Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) has teamed up with Soldiers Memorial Military Museum for a guided tour of “Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of WWII.” This tour for MPC members and guests takes place on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Soldiers Memorial is located at 1315 Chestnut St. in downtown St. Louis. The tour is free to MPC members and $5 for guests.
The exhibit explores the story of the US Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. This was a top-secret unit during World War II, which operated in Europe from May of 1944 until the war in Europe ended in May 1945. They employed inflatable tanks and vehicles, fake radio traffic, sound effects, and phony generals against the Germans. This unit of approximately 1,800 troops was capable of simulating two divisions (approximately 30,000 troops).
Armed with nothing heavier than .50 caliber machine guns, this carefully selected group of artists, engineers, professional soldiers, and draftees saved thousands of lives and played an important part in the Allied victory. The 23rd took part in 22 deception operations ranging from the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944, to the Rhine River crossing in March of 1945.
Following World War II, the unit’s personnel were sworn to secrecy. A 1985 Smithsonian article mentioned the 23rd, but it was not officially declassified until the mid-1990s.
Artwork, uniforms, and an inflatable tank are among the artifacts on display at this exhibit.
This exhibit is organized by The National WWII Museum in New Orleans and presented by the E.L. Wiegand Foundation. The Veterans United Foundation provides additional local support. “Ghost Army” runs at Soldiers Memorial through Sunday, January 12, 2025. More information on the exhibit is found on https://mohistory.org/exhibits/ghost-army.
To join MPC on this guided tour, RSVP by Jan. 10, 2025, to mpcnfpw@gmail.com with your full name, name of guest(s), and a contact phone number.
(Above, left: Example of inflatable tank used by the so-called Ghost Army. Above right: Obverse and Reverse sides of the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal, designed and produced by the United States Treasury Department. Wikimedia Commons photos)