ShreyaBreaking
In less than a year Forrest Fenn was promoted to be a Major in the Air Force. He flew 328 combat missions during the Vietnam war. The schedule was unforgiving and he was stationed at the core of the violence. He could not have imagined how emotionally, physically and mentally demanding and draining the war could have been. It was worse than anything he could have imagined.
Predicaments
The service time was no celebration. There were two instances where Fenn’s plane was shot down. There was also a time where Fenn went missing for some time in the jungles of Laos. Situations were getting out of control and Fenn was wearing out. He had been serving his country for years but he could see the toll the wars and service were taking on his health. He decided to retire and then began another journey that was linked to the treasure.
A Veteran Returns
Fenn was awarded the Silver Star for his services to the US military. He retired from the service and returned to America. The veteran wanted to move ahead of his past. Move to a place where his uniform did not decide his identity and where he could begin a career that would get him money. To start afresh Forrest Fenn moved to New Mexico where he built a life entirely different from the one he had till now.
His Own Gallery
When he moved to New Mexico Fenn opened an art gallery with Rex Arrowsmith- the person who introduced him to the world of art and taught him all about the business of art. They both operated the Arrowsmith-Fenn Gallery together which eventually became Fenn Galleries which Forrest used to operate with Peggy, his wife. He started buying sculptures from struggling artists and cast them in bronze.
Striking Gold
This gallery was located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fenn went on to become a collector and dealer of art; he openly sold forgeries of Monet and other artists. His taste for the unique led him to collect the rarest piece of art from across the world. He began gathering a fortune and his name was not unknown in the Hollywood. But how come this man who struck fortune come to hide all of it in a treasure chest?
Hollywood Connect
Fenn is like one of those characters, straight outta wild west films. He served as a pilot in the Air Force, took up a hobby as an amateur archeologist then later opened the Art Gallery. He amassed a collection of artifacts worthy of the finest museums. He made a fortune selling his wares to the US Presidents and Hollywood tycoons like President Gerald Ford, Jackie Kennedy Cher, Steven Spielberg and Steve Martin.