On July 9, 2024, the United States lost one of its original Monuments Men when John Fiandaca, veteran of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section (MFAA) of the Allied Forces in World War II, died at the age of 97. Fiandaca was born on a farm outside of Dilworth, Minnesota in 1926. When he turned 18, he enlisted in the military and was stationed in Germany, working as part of the MFAA to recover and protect stolen artworks.
After the war, Fiandaca returned to Minnesota where, on July 11, 1953, he married Lila Freeberg, and together they raised six children on their working farm in Dilworth. He was an active member of his community, and, although he didn’t fully realize it at the time, he came to recognize the important role that his work with the MFAA played and the lasting impacts that it had in the protection of cultural property.
Fiandaca’s legacy was honored in The Forum, the major newspaper for Fargo, Minnesota, and his obituary is available online here.
Image courtesy of Wright Funeral Home.
Latest News & Alerts
March 28, 2026
A recent Hyperallergic article on the threats to Iranian cultural heritage includes comments by both Cori Wegener, founder of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS) and current USCBS Board member, and Brian Daniels, Director [...]
March 23, 2026
NPR recently discussed the damage to Iranian cultural heritage and included comments from USCBS President, Patty Gerstenblith. You can hear the audio piece or read the article on NPR's website.
March 16, 2026
Registration for a hybrid conference titled, "Law, Heritage, & Identity: International Legal Frameworks for Cultural Preservation" at Rutgers Law School is now open. The one-day event will take place on Friday, March 27th and admission is [...]
