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.
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