The “Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which US President Joe Biden signed into law on February 2, 2022, essentially recognizes the “Ghost Army,” a tactical deception unit used by the US during World War II.
This unit was assigned a mission in 1944 to put on a show for the German troops in an effort to trick them and influence their decisions. They employed deception techniques such as sound effects, dummy trucks, personnel, and tanks that floated around. They had a 0.50 caliber machine gun, which was their heaviest weapon.
There are only nine Ghost Army veterans left, dispersed across the US, 77 years after this mission was completed.
What is the Congressional Gold Medal?
The highest national recognition for exceptional accomplishments and contributions is the Congressional Gold Medal, which is awarded by the Congress.
Participants in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War were the first recipients of the medal. Later, Congress expanded the eligibility for the medal to include pioneers in a variety of other fields as well as actors, authors, musicians, entertainers, explorers, athletes, humanitarians, and foreign recipients.
The US Capitol Police and those who guarded the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the day of the siege, received the medal most recently.
The ‘Ghost Army’
After it was established in January 1944, the existence of the “Ghost Army” was unknown for about 50 years. The unit’s “strange mission” was to conceal American troop strength and location from the enemy.
In 1996, when the official history—which was originally written in 1945 by Captain Fred Fox, an officer on the unit—became public, its existence was declared to be public knowledge.
Ghost Army is the collective name for the 3133rd Signal Company Special and the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.
According to the unit’s official history, the US War Department activated it on January 20, 1944. Members of the units were trained and assembled pretty quickly in Tennessee. The unit served with four US armies in France, Belgium, England, Luxembourg, Holland, and Germany for a year and a half before it was on its way home.
The unit arrived in France with 1023 enlisted men and 82 officers in command. Four units provided the majority of the men and officers. Some of the members were New York and Philadelphia-based artists, while others were combat engineers and others had received special training in deception.
According to the book “The Ghost Army of World War II,” some of the members’ tasks included creating intricate models and using nettle as cover. Pilots would fly overhead and photograph these to show how the camouflage installations appeared. Since the inflatable personnel installations were immovable, they were not very effective.
Some operations of the Ghost Army
Operation Brest, in which the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops used sonic, radio, and visual deception, was one of the operations they carried out. The Ghost Army was tasked with inflating the apparent size of American troops at Brest, which was held by the Germans and was under siege by the Allies, in order to persuade the Germans to submit. According to the Ghost Army Legacy Project, they did this by fooling the Germans with inflatable tanks, noises, and illusions.
However, opinions on the unit’s accomplishments are still divided. The aforementioned book makes reference to a top-secret report that claims that overall, the army fell short of its potential. Despite a history of minor enemy intelligence manipulations that were successful, the report stated that tactical deception was characterized by a string of missed opportunities.
However, some specialists thought the work of the unit was worthwhile. One such person is a United States Army analyst by the name of Mark Kronman who praised the unit in a classified report. Rarely, if ever, has a small group of men had such a significant impact on the outcome of a significant military operation, the author noted in his article.
Nearest Green, America's first known Black master distiller
Nathan "Nearest" Green was an African-American head stiller who is now more frequently referred to as a master distiller. He was renowned for imparting his distilling knowledge to Jack Daniel, the creator of Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distiller, after Jack Daniel was freed from slavery following the American Civil War.
Medals of Friendship: The Enduring Olympic Story of 1936
At the 1936 Summer Olympics, two Japanese pole vaulters named Sueo Oe and Shuhei Nishida tied for second, but they declined to compete against each other. As a result, Nishida was awarded the silver medal and Oe won a bronze medal. Upon returning to Japan, the athletes had their medals cut in half and spliced together to create new "friendship medals," which were half silver and half bronze.
The incredible story of a plane that lost its roof in mid-flight and the light signal that saved 94 lives.
On April 28, 1988, Aloha Airlines flight 243 was on the way to Honolulu from Hilo when a huge portion of the upper part of the fuselage blew off the airplane.
Henry Ford, The man popularizing the concept of the weekend off
Henry Ford was the first Industrial Giant to give his employees both Saturday and Sunday off in the hope of encouraging more leisurely use of automobiles and thus popularizing the concept of the "weekend."
Medieval Medicine: A 1,000-year-old onion and garlic salve kills modern bacterial superbugs
Scientists recreated an Anglo-Saxon manuscript-based 9th century onion and garlic eye remedy and discovered that it killed 90% of antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria (MRSA).
Atomic Tourism: In the 1950s, nuclear tests in Las Vegas served as a draw for tourists
Between 1950 and 1960, Las Vegas offered “Atomic Tourism” in which guests could watch atomic bombs being tested in the desert as a form of entertainment.
Albert Einstein’s brain after it was stolen from his body
Albert Einstein's brain was taken by the opportunistic pathologist who performed his autopsy hours after he died and kept in two jars for 30 years. The stolen brain of Albert Einstein was preserved in a cookie jar for 30 years until being discovered by a journalist.
The true story of Annie Oakley, legendary sharpshooter
Anne Oakley was such a good shooter that she could split a playing card help edge-on, hit dimes thrown into the air, shoot cigarette from her husband's lips, and pierce a playing card thrown into the air before it hit the ground.
During the 1996 Olympic bombing, Richard Jewell falsely accused of committing the crime after saving dozens of people
Richard Jewell, an American security guard, discovered a bomb during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and assisted in the evacuation, but was later wrongfully accused and faced public scrutiny. He was cleared, but it had a lasting impact on him until his death in 2007 at the age of 44.
Remembering the miracles of the 1985 Mexico earthquake (unbelievable stories)
In 1985, after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City, nearly all newborn babies survived a collapsed hospital. They are known as “Miracle Babies” for surviving 7 days without nourishment, water, warmth or human contact.
The Day an Israeli F-15 Landed with One Wing: Zivi Nedivi’s Unbelievable Mid-Air Survival
Discover the astonishing true story of Israeli pilot Zivi Nedivi, who safely landed an F-15 after a mid-air collision tore off its entire right wing. Learn how skill, quick thinking, and the F-15’s unique design turned a disaster into a legendary feat in aviation history
Top 10 most cruel medical procedures that are being used today
We are all aware that medicine has advanced dramatically over the last fifty years. There are several modern medical approaches available today, but this was not always the case. However, the past of medicine is a dark one. Medical leeches, lobotomy, vascular surgery, cranial stenosis, and even electroshock therapy are all options. These are only a couple of the cruel healing techniques that are still in use today.
Ancient Jericho: The First Walled City In History
The ancient city of Jericho is the world's oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9000 years.
Reason Behind The Suicide Of Christine Chubbuck Live On Air
Actor Rebecca Hall had serious reservations about tackling the macabre story around why Chubbuck killed herself in 1974. So what changed her mind?
The Arabia Steamboat: Unearthing a 19th Century Time Capsule from the Missouri River
The Arabia was a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1856. Over time, the river shifted 800 meters to the east, eventually turning the site of the sinking into a field. The steamboat remained under 45 feet of slit and topsoil until 1988, when it was excavated. The mud, as it turned out, was such a great preserver that most of the artifacts on board were found to be intact. They even found jars of preserved apples that were still edible!
Nicholas Winton ‘British Schindler’: Man who rescued 669 Czech children from Nazis
A man named Nicholas Winton saved 669 kids during WWII and lived almost all his life without letting people know.
The 440-pound bear named Wojtek and his World War II battle against the Nazis
Polish troops raised an orphaned bear cub during WWII. He enjoyed drinking beer, and was trained to salute. He became officially enlisted as a member of the forces, and helped carry artillery during battle.
What is the story behind Wrigley chewing gum?
Wrigley's was originally a soap company that gifted baking powder with their soap. The baking powder became more popular than the soap so they switched to selling baking powder with chewing gum as a gift. The gum became more popular than the baking powder so the company switched to selling gum.
Xin Zhui And The Story Of The Stunningly Intact Lady Dai Mummy
A 2,000-year-old mummy of a Chinese woman, Xin Zhui, also known as “Lady Dai,” was preserved in 21 gallons of an “unknown liquid.” With her original hair, organs, eyebrows, and eyelashes intact, the mummy still has blood in her veins. Her skin and ligaments are soft and as flexible as that of a living person.
Shizo Kanakuri’s 1912 Olympic Marathon Finished 54 Years
At the 1912 Olympics, a marathon runner quit and went home to Japan without telling officials and was considered a missing person in Sweden for 50 years. In 1966, he was invited to complete the marathon. His time: 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.379 seconds.
How Greek prime minister in 1830’s tried to spread the potato in Greece
A Greek prime minister in 1830’s tried to spread the potato in Greece but people weren’t interested so he put armed guards in front of shipments of potatoes so people would think they were important. People later started stealing these potatoes a lot which spread the crop to all of Greece.
Remembering the 1945 Empire State Building Disaster: When a Plane Met Skyscraper
An airplane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Among other damage, plane parts severed the cables of an elevator and the woman inside fell over 70 stories. She lived and holds the world record for the longest survived elevator fall.
The Tragic Story Of Mary Ann Bevan, The ‘Ugliest Woman In The World’
After the death of her husband, Mary Ann Bevan had no income to support herself and her children. She then decided to enter a contest where she won the title of “ugliest woman” and was later hired by a circus. She endured this ridicule from the world to provide for her family.
Tunnels Dug by ancient giant sloths, A South American Megafauna
For years, scientists didn’t know what caused mysterious cave networks in South America. In 2010, they learned that the caves were actually tunnels dug by ancient giant sloths
How European Rabbits Took over Australia
In 1859, wealthy settler Thomas Austin released 13 wild rabbits on his Australian estate. By 1920, their population grew to 10 billion.
