Ghost Army

[4] Activated on 20 January 1944, the Ghost Army arrived in Europe in May shortly before D-Day and returned to the US at the end of the war in July 1945.

[5][6] During their tenure, the Ghost Army carried out more than 20 deception campaigns, putting on a "traveling road show" using inflatable tanks, sound trucks, fake radio transmissions, scripts and pretense.

[6] In February 2022, members of the Ghost Army were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, citing their unique and highly distinguished service.

In Britain they were based near Stratford-upon-Avon, and troops participated in Operation Fortitude, the British-designed and led D-Day deceptions of a landing force designated for the Pas-de-Calais.

[citation needed] Some troops went to Normandy two weeks after D-Day, where they simulated a Mulberry harbour at night with lights intended to draw German artillery from the real ones.

After this the entire unit assisted in tying up the German defenders of Brest by simulating a larger force than was actually encircling them.

[citation needed] Ghost soldiers were encouraged to use their brains and talent to mislead, deceive, and befuddle the German Army.

They could create dummy airfields, troop bivouacs (complete with fake laundry hanging on clotheslines), motor pools, artillery batteries, and tank formations in a few hours.

The unit coalesced under the direction of Colonel Hilton Railey, a colorful figure who, before the war, had "discovered" Amelia Earhart and sent her on the road to fame.

The same few covered trucks or lorries, with just two troops in the visible seats near the rear to appear to be full of motorized infantry, would be driven in a loop to look like long convoys.

On Tuesday, 1 February 2022, President Biden signed into law S. 1404, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act, which provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the Ghost Army, in recognition of their unique and highly distinguished service in conducting deception operations in Europe during World War II.

[3] President Biden expressed gratitude to Representative Kuster and Senators Markey, Portman, Collins, and Blumenthal, among many others, for their leadership.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, referred to the Army's declassified report that concluded "Rarely, if ever, has there existed a group of such few men, which had so great an influence on the outcome of a major military campaign."

The Benediction was delivered by Chaplain (Major) Aaron Stucker-Rozovsky, 338th Medical Brigade, United States Army Reserve.

The ceremony was covered by most major media outlets, with articles published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, Stars & Stripes, NPR, the BBC, and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

A telegrapher is shown keying a message in Morse code together with a soldier sewing a phony unit patch onto his uniform.

A narrative inscription fills the field, presenting the information like a telegraph transmission, the treatment of the text reinforcing the secretive nature of the Ghost Army's mission.

(pages 301, 302 and 303) "Campaign participation for: Normandy, Northern France, Central Europe, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland Letter of Commendation, Ninth Army, 29 March 1945" (Note - Page 302 Awards missing online, need to add) Purple Heart "Note: above Purple Hearts are all from shellings at Pickard on 13 March 1945.

Some names of known casualties from other periods are not mentioned, Lt. Col. Day is known to have earned a Purple Heart during the Brittany operation as was T-5 Allison M. Severe, for burns received on 7 Jan 45."