Monuments Men were killed: Major Ronald Balfour, a British officer who in civilian life was a noted Cambridge scholar; and Captain Walter Huchthausen, an accomplished American architect. Dangerous indeed. When asked ‘is art worth a life’, one of our 12 living Monuments Men, Lt. Bernie Taper, had the following to say:

In late 1945, in an act of ambition or ignorance, official word came from the United States ordering the removal from one of the Collecting Points in Germany to the National Gallery in Washington of 202 irreplaceable works of art formerly in the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum in Berlin on the grounds that the Monuments Men were not able to properly and safely protect these works of art. An outcry erupted. Perhaps the most eloquent words ever written on the subject of art looting and restitution were penned by a group of Monuments officers who then took the unprecedented step of signing this document under threat of court-martial and subsequently submitting it to their superior officer.

“no historical grievance will rankle so long, or be the cause of so much justified bitterness, as the removal, for any reason, of a part of the heritage of any nation, even if that heritage may be interpreted as a prize of war. And though this removal may be done with every intention of altruism, we are none the less convinced that it is our duty, individually and collectively, to protest against it, and that though our obligations are to the nation to which we owe allegiance, there are yet further obligations to common justice, decency and the establishment of the power of right, not of expediency or might, among civilized nations.”

Monuments Officer Captain Edith Standen would later write, “it is not enough to be virtuous, we must also appear so.” In time, all 202 works of art were returned to Germany.

I could extol the virtues of these brave men and women endlessly, and I fully intend to do so. Every time we walk into a museum, a church or library in Western Europe, we enjoy a timeless part of who we are as a civilization because of the sacrifices they made 63 years ago. They wrote the book on the protection of cultural property during armed conflict. They placed their lives and their careers at risk to stand on the principle that the cultural treasures of others should be protected and returned. They left us a legacy so replete with life affirming examples there can only be one action required of us: to find the courage to act.

(From left to right: Bill Keller, Catherine Roach, and me)

Last Thursday I spoke at Yale University as part of a wonderful presentation to about 400 people held in the Robert L. McNeil Jr., Lecture Hall at the Yale University Art Gallery.  I spoke, along with key Monuments Man’s son Bill Keller and Catherine Roach who is completing her doctoral thesis on Deane Keller and his papers.  Afterward we attended a wonderful dinner held in our honor by Jock Reynolds, Director of the Yale University Art Gallery, and his magnificent team. 

This speaking engagement was all part of the Andrew Ritchie lecture series, named after Monuments Man Andrew Ritchie, a former director of the Yale Art Gallery from 1957 to 1971.  Ritchie can be seen in the photo below.  He was just one of 11 Monuments Man who served at Yale, a remarkable percentage of the Monuments Man in the field at the time. 

The names of the others and their association follows:

Ellis Waterhouse — Yale Center for British Arts Director — 1970 - 1973
S. Lane Faison — Yale University Assistant Professor — 1932 - 1936
Frederick Hartt — Yale University
Harald Ingholdt — Yale University Faculty — 1942 - ?
Deane Keller — Yale University Professor, Portrait Artist — 1930 - 1970
John Marshall Phillips — Yale University Professor — 1932-1953; Yale University Art Gallery Director 1927 - 1947
Gisela Richter — Yale University — 1938
Charles Sawyer — Yale University Director of Division of Arts — 1947 - 1956
Theodore Sizer — Yale University Professor — 1931-1947; Yale University Art Gallery Director — 1927 - 1947
Lamont Moore — Yale University Art Gallery Director, Assistant Director — 1948 - 1957
Andrew Ritchie — Yale University Art Gallery Director 1957 - 1971

Speaking engagements such as this are so heartening to me as I always have a chance to honor these heroes, oftentimes among their own constituents and even some of their relatives as happened last night.  It never ceases to amaze me how many people, especially in the world of art, do NOT know about these Monuments Men much less the extent of their service during WWll.

To listen to Bill Keller so respectfully and insightfully discuss his father’s experience was a highlight for me. I met many new people who expressed a desire to help our efforts, and had a chance to see one of the great museums in the world at Yale. Of course, the generosity of Paul Mellon, the enormous benefactor to not only Yale but the arts worldwide, are everywhere. Without men such as this, and certainly his father, Andrew Mellon, whose fortune and influence resulted in the creation of our nation’s National Gallery, our world would be a much less beautiful and meaningful place.

Thanks to all at Yale who made our visit such a great experience.

It’s been a busy few weeks…what’s new!!!

Much of the last few weeks were spent preparing to host Dr. Bruce Cole, Chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities, and his team, for their visit to Dallas to announce a new educational initiative called "Picturing America".  We were honored to be able to work with the NEH in bringing this great program to Dallas, the first city in the nation to receive it. 

The formal announcement occurred on Wednesday at a ceremony that took place at the Nasher Museum, an appropriate site given its founder’s love of art and education.  Ray Nasher was a wonderful man and friend: he would have been so pleased to have known about this innovative use of art to help educate kids throughout our country.

Mayor Tom Leppert introduced our special guests which included Dr. Michael Hinojosa, Superintendent of Schools, Dallas Independent School District; Daniel Schneider, Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Loriene Roy, President of the American Library Association.  I was so delighted to have been asked to serve as the Master of Ceremony for the event, one that was very well attended by a cross section of educators, museum experts, and other people of good will. 

That evening I hosted a dinner for about 24 people including the NEH team and friends of the arts in Dallas.  Many old friendships were rekindled. It is always a joy for me to bring such caring and committed people together for an event of lasting importance.

Picturing America will be, in my view, Dr. Bruce Cole’s lasting legacy as Chairman of the NEH.  It has the power to teach kids of all backgrounds and expose them to iconic images of great American art and culture many might never see. It is an especially effective teaching tool for first generation Americans.  And it is free!!! Another example of Dr. Cole and his team delivering value and substance to the American people.  His leadership of the NEH, now approaching almost seven years, is a testament to excellence and stewardship.  All citizens have benefited.

It has been an honor to be a small part of what I know is going to be a tremendous success of the Picturing America initiative.

The insidious Alzheimer’s disease has this time claimed one among us known and beloved for his accomplished contributions in the field of acting: Charlton Heston. He was 84 years old.

I first met "Chuck" as he was known by his friends when I was a mere 12 years old. (At that time, it was "Mr. Heston"!) In addition to his storied accomplishments, Chuck was an avid tennis player and fan who grabbed every free moment to not only have a game but attend a great tennis match. He was a mainstay at Lamar Hunt’s World Championship Tennis Finals tournament in Dallas each May. It was common for him to visit our tennis club and take a lesson from the man who taught most all of us how to play, the timeless Bill Bos.

Periodically those of us who were the better junior players would join in and hit with him, too. Chuck was a dear friend of Rod Laver and his wife, Mary. I can recall numerous occasions when I was with the Lavers somewhere — at one of their homes in Southern California or Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, and most recently at Wimbledon, when you’d hear that voice and instantly know it was "Charlton Heston". Chuck loved the Aussie players, none more than Rod. If he was nearby when Rod was involved in a big match, you could count on seeing him sitting courtside just as eager to see his hero and friend as any fan. (It was in fact fitting that I heard about Chuck’s diagnosis from Rod years ago.)

Years later, during one of my visits to Wimbledon with my son, Diego (that ole circle of life in operation again), I had lunch in the Member’s Enclosure with Chuck, his very kind wife Lydia (herself a skilled photographer), and our mutual friend and host John McDonald. We reminisced about how quickly life had whizzed by and our days hitting tennis balls on the clay courts in Dallas when I was about the same age as my son. (Certainly the greatest joys tennis has afforded me have been these lifelong friendships and experiences that are so instantly reconnected.)

Later that day, as we were leaving the grounds of Wimbledon to head back into London, I had transportation and Chuck didn’t, so I offered him and Lydia a ride. We talked quite a long time as its a fair distance into town in addition to the congestion that always clogs the London roads. My father and Chuck were only a few years apart, and as I had just begun to pursue the subject for my book, it seemed natural to ask his perspective on World War ll.

After telling me about his service in the Army Air Force for 3 years, Chuck told me the formative experience of his lifetime was the Depression, something that was also discussed a lot in our household. "You can’t imagine how debilitating it was, day after day the only thing on our minds. Would it ever end?"

My father and Chuck also shared another unfortunate experience: Alzheimer. Although my father succumbed to an aneurysm, he by that time had certainly also been eroded away by this horrible disease. Alzheimer effects everyone, even those who aren’t afflicted as they sit by somewhat helplessly and watch their loved whither away.

I choose to remember Chuck (as I do my father) bigger than life, living it to the fullest, and the indelible and lasting legacy he left our world and all those fortunate enough to know him. Call it boyhood fancy, but he will forever be that rancher in his last film role, Tombstone. Wyatt Earp, who urgently must depart the ranch one step ahead of the bad guys leaving behind his best friend, Doc Holiday, due to illness, is comforted by Charlton Heston’s character, Henry Hooker, who says, "Don’t worry about your friend; they’ll have to come through us to get to him".

(William F. Buckley)

As a boy I remember watching on television this sometimes funny looking man, slumped in his chair with a cheap looking clipboard precariously balanced on his crossed legs, eyebrows arching as he spoke with a distinct but somewhat unidentifiable accent using words of which about every 5th one I’d never heard. I was curious; I watched. The program was "Firing Line".

Over the years I returned often to witness the parade of luminaries engage in the most intelligent conversation I had heard. The show was thought provoking, with frequent formal debates on complicated subjects by people so articulate and gifted in the persuasion of argument that it always left me questioning the position I held at the onset of the program. My horizons and views were broadened. I remember several occasions I ordered transcripts of the show just to reread what had been said.

"Firing Line" was but one of the creative contributions of this great man. In his lifetime he wrote at least 50 books — imagine! He also authored some 5,600 newspaper columns. The New York Times reported that his collected papers, donated to Yale, weighed some seven tons! Of course, Buckley will always be best known as the father of the conservative movement, but I rather think of him as a passionate thinker and speaker who brought invaluable visibility to people and subjects which deserved more time and attention of the public. For me, agreeing or disagreeing with his politics was secondary to the value of an intelligent debate about serious subjects.

I was both surprised and flattered to receive several wonderful and complimentary notes from "Bill" shortly after my book, Rescuing Da Vinci, was published. We exchanged several messages and one of those exchanges led us to the discovery of the son of a Monuments Man, Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt. This resulted in another exchange or two. That someone as educated and worldly as Bill Buckley didn’t know about the Monuments Men merely affirmed my conviction of the open field before us to tell their story.

William F. Buckley was a voice we as a society need. As mentioned, his views were secondary to stirring lively and reasonable debate on subjects of lasting importance. He was a far cry from the hollow radio and talk show chatterboxes who inundate the airwaves with vitriol and oftentimes venom which bar, not underwrite, the sharing of differing views. He will be sorely missed.