The Airborne and Special Operations Museum Honors

The Monuments of World War II

By James Bartlinski and A. L. House

Article published on: April 1, 2025 in the Army History Spring 2025 issue

Read Time: < 5 mins

Artistic composite image illustrating the rescue of the Swaying Virgin statue during World War II. The warm-toned montage blends three key elements: a historical photograph showing Captain Walker K. Hancock and soldiers transporting the statue through war-torn La Gleize in 1945, a close-up of the carved wooden Virgin Mary's serene face showcasing medieval Mosan craftsmanship, and golden wood shavings representing sculptor Michel Gérard's traditional carving process in creating the museum replica. The sepia overlay connects past preservation efforts with present-day cultural heritage conservation.

The Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM) is in the process of designing a permanent exhibit on Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) officers, also known as the “Monuments Men,” for the museum’s reimagined World War II gallery. This exhibit will emphasize the significant contributions of the Monuments Men, whose mission it was to protect cultural heritage in Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia during the war.

Black-and-white photograph showing the interior of the battle-damaged Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin in La Gleize, Belgium, after World War II. The sanctuary reveals extensive destruction with a collapsed wooden ceiling exposing support beams, rubble scattered across the floor, damaged Romanesque arches, and broken wooden furnishings. The altar area remains partially intact amid the devastation caused during the Battle of the Bulge.

An interior view of the battle damaged church in La Gleize, Belgium. Courtesy of The Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution (left) and Interior of the church in La Gleize, Belgium, after the Battle of the Bulge, 1945. The statue of the Swaying Virgin is visible on the left. Courtesy of The Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution (right)

Historical black-and-white photograph from February 1, 1945, showing Captain Walker K. Hancock (front left soldier in helmet) and several military personnel carefully carrying the wooden Swaying Virgin statue through the snow-covered, battle-damaged streets of La Gleize, Belgium. Local civilians assist in the rescue operation, with war debris visible in the background and a TABAC sign on a brick building wall.

The rescue of the "Swaying Virgin" on 1 February 1945. Captain Hancock is the soldier on the front left. Photo Courtesy of The Walker Hancock Collection

To introduce the public to the future Monuments Men exhibit, ASOM has created a temporary exhibition titled “Surviving the Devil’s Cauldron: Te Enduring ‘Swaying Virgin’ of La Gleize.” Tis exhibition showcases a newly acquired replica of the centuries old statue of the Virgin Mary, rescued by renowned American sculptor and Monuments Man, Capt. Walker K. Hancock. It also features artifacts from Hancock’s military service.

Side-by-side comparison showing the documentation process for recreating the Swaying Virgin statue. On the left, a black-and-white historical photograph captures the original fourteenth-century wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary as it stood inside La Gleize Church in Belgium, showing the full-length medieval figure in flowing robes with clasped hands in prayer, exemplifying the Mosan school style. On the right, sculptor Michel Gérard's preliminary pencil sketch on aged paper mirrors the statue's form, with detailed line work capturing the veiled head, draped garments, and overall proportions, demonstrating his careful study of the original work as part of his commission to create an authentic replica using traditional medieval wood carving techniques.

Statue of the Virgin Mary inside La Gleize Church in Belgium (left). Photo Courtesy of The Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. An early sketch of the statue from a photo by the sculptor Michel Gérard (right). Airborne and Special Operations Museum

A series of reference photographs clipped to a workspace wall showing multiple angles and views of medieval Virgin Mary statues used for sculptor Michel Gérard's research. The photographs include full-length views from various perspectives (front, side, back, and three-quarter angles), detail shots of the face and upper body, and images of similar Mosan school sculptures. The collection provides comprehensive visual documentation for accurately recreating the Swaying Virgin's proportions, drapery, carving details, and characteristic medieval styling, demonstrating the thorough study process required for the replica commission.

Photographs of the statue from various angles used for measurements. Airborne and Special Operations Museum

Paper templates laid out on a large oak wood block in sculptor Michel Gérard's workshop, showing the traced outlines and contours needed to carve the Swaying Virgin statue replica. The templates rest on the smooth, light-colored surface of the raw wood against a checkered tile floor, representing the initial stage of translating measurements and proportions from the original medieval statue into the carving process.

Templates for tracing
Airborne and Special Operations Museum

Tracings of the templates are marked on the block of wood.
Airborne and Special Operations Museum

In 1944, eight Monuments Men, including Captain Hancock, created a list of artworks and significant architecture that should be protected in Belgium. Hancock emphasized the significance of the Romanesque church of La Gleize, and most importantly, the village’s revered statue, the “Swaying Virgin.” Hancock and art historians acknowledged the statue as a notable example of the Mosan school, a medieval Christian art style that fourished in the Meuse River valley from the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries.

The Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation (ASOMF) commissioned Michel Gérard, a master sculptor skilled in medieval wood carving techniques from Ciney, Belgium, to recreate the oak statue for the exhibit. Bernard Geenen recommended Gérard to the ASOMF. Geenen’s father helped Captain Hancock to relocate the original statue in February 1945 from La Gleize, Belgium’s destroyed church to a safe location. Te temporary exhibition also introduces visitors to the Army’s twenty-first-century Monuments Men and Women, officially designated as 38G/6V Heritage and Preservation officers, found in today’s U.S. Army Reserve, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne).

Split-screen view of sculptor Michel Gérard's carving process. On the left, a close-up shows his hands skillfully wielding traditional wood carving tools, working on detailed sections of the emerging sculpture. On the right, the rough-carved statue takes shape in oak, revealing the basic form of the Virgin Mary figure with visible tool marks, flowing robes beginning to emerge, and the veiled head and upper body carved but still lacking fine details and final smoothing.

Left: The sculptor, Michel Gérard, begins the rough carving. Airborne and Special Operations Museum
Right: The rough unfinished carving of the statue. Airborne and Special Operations Museum

In 2027, the ASOM will open its renovated World War II gallery. The statue and Captain Hancock’s artifacts, currently featured in the temporary exhibition, will serve as cornerstones of a diorama depicting his rescue of the revered fourteenth century statue from the destroyed twelfth-century L’église de l’Assomption-de-la-Sainte-Vierge (Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin) on 1 February 1945. This immersive diorama will depict Captain Hancock and Willy Geenen, a local teenager from the village of La Gleize who assisted the Monuments Man, transporting the “Swaying Virgin” from the church to a local farmer’s cellar for safekeeping. Cast figures of both Hancock and Geenen will be positioned within a model of the bombedout church and surrounded by rubble and snow. Te replica statue will serve as the centerpiece of this vivid exhibit. Exhibit designers are incorporating details from period photographs of the ruined church to create an accurate replica of the interior of the house of worship that had sheltered La Gleize’s revered statue for over six centuries.

Multiple views of the Surviving the Devil's Cauldron temporary exhibition at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. The upper image shows the bright, modern gallery space with tall white columns, educational panels describing the Monuments Men mission, and the replica Swaying Virgin statue displayed in a glass case with historical photographs in the background. The lower images feature display cases containing Captain Walker K. Hancock's military artifacts, including his helmet, uniform insignia, personal effects, and documents, providing context for his World War II service as a Monuments Man.

Views of the "Surviving the Devil's Cauldron" exhibit. Airborne and Special Operations Museum

Portrait of Belgian sculptor Michel Gérard standing beside his completed oak replica of the Swaying Virgin statue. The master craftsman, wearing a casual patterned shirt, poses next to the full-height golden-oak carved figure, showcasing the finished medieval-style sculpture with its flowing robes, veiled head, and intricate details achieved through traditional wood carving techniques, demonstrating the successful culmination of his commission for the museum.

Michel Gérard poses with the finished product. Airborne and Special Operations Museum

The exhibit will also recognize the legacy of the Monuments Men, which continues in today’s Army through the 38G/6V Heritage and Preservation officers. This dedicated group of specialists is tasked with safeguarding cultural heritage in times of war and natural disasters. Their expertise ensures that the rich tapestry of human history is not lost during periods of instability. These twenty-first-century Monuments Men and Women navigate the complexities of armed conflict and disaster response, ensuring that the symbols of our shared humanity endure. Their work transcends the battlefield and reminds us that even in the darkest times, the preservation of culture and history remains a beacon of hope and resilience.

The U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum is located at 100 Bragg Boulevard in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. More information can be found on the museum’s website at https://www.asomf.org.

The completed replica of the Swaying Virgin statue displayed in its museum case at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. The hand-carved oak statue stands on a green pedestal within a protective glass enclosure, showing the full-length medieval Virgin Mary figure with characteristic flowing robes and gentle contrapposto stance of the Mosan school style. Behind the statue, a large historical backdrop photograph depicts the destroyed Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin in La Gleize during World War II, showing the damaged bell towers and architectural remains. Informational text panels flank the display on either side, explaining the statue's history and Captain Hancock's 1945 rescue mission, with museum exhibition elements visible in the bright, contemporary gallery space.

Authors

James Bartlinski is the museum director of the Fort Bragg Museums.

A. L. House is the collections manager at the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum, Fayetteville, North Carolina.