{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://kaygranger.house.gov/star-telegram-editorial-special-wwii-art-detectives-unit-deserves-nation%E2%80%99s-highest-civilian-honor", "Star-Telegram Editorial: Special WWII art detectives unit deserves nation\u2019s highest civilian honor", "2013-12-09", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Kay Granger", "G000377", "kaygranger.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Special WWII art detectives unit deserves nation\u2019s highest civilian honor\n\n\tDuring World War II, amid the mounting loss of human life and the horrific destruction of European cities, a small group of men and women were assigned to a special unit with a very specific purpose.\nThese soldiers and sailors, considered by some to be \u201cart detectives,\u201d were charged with locating and recapturing hundreds of thousands of cultural treasures that had been confiscated by the Nazis in raids on homes, churches and museums. Although they represented 13 countries, most of the \u201cMonuments Men\u201d were American, and President Franklin Roosevelt had approved the concept of cultural preservation officers.\nAs to why the military should focus at all on art objects in the middle of such a deadly war, the group\u2019s leader had an appropriate answer, which he posed as a question:\n\u201cWhat if we win the war, but lose the last 500 years of our cultural history?\u201d asked U.S. Navy reservist George Stout.\nAmong the treasures rescued were works by Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, whose Bruges Madonna sculpture was recovered from a salt mine in Austria. In addition to recovering art, the Monuments Men helped save many churches, millions of library books, Torah scrolls and other objects.\nThey were true heroes of the war, and U.S. Rep. Kay Granger thinks it is time to recognize them as such. She introduced a bill Thursday that would award the Monuments Men the Congressional Gold Medal.\n\u201cI don\u2019t believe it can be overstated how significant the contributions of the Monuments Men are to the preservation of many of the world\u2019s most remarkable pieces of art,\u201d Granger said.\n\u201cThe story of the Monuments Men is one that has to be told and should be shared as an instrumental part of U.S. and world history. I believe the veterans who participated are certainly worthy and deserving of the recognition of Congress\u2019 highest expression of appreciation, the Congressional Gold Medal.\u201d\nThis is legislation that should easily pass. Legislation to award the gold medal, first given to George Washington, must be co-sponsored by two-thirds of members in the House and Senate before it can be introduced in committee.\nThat should not be a problem in either chamber, meaning this should not be a long drawn-out process, especially since time is of the essence.\nThere were 350 Monuments Men (and women) during the war.\nSadly, only five \u2014 four men and one woman \u2014 are still alive.\nhttps://www.star-telegram.com/2013/12/06/5398326/special-wwii-art-detectives-unit.html", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://kaygranger.house.gov/star-telegram-editorial-special-wwii-art-detectives-unit-deserves-nation%E2%80%99s-highest-civilian-honor"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.54774815402925, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}