Their WWII mission was secret for decades. Now the Ghost Army will get the Congressional Gold Medal

DALLAS — For decades, their mission during World War II was a secret. With inflatable tanks, trucks and planes, combined with sound effects, radio trickery, costume uniforms and acting, the American military units that became known as the Ghost Army helped outwit the enemy. Now, they are being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Three of the seven known surviving members are set to attend the ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, including 100-year-old Seymour Nussenbaum of Monroe Township, New Jersey. Bernard Bluestein, 100, of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and John Christman, 99, of Leesburg, New Jersey, are also set to attend.

“It was like putting on a big production,” Nussenbaum said. “We have had in some cases people impersonating generals, putting on a general’s uniform and walking around the streets.”

Nussenbaum, who grew up in New York City, was studying art at the Pratt Institute before he was drafted and eventually joined a unit specializing in camouflage that was part of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.

“Our mission was to fool the enemy, to put on a big act,” said Nussenbaum, a painter who who went on to have a career in commercial art.

The legislation to honor the military units with the Congressional Gold Medal — Congress’ highest honor — was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022. That came after almost a decade of work by family members of the soldiers and Rick Beyer, a filmmaker and author who has who helped bring their story to light after their mission was declassified in 1996. Beyer, president of the the Ghost Army Legacy Project, produced and directed the 2013 documentary “The Ghost Army” and co-authored the 2015 book “The Ghost Army of World War II.”

“I just want to make sure it’s not forgotten,” Beyer said. “I think it’s a great use of ingenuity, creativity on the battlefield.”