Honoring the Monuments Men

I had the honor to present a Congressional Certificate and flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for the last surviving member of the Monuments Men, Richard Barancik, who passed peacefully earlier this summer. 

During World War II, a special unit of Allied soldiers was created to safeguard civilization’s most important artistic and cultural treasures from the destruction of war and theft by the Nazis -- they became known as the Monuments Men and Women. PFC Barancik was one of them. After the war, these heroes worked tirelessly to return millions of looted cultural treasures to their rightful owners. 

A special thank you to Shelby Landgraf who assisted in coordinating this special honor. For more information on the Monuments Men and Women Foundation, you can visit their website here: www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org