Posted on Mar 13, 2016
Congressional Gold Medal sought for WWII Ghost Army that duped Nazis | Fox News
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I thought this was interesting that so many years after WWII ended a Gold Medal is being sought for the WWII Ghost Army that duped Nazis. In WWII, deception was an art as vast units were created from inflatable tanks, wood, canvas, etc. to resemble armored formations, beach landing craft, fighter and bomber aircraft etc.
"The American GIs who used inflatable tanks and sound effects to dupe the Nazis during World War II could be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Two lawmakers say the Ghost Army’s battlefield exploits in the months after D-Day deserve recognition at long last.
“It is finally time that the American people recognize their ingenuity and selflessness which saved countless American and Allied lives,” Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said. “They deserve their due.”
King and Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) are sponsoring the “The Ghost Army Gold Medal Act” and the bill has already picked up 30 co-sponsors, The Washington Times reported Saturday.
A companion bill will be introduced soon in the Senate.
On the front lines from Normandy to the Rhine River, the Ghost Army used inflatable tanks and aircraft, sound effects, phony radio transmissions and illusion to carry out their mission, the Times reported.
The elite group, known officially as the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, risked their lives to draw fire away from fellow GIs involved in the actual fighting, it reported.
The bill comes after filmmaker Rick Beyer’s 2013 award-winning documentary, “The Ghost Army,” and 2015 book, “The Ghost Army of World War II,” brought attention to the little-known unit.
The Times reported that Ghost Army vets are living in 11 states and Washington D.C.
The “American Sniper” team, including actor Bradley Cooper, director Todd Phillips and producer Todd Philips, is currently working on a movie about the Ghost Army for Hollywood, the Times reported.
Congressional Gold Medals have gone to previous unsung World War II units including The Doolittle Raiders, The Monuments Men, Women Air Service Pilots and the Native American Code talkers, according to The Times."
"The American GIs who used inflatable tanks and sound effects to dupe the Nazis during World War II could be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Two lawmakers say the Ghost Army’s battlefield exploits in the months after D-Day deserve recognition at long last.
“It is finally time that the American people recognize their ingenuity and selflessness which saved countless American and Allied lives,” Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said. “They deserve their due.”
King and Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) are sponsoring the “The Ghost Army Gold Medal Act” and the bill has already picked up 30 co-sponsors, The Washington Times reported Saturday.
A companion bill will be introduced soon in the Senate.
On the front lines from Normandy to the Rhine River, the Ghost Army used inflatable tanks and aircraft, sound effects, phony radio transmissions and illusion to carry out their mission, the Times reported.
The elite group, known officially as the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, risked their lives to draw fire away from fellow GIs involved in the actual fighting, it reported.
The bill comes after filmmaker Rick Beyer’s 2013 award-winning documentary, “The Ghost Army,” and 2015 book, “The Ghost Army of World War II,” brought attention to the little-known unit.
The Times reported that Ghost Army vets are living in 11 states and Washington D.C.
The “American Sniper” team, including actor Bradley Cooper, director Todd Phillips and producer Todd Philips, is currently working on a movie about the Ghost Army for Hollywood, the Times reported.
Congressional Gold Medals have gone to previous unsung World War II units including The Doolittle Raiders, The Monuments Men, Women Air Service Pilots and the Native American Code talkers, according to The Times."
Congressional Gold Medal sought for WWII Ghost Army that duped Nazis | Fox News
Posted from foxnews.com
WWII World War Two
Intelligence
Fox News Channel
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 8
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The I MEF did same thing in Deserts Shield/Storm in 1991. It was a 400 man Task Force Troy had a RCON Unit, Infantry Unit, PSYOPS,TOW COMPANY, Combat Engineer PLT and I was 1 of 21 Seabees that built the Fake tanks and Artillery Decoys on the border. We pre cut all the pieces back at our Main Body Camp in secrecy no one on camp new what we were doing every thing was blacked out and built in a big cercus tent we used for are camp maint tent but the 3 days we did the prefab work no one could go into that site not even the CO or XO and Master Chief Only the OP-O Operations Officer and operations Chief other then that only the two teams that was doing the prefab work. After we had completed the prefab work the last night they brought some 4" PVC and 6" PVC that is when we figured it out. We still didn't know what they were going to be used for or by, we had thought it could be something for the Seals as we were next to their camp that we built. Well anyway the LT and the C.CO. Master Chief they assigned to us because he had V-Nam Experience and was a old hard ass. They called both teams in we had DAY/Night crew and said from this point on this mission is all volunteer and we will be going into harms way and building them under fire possibly. They had different ways they wanted to employ them luckily they chose to just build the fake camp instead build a couple and they get hit and we rebuild them again and then the RECON element or SEAL element would try to spot were the fire was coming from did not use that plan. We went out in cover of darkness driving up and down the border line and PSYOPS played tank sounds. It worked because the 3rd night we had Intel that some more Iraqi Units had been pulled down to that site on the coast. While this was taking place the left hook movement of all the other forces was being conducted and moved in place for the breach. While the real breaches of the berm were taking place we were breaching down on the coast and the SEALs were placing charges and prepping the beach to make them thing the 15th MUE was landing over on that side. Well it worked. This was GEN Boomer thought of this and his staff planed it out. Anyway we used this as an example.
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Below are excerpts from many different articles or sites. I couldn't find any one article or site with all the information.
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LTC Stephen F. very deserving and much appreciated article. The Ghost Army did its job in the derailment of the Nazi War Machine.
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