Institution and its secretary, lonnie bunch, id like to welcome you all to the next Smithsonians National museum of Natural History and this very special graduation ceremony. Im richard curran, the smithsonians distinguished scholar and ambassador at large. First and foremost, i like to extend the welcome to our colleagues and friends from the u. S. Army, distinguished leaders, and, of course, our officer our graduates and their rightly proud and maybe families. Id like to welcome distinguished guests from the Monuments Men and women foundation, including members of the board and relatives of the world. Two monuments officers. This is a very special occasion. I dont usually wear this every day to work at the smithsonian. But id also like to welcome our guests from, bank of america, whove supported the initiative from the beginning. And finally, my smithsonian colleagues and those from sister organizations involved in Cultural Heritage protect like the department of state, the fbi, the international council, museums and others who in this program, as instructors, guides and enablers. The ceremony today and what it stands for especially significant. And since we as a museum study and present history all the time. Let take the liberty for a few moments to tell you how and why we got here. The recent history begins 2010 with the earthquake in haiti. They killed over 200,000 people and left the country in a devastated state. Haitians looked toward history and culture to give them strength. A sense of brazilian at the time they needed it most to recover from that tragedy. But their artwork, their artifacts, their archives, the museum and libraries, galleries all were buried under the rubble and in danger of being lost forever. The smithsonian had close ties to many figures in haiti and wanted to help. But quite we didnt know what to do. Enter cory wegner, a curator at the Minneapolis Institute of art, a reservist who served in iraq. This is a Civil Affairs officer and helped save the baghdad and the jewish archives sponsored by the work of the Monuments Men and women of World War Two. She called a meeting in washington. Leaders of cultural institutions came and as smithsonian secretary undersecretary at the time i listened to what she had to say. She knew what she was talking about. And a few weeks after meeting, corey, we were in haiti with Southern Command general ken keane, who was leading some 12,000 u. S. Troops, providing humanitarian and civil support in haiti. He encouraged and aided our effort to save its cultural. Then in room, we worked and plan with haitian officials, the minister in charge of response and recovery was a guy named patrick tour. Hed been a Research Fellow here at the smithsonian, a curator for our Folklife Festival program years. At the time, after that earthquake with his country in ruins, he was reading a book recently published book written by robert edsel called the Monuments Men that inspired him and calvin urged him that we should undertake this effort to try to rescue haitis Cultural Heritage in the of the earthquake and its destruction. The haitian president and the white house agreed and with backing funding from the Broadway League and u. S. Aid and expertise. The American Institute of conservation and corey wagners prowess. We mounted a major effort. We rented a building and compound. We hired haitian led staff. We established conservation facilities, deployed experts from the smithsonian and other museums, saved 35,000 artworks. An artifact. Trained more than a hundred haitians. And conservation first aid repaired and improved galleries and museums. And with the help of ben stiller established a conservation center. This university in port au prince. So that haitians can be to to conserve Cultural Heritage in their own hands as rightly should be the case. I hired corey at the smithsonian and we started the Cultural Rescue Initiative. We got a congressional appropriation and crucial key support from Bank America Bank of america from the very beginning we were short we were called on to respond to crises in mali, nepal, syria, iraq and egypt, the bahamas and working domestically with and others. We took on project superstar in new york after, Superstorm Sandy in texas, carolina, the midwest, puerto rico, u. S. Virgin islands and elsewhere. Corey ran trainings, workshops for Civil Affairs officers. We cooperated with dod on no target lists for the middle east or college with the Museum Conservation center. Were running Training Programs in irbil for iraqi archeologist and heritage professionals and the smithsonian was training fbi agents and experts, as well as those from homeland security. Corey led our efforts working with the university of pennsylvania Cultural Heritage center, the american for the advancement of science and others to develop methods for analyzing cultural damage industry. Action by icis and by assad via satellite monitor. In 2016, president obama signed the protect and preserve Cultural Property act and under the leadership of the state department that has brought together d. O. D. , doj, the fbi, the smithsonian and another dozen federal agencies to coordinate to help save Cultural Heritage around the world. Now, with dod corey and the us committee, the blue shield, penn and, others researched and printed that pinpointed cultural sites that were due protection and that during the allied taking of raqqa and mosul from isis, those booklets were carried by troops in the field on the ground. And they were written in arabic, kurdish and english. And the point of them was that in our retaking of those cities, we not destroy what isis was trying to destroy as part of their mission by 2019, while so many efforts in flour, it clear that more would be needed in the future as the u. S. And its military would be called on in both conflict and humanitarian crises to help safeguard cultural. We needed to up the partnership. We had a great ally in colonel de jesse, who worked closely. Corey. Colonel de jesse. His stuff had a great sense of mission and envisioned we could do together. In 2019, he and general geoffrey coggin from the u. S. Army Civil Affairs command and its more as say you said, kapok. I know that. Came to the smithsonian. And amidst meetings with Lynne Nichols nicholas, who had written a seminal study rape of europa about work to protect Cultural Heritage, World War Two viewed our collections at the archives of american art, where we keep the monuments officers materials, photographs from their mission, notebooks from monuments, officers. And we signed an agreement reestablishing the of monuments officers. We then faced training in the midst of covid, but worked closely together with the military, with the situation in in afghanistan, trying to protect both artifacts and people. I remember those days. 24 seven scott, corey and i were on the phone emailing texting, trying to do right by the heritage of afghanistan. Now, with ukraine, weve been getting supplies and materials into our colleagues who are postcivil war, who is trained. Corey and the team was a smithsonian fellow during the time of the haiti project. He is now a leader. Ukrainian Cultural Heritage protection efforts in light of the russian invasion. And one of our graduates today, hayden bassett, who works at the virginia of Natural History leads, the Cultural HeritageMonitoring Lab in partnership with the smithsonian. He and his team monitor by satellite meet some 28,000 cultural sites in ukraine and incorporate with the state Department Document potential war crimes related to cultural damage and destruction. All of this thats capsule history. Sorry for taking so but its important to know that story all of this is what brings together today. Cultural gives us as human beings as people of particular nations and communities a sense of identity gives us a sense of our history. It provides touchstones for learning about the past. It provides knowledge and hopefully some wisdom to live in the present. And it provides a source of strength and resilience, enabling us to overcome and build, sometimes rebuild our future in light of so and so many increasing to Cultural Heritage. We need to increase our capabilities. You you are the founding and inaugural class of monuments officers, men and women. And you are the foundation of that effort. Thank you. My my boss lonnie bunch, the secretary of the smithsonian couldnt be here today, but lonnie has been with the smithsonian and for over 40 years the founding director of the National Museum of African American history and culture, a great and historian, lonnie bunch, i think we have the video. Inaugural graduates of the Army Monuments officer training program. Hello and congratulations on. This special day as secretary of the smithsonian. Im so gratified for the work youre doing for the past several days. Youve undertaken training, the military, operational. Youve learned. And the Cultural HeritageEmergency Response methods smithsonian staff have taught you or give you the tools to make a difference around the world. Youve also volunteered and an oath to serve as military. A selfless commitment to demonstrated degree to which you care about this project as the nations preeminent cultural institution. For 175 years. It is the smithsonians responsibility to protect architecture, artifacts and objects of cultural and religious heritage. The 1954 Hague Convention was the first multilateral treaty to urge cultural institutions to Cultural Heritage. A preamble that convention noted, quote, damage Cultural Property belong to any people means damage Cultural Heritage of all mankind since each people makes its contribution to the culture of the world. To me it was a clarion call for our profession to recognize that culture is essential for. Our shared future. The threats that loom our irreplaceable heritage are as pronounced as ever. Whether it is a Natural Disaster climate change, political instability, or when an earthquake. Haiti in 2010, a the smithsonians determination to help preserve culture no matter where it was. My dear dr. Richard cure and smithsonian scholar and ambassador at large let our efforts help train colleagues in haiti. The work began more than a decade ago continues in a permanent facility in port prince. The we created and the impact we made convinced us to create the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative led by Cory Waggoner and the lessons of haiti. It has had a tremendous impact. Thats true. Places around the world like egypt nepal and syria, but also here in the United States, in places like posthurricane florence, south. Another way we protect Cultural Heritage is through our collaborate nation with the u. S. State department, Cultural Heritage, coordinating committee. As a charter member, the smithsonian facilitates sharing data and knowledge to better preserve and protect the cultural output of peoples everywhere. The war in ukraine is a reminder of just how important these kinds of efforts are as the war takes terrible toll, not just on its citizens, but also its history and culture. It is vital that we continue improving ability to make a difference, dismiss cultural risk Resource Initiative who is partnering the Virginia Museum of Natural History on the Cultural HeritageMonitoring Lab using satellite imagery to monitor about 28,000 Ukrainian Cultural sites to document any damage and share it with the proper. And the profound value of making connections was underscored when colleagues from ukraine who participated in previous Cultural Heritage courses alerted us to the plight of. Several ukrainian fulbright scholars thanks the efforts of our office of advancement, the office of international and the Office Academic appointments. The smithsonian is hosting four of the scholars whose academic ended in may. How did they not have this opportunity . They would have had to return to uncertain situation in. Their war torn home at heart. The Army MonumentsOfficers Training program is a recognition that culture transcends, geography, race or religion. Preserving the artistic, cultural products of human creativity is a noble endeavor. I thank you all for recognizing the Intrinsic Value of protecting the tangible and intangible expressions of our shared humanity. Congratulations again, and thank you for all you do. Thank you. Now, it gives me pleasure to introduce larry to rita, the bank of america, right. Thanks very much, richard. Just to show that the army still has a sense of humor, they put me in front of general carter, marched down the aisle. I was in the navy for 15 years. But i hope. I didnt embarrass you too badly, general im larry dirita. As dr. Kirwin said, im the president for bank of america for greater washington, d. C. Its truly a privilege. Im here on behalf of 200,000 teammates, including about thousand in this area, to thank you for what youre doing, to express our great pride and privilege that we have, be the principal corporate funder of this of the smithsonians Cultural Rescue Initiative and of this program. Its you know, we truly value history and legacy in our company. And that dont measure it in the thousands of years that you do with the work youre doing. But our companies oldest element goes back to 1784. The Massachusetts Bank we have ledgers with john hancock and, paul revere as clients here in washington. It goes back to the bank of metropolis. We funded 20 of the rebuilding of washington after the british. I see a few brits in the audience destroyed our capitol. Were over that now but were really proud our time our time with this cultural Risk Initiative goes back a little less time. 2018, we were, as richard said, the original corporate funder. Were very proud to do that. Its in line with other work that we do. Our company has an Art Conservation program that we fund. Weve funded weve funded the restoration of 6000 pieces of art around the world in more than 40 countries. Pieces of art that needed to be restored. Tapestries. Paintings sculptures, etc. Its just something that we believe is a very important aspect of culture and of society. We also have a long standing relationship with the military. Im a former military officer myself. We have probably about 20,000 plus or minus military military spouses, family members in our company. And we we this year alone, 20 of all of our hires in the company been military, former military. So we a great legacy with the United States military of were very proud. And then finally a long relationship with the smithsonian. Lonnie. Terrific, great american, one of the finest men in the city. We weve been we were a Founding Member of the board of the National Museum of africanamerica history and culture. Our ceo remains remains on that board. And were very proud. So this Program Actually ties together Three Streams of activities, the milt support to the military instruments, support to the smithsonian. Thats very important to our company. Its terrific to work with richard and cory and the others colonel to jesse and team to be able to support you and what youre going to do this very important. I had the privilege in a prior life to be the head of Public Department of defense. I had a great opportunity to work with a lot of Civil Affairs officers. Psychologic officers, and related professions in the other services. I also had a chance to spend time during the phase four operation in iraq after iraqi freedom in baghdad, with team that was over there immediately after the hostile operations what went to the Baghdad Museum saw the terrible devastation. Corey was there at the time, i dont think we were t