An Adolph Hitler Tapestry Led to an Interview With ‘The Monuments Men’ Author – Robert Edsel By Historian Henry Bodden everal years ago I was watching a Robert Edsel documentary about “Hunting Nazi STreasure” when he featured a 16th century Burgundian tapestry that once hung in the Eva Braun room at the Bavarian mountaintop Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden. So last year on my annual tour to The Eagle’s Nest, I made sure I took a photo of the bare wall in the room where it once hung. In 1938 in Munich, Konrad Bernheimer’s fami- ly’s art gallery sold the tapestry for about $10,000 US dollars, making it not a forced sale. The family thought their lives were safe until “Kristallnacht” in November of 1938. After “The Night of Broken Glass” family members were taken to concentra- tion camps and the Nazis took over their gallery. After the war the family was able to restore their business. But what happened to the tapestry at the end of WWII? Cathy Hinz’s father, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul Danahy took the tapestry after his 101st Airborne replaced the 3rd ID in Berchtesgaden. Danahy died Please turn to EDSEL on page 4 Thunder Run Into Baghdad By Bob Burik – Part Two LEFT: Smoke bil- lows over he route to the Baghdad airport, known Baghdad as as Objective Lions, would be approxi- Thunder Run mately 20 kms of German-built high- under way. (Mike T Donovan) way. Most of it would be north up Highway 8, and then turn west to the Objective Lions, which was captured earlier by TF 3-69. The task force column had to uncoil from Objective Saints and at first there was no real action as this took place. Overall, the column would cover about 3 kms after it uncoiled. RIGHT: A tank from Crews tried to keep 50 meters between tanks the 1st Platoon, as they traveled 10-15 MPH. At times the col- alpha company umn might speed up to 20-25 MPH during shows the damage attacks. To start the thunder run, tank com- from multiple RPG impacts during manders mostly staid in what was known as Thunder Run – (Mike open-protected position, in which the hatch Donovan) Please turn to THUNDER RUN on page 8 President’s Message ock of the Marne! I Rhad a great meeting If you are an annual paying member, you with the new Commanding should have paid your dues by June 30th. General and the Division Toby Knight Society President Command Sergeant Major Members that don’t have their dues paid by in the CG’s office on July July 1st, will not received The “Watch-on-the-Rhine” in 9th. They are committed to coupling with the Society August. and are excited to find new ways to strengthen our relationship. I and no members of that Outpost would step will bring you to the hotel from the expressed to them that the future of our up to fill the vacancies. In accordance with Jacksonville airport and return you after the Society lies with the division. I am honored the C&BL’s, ALL Outposts must have a min- reunion is over. Make sure you let the to have met them and I look forward to imum of two officers to maintain their char- reunion brat know and they will make sure expanding our opportunities together. ter. Current OP 2 members were transferred you are on the list for pick up and drop off. I still have the Society 100th Anniversary to the “At-Large” outpost and all new mem- We will have a private suite available for the Coins available for purchase. This is the bers living in Florida who join the Society hospitality room and Gerry will be there, as ONLY 100th anniversary memorabilia that will be assigned to Outpost Marne always, to make sure everything goes will be made to our membership. So get Association in Hinesville, GA. smoothly. On Saturday, we will be hosted by yours before our limited supplies run out. Preparations are fast underway for our the Division to visit and tour several facilities If you are an annual paying member, you national reunion November 14-17, 2019. We on Fort Stewart including the Museum and should have paid your dues by June 30th. have contracted with the Westin Jekyll Island Warriors Walk. We will eat dinner at the Fort Members that don’t have their dues paid by hotel. This hotel is beautiful and is right on Stewart club along with many of the Leaders July 1st, will not received The “Watch-on- the beach and is only steps away from the of the Division. It is going to be great. Make the-Rhine” in August. If your dues are not convention center where we will attend the your plans early, as the hotel reservations will paid by October 1st, you’re status will Soldiers Ball. If you decide to fly to the fill up fast! changed to “inactive” on the Society Roster reunion, I recommend using Jacksonville, Lastly, please keep all of our Soldiers until they are received. Please send in your FL as your destination airport. It is actually deployed in harms way in your prayers. dues as soon as possible so our Roster closer to get to Jekyll Island from ROTM! Manager can update your status on the roster. Jacksonville than Savannah. We will also Toby Knight Your membership is GREATLY appreciated. have a complimentary shuttle service that Last year we instituted a new “Donations” card and it was a very success- Now Hear This! ful program. You should be receiving yours in the mail this month. The card lists all of Send all information for publication in The Watch on the Rhine to: our funds and what they are for. You can sim- Henry Bodden, Editor ply check which fund to donate to, put it in Society of the Third Infantry Division an envelope with your check and mail it. Please consider donating, it is important to 9610 North Dover Place our Society that you support our funds. Owasso, O.K. 74055 Thank you! [email protected]; 1-918-376-9417 The results of the Constitution and Bylaws and Executive Committee actions Watch Schedule were reported by the C&BL’s Committee The Watch editor requires receipt of copy on or before the 5th of the month preceding chair, Amy McKenna. All items were the month of publication. Space fills quickly so articles sent early have more chance approved by 2/3 majority vote of the votes of being published. received. Again this year we experienced low voter participation with only 1.6% of mem- Deadline to the Editor ..................................................................Publication bers voting. It is critical that as many mem- January 5th....................................................................................February bers vote as possible. Please be more active March 5th......................................................................................April in this regard. It is important. May 5th ........................................................................................June July 5th ........................................................................................August On a sad note, I had the dissolve Outpost September 5th ..............................................................................October 2 in Florida. Both of the Officers retired from November 5th ..............................................................................December their positions after serving for a longtime The Watch on the Rhine Page 3 EDSEL from page 1 The Burgundian Tapestry at The Eagle’s Nest RIGHT: My photo of the bare wall where the Tapestry once hung in 1986 at the age of 71, and the tapestry then graced the wall of Hinz’s dining room. ABOVE RIGHT: Konrad Bernheimer & Robert Growing up, Cathy Hinz and her five sib- view the Tapestry in Munich lings would run up and down the stairs at RIGHT: Cathy Hinz & Robert attend the return of their Minneapolis home. On a trip to Italy the Tapestry to the Bavarian Museum (photo by in 2000, Hinz struggled about keeping the Wayne Derrick) 7’ by 7’ tapestry depicting a hunting scene. She realized that the honorable thing to do Edsel found out that the family of Konrad was to return it because it once belonged to Bernheimer had sold the tapestry at full others after all these years. But how? So price and Konrad agreed that he had no Hinz gave it to the National WWII legitimate claim to the tapestry, and it Museum in New Orleans, and Robert Edsel would be given to the Bavarian National being a board member knew it was time to Museum in Munich. Edsel, who founded find its rightful owners. Edsel first had to find if the original sale was a forced sale. Robert Edsel’s “The the Dallas based Monuments Men Monuments Men” book Foundation in 2007, its mission is to find and return stolen artifacts to their rightful owners. So on December 16, 2015, Cathy Hinz traveled to Munich to meet Robert Edsel for a ceremony to give the tapestry to the Munich Museum where it will stay. Edsel said “the return is a reminder to family Our 2015 group members of WWII soldiers to be aware of poses where what items might be found in their homes.” Adolph Hitler Edsel’s organization received a large dona- stood in 1914 to tion and an offer to produce a series of tele- paint vision documentaries called “Hunting Nazi Treasure” that takes Robert and his film crew all over Europe chasing down leads to find and repatriate stolen artifacts and returning them. It was then after watching this episode about the tapestry that was once in the Eagle’s Nest that I began researching Robert Edsel and his Foundation. As an avid art collector myself, I discovered that I had been to many of the same places in Europe that Robert and his investigators scan the countryside.