Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) spoke today at the unveiling of a stamp to celebrate the heroic acts of Hiram Bingham IV during World War II. Documents that emerged after his death show that Bingham helped save thousands of refugees during World War II, when he worked as Vice-Counsel at the U.S. Embassy in Marseilles, by surreptitiously providing visas to refugees that had been denied by State Department policy. Senator Lieberman has been working with Bingham’s children and others for the past nine years to ensure Bingham received the recognition he deserved for his actions. This effort culminated in the unveiling of Bingham’s stamp today.
“The stamp unveiled today will bring the honor due to Harry Bingham for his courageous acts that saved thousands of people from the horrors of the Holocaust,” Senator Lieberman said. “Connecticut, and America, should be proud today to celebrate Harry Bingham, who did all he could to save people’s lives, even when doing so violated State Department guidelines. As we gather today to honor him, we must continue to tell his remarkable story and to live by the example set by this honorable and righteous man.”
While granting visas to refugees fleeing the Holocaust, Bingham violated State Department policy at the time. He is being posthumously recognized and applauded by the State Department for his dedication to saving refugees’ lives. Bingham, who lived in Salem, Conn., was the son of Connecticut Governor and U.S. Senator Hiram Bingham III, a Yale archeologist who led the discovery of Macchu Picchu.
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