[MSN] 'Monument Man': World War II veteran honored for saving art

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'Monument Man': World War II veteran honored for saving art
By ROB HOTAKAINEN
The Star's Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON | Stationed in Germany during World War II, James Reeds was the
chief clerk for a little office with a big mission: rescuing art that had
been looted by Nazis.

On Wednesday, the 85-year-old man from Kansas City squinted into the bright
television lights on Capitol Hill, clutching an American flag with both
hands. His hair and beard were white. He walked with a cane and spoke
slowly.

"I think we did a good thing in that war," Reeds said. "We conquered the
Nazis and their friends and we did very good things to protect people from
the sins of the Nazis. . I'm glad to be an American."

On the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, Congress paused to honor Reeds and three
other members of the so-called Monuments Men. They were a small band of arts
experts that tracked down tens of thousands of pieces of stolen art and
cultural artifacts by masters such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Picasso and
DaVinci.

"This is long overdue," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Republican
who presented flags to the four men: Reeds, Horace Apgar of Oklahoma, Harry
Ettinger of New Jersey, and Bernard Taper of California.

http://www.kansascity.com/
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