Stout Hearted tells the story of George L. Stout, an art student from Winterset, Iowa, who became the leader of the Monuments Men during World War II. This group, a military special forces unit, was assigned the mission of recovering over five million pieces of stolen art from the Nazis, which commenced one of the greatest treasure hunts in history. Stout's legacy with The Monuments Men continues today with the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield, an organization that protects precious art from destruction in areas of global conflict. The film also explores Stout's pioneering and innovative efforts in art conservation, many of which are still used today in major museums around the world.