Texas Tech University

Monuments Men and Women

Monuments Men and Women Graphic

April 13, 2023
6 pm

Helen DeVitt Jones Auditorium 
Museum of Texas Tech University

Reception immediately following in the Helen DeVitt Jones Sculpture Court
(The Auditorium and Sculpture Court are located on the West side of the Museum. Parking is available and free of charge.)

 

Spend an evening with Texas Tech University alum, Colonel Andrew Scott DeJesse, Senior Heritage & Preservation Officer (aka Monuments Officer) for the United States Department of Defense. COL DeJesse has served in this role since 2019 when the program, originally formed during WW2, was revived as a new Army Reserve unit of art experts to preserve and protect the cultural heritage of nations currently in war zones.

 

About the Program:

At the height of WW2, approximately 350 uniformed Monuments Men and Women participated in the Museum Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA) mission. Most of these service members possessed expertise in the museum curation, conservation, art history, the arts, archeology, and the archival sciences. They assisted in the protection of heritage sites and the recovery of major art works looked by the Nazis. Their actions have been heralded in numerous books, documentaries, and a major motion picture. While these stories represent a significant success in U.S. military history, the capability and expertise of cultural property protection (CPP) virtually vanished from Army formations after 1947. It was not until 65 years after WW2 and 55 years after the signing of the 1954 Hague Convention did the U.S. government begin to revisit the need for and its role in CPP. In 2015, the U.S. Army established the Heritage and Preservation Officer position within the 38G Military Government Specialist program. While this position closely matches the role of the Monuments Officers of WW2, the operational environments and Army mission sets have changed. This presentation will explore the legacy of the MFAA, and the Army's recent activities to recruit and rebuild the Monuments Men & Women of the 21st Century in the context of today's operational environments, current threats to cultural heritage, and military mission requirements.

Colonel Scott DeJesse is the senior Heritage & Preservation Officer (aka Monuments Officer) for the Department of Defense. He is currently assigned to the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command's (USACAPOC(A)) Strategic Initiatives Group. COL DeJesse was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the US Army Reserve through ROTC. COL DeJesse holds the military occupational specialties of an Armor Officer, Civil Affairs Officer, and the Area of Concertation of 38G Military Government Specialist. He deployed to Mosul, Iraq – ‘07/‘08; Nuristan, Afghanistan – ‘10/‘11, Kabul, Afghanistan ‘14/‘15, and participated in emergency response exercises for the US Southern Command. COL DeJesse has served as a Civil Affairs Team Chief, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Civil Affairs Battalion Commander, Civil Affairs Brigade Deputy Commander, and as the US Central Command's Combined Strategic Analysis Group Division Chief. 

As the lead for the Army's Monuments Officer program and Program Director, COL DeJesse formed a partnership of record between USACAPOC and the Smithsonian to design cultural property protection capabilities (CPP) and conduct the Army Monuments Officer Training Course.

 

About Colonel DeJesse:

COL Scott DeJesse is the senior Department of Defense (DoD) 38G/6V Heritage & Preservation Officer (aka Monuments Officer). He is currently assigned to the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command's (USACAPOC(A)) Strategic Initiatives Group. COL DeJesse was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the US Army Reserve through ROTC. COL DeJesse holds the military occupational specialties of an Armor Officer, Civil Affairs Officer, and the Area of Concertation of 38G Military Government Specialist. He deployed to Mosul, Iraq – ‘07/‘08; Nuristan, Afghanistan – ‘10/‘11, Kabul, Afghanistan ‘14/‘15, and participated in emergency response exercises for the US Southern Command. COL DeJesse has served as a Civil Affairs Team Chief, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Civil Affairs Battalion Commander, Civil Affairs Brigade Deputy Commander, and as the US Central Command's Combined Strategic Analysis Group Division Chief. 

As the lead for the Army's Monuments Officer program and 38G program Director, COL DeJesse formed a partnership of record between USACAPOC and the Smithsonian to design cultural property protection capabilities (CPP) and conduct the Army Monuments Officer Training Course. The program delivers CPP capabilities to the Department of Defense, and works closely with US government agencies and international military partners on implementing military measurers of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Over the last 12 months, the new Monuments Men and Women have deployed on overseas missions to Asia, Central America, and Europe. COL DeJesse is USACAPOC's representative to the State Department's Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee and serves on the Committee's Preservation Working Group. 

His military awards include: two Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.

As a civilian, Scott worked in pharmaceutical advertising as an illustrator and art director. Currently, he works for the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Cultural Programs Division. Scott also teaches provenance research at Texas Tech University's Heritage Management and Museum Sciences Graduate Program and is realist artist. Scott received a Master of Arts in Heritage Management and Museum Sciences from Texas Tech University, a Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College, two graduate certificates from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

Scott, his wife Elizabeth, and sons: Phillip, William, and Henry call Amarillo, TX their home.

For questions about this event, please email laura.ray@ttu.edu.