The Monuments Men Foundation donated the diary of S. Lane Faison, Jr. to the National Archives this week. This continues the piecemeal reconstruction of records related to the immense theft of art in Europe by the Nazi during WWII.
Now 74 years after the meticulous kept Nazi records fell in Allied hands, the records are still being pieced together. Service men scooped up papers and paraphernalia as souvenirs to bring home. And Robert Edsel of the Monuments Men Foundation hopes that more records will be unearthed through the publicity of public donation ceremonies like this one.
This personal journal was kept by Lane Faison in a simple composition notebook during his recall to service with the Monuments Men in Germany in 1950-1951.
This record adds further personal insights to the sprawling international story of the Nazi theft of art during WWII and the work to return the art to its rightful owners. The journal is now available at the National Archives for researchers study.
