What was the Ghost Army?

Three of the seven known survivors of a secret group during World War II are scheduled to receive Congressional Gold Medals on Thursday.

More than 75 years after taking office, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) will welcome three members of the Ghost Army to a ceremony at the Capitol.

Here’s what you need to know about Ghost Army.

What was the ghost army?

The Ghost Army included approximately 1,100 soldiers in 23 divisions.^rd Headquarters Special Forces and 3133^rd Signal Company Special.

According to the Ghost Army Legacy Project website, the group carried out 25 different “battlefield deceptions” in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and Italy during World War II.

The soldiers’ missions included using inflatable tanks, trucks, and airplanes, as well as sound effects, radio tricks, costume uniforms, acting, and more to fool German forces on the battlefield. .

For decades their mission was kept secret. The Ghost Army Legacy Project called the unit “unsung heroes” because the details of their operations were not known until they were declassified in 1996.

Operation Viersen was one of the Ghost Army’s greatest missions. In March 1945, the group used “hundreds of inflatables” and a soundtrack that operated over several nights to draw German troops away from positions along the Rhine. A fake headquarters was set up with an officer “posing as a colonel.” Associated Press reported.

“This was an all-out operation, and it was a complete success,” Rick Beyer, a filmmaker who made a documentary about the operation, told The Associated Press. “It deceived the Germans. They moved their troops to the river opposite where the deception was.”

Why are they winning awards?

President Biden signed the bipartisan, bicameral Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act into law in February 2022. President Biden said it was an honor to recognize the Ghost Army’s “unique and extraordinary accomplishments in conducting deception operations in Europe during World War II.” ”

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor Congress can bestow.

Three of the seven known Ghost Army survivors will attend the ceremony.

Seymour Nussenbaum of Monroe Township, New Jersey, and Bernard Bluestein of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, both 100 years old, will be in attendance. John Christman, 99, of Leesburg, New Jersey, also plans to participate.

Want to know more about Ghost Army?

Beyer, a filmmaker and writer, was instrumental in highlighting the existence of a ghost army. Story Through his work as chairman of the Ghost Army Legacy Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “preserving and honoring” the legacy of soldiers.

He produced and directed the documentary “The Ghost Army” in 2013 and wrote the book “The Ghost Army of World War II” in 2015, the Associated Press reported.

“I just want to make sure it’s not forgotten,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of ingenuity and creativity on the battlefield.”

Byer said the Ghost Army operation likely saved thousands of lives.