Congress Presents Ghost Army a Congressional Gold Medal

Congress officially presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the 23^rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133^rd Signal Service Company, Special, in a special ceremony at the Capitol presided over by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. The ceremony was held in the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall, on March 21^st.

Three surviving members of the Ghost Army were in attendance: Bernie Bluestein, John Christman, and Seymour Nussenbaum. Also there were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, other Congressional leaders, top officials from the Pentagon, Ghost Army Legacy President Rick Beyer and a crowd of six hundred people, many of them family members of Ghost Army veterans.

Prior to the ceremony, the veterans met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Charles Q. Brown, Secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth, and the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Randy George.

With the help of a donation from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Walter Hines Page Chapter, in London, the Ghost Army Legacy Project is providing medals to all of the surviving veterans.

Photos of the ceremony can be seen here.

Duplicates of the Gold medal can be purchased from the U.S. Mint: https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/medals/ghost-army

Check out this video on the Ghost Army Gold Medal Designer, Justin Kunz

“We’re grateful for how the soldiers of the Ghost Army saved lives and changed lives. As one wrote in his memoirs, Men and women can become heroes and heroines by the grace of god. There is hope for the world when soldiers leave their storybooks and climb out of their jeeps. Fires have to be put out and men — even dead men — treated as human beings.”

Rev. Donald Fox, son of Ghost Army veteran Fred Fox

"It has been 80 years since the Ghost Army landed in France, 19 years since I came to this story, nine years that I've been working on the gold medal. This is a day that has been a long time coming. But it has been well worth the wait, right?"

Rick Beyer, President, Ghost Army Legacy Project

“When our troops were near, this group made the enemy believe we were far away. When we were small, they made the enemy believe were big. 1100 men in the 23^rd served Germany and France, and 200 men in 3133rd served in Italy, giving their talents, and their lives, to defeat the Nazis and preserve freedom around the world. For that, we’re forever grateful.”

Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House

"They weren't just helping win a World War. Whether they knew it or not, they were developing top secret ways to help preserve a hard-won peace through the Cold War."

Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader

“We gather today to pay homage, and to honor the legacy of a group of covert, creative and outrageous American war heroes, who guarded truth, and our precious troops with righteous deception.”

Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader

“During World War II, as the Nazis marched through Europe, this extraordinary, top-secret group was given an assignment: Deceive the Germans and create an opportunity for the Allied forces to turn the tide of the war. This required innovation, creativity, artistic talent, and a very special kind of courage.”

Annie Kuster, Representative from New Hampshire

“You look in their faces and see their eyes, you know that our bodies get old but our souls do not, our spirits do not get old. In their hearts, they are young men, they are still the same brave young men who are willing to sacrifice anything to serve their country.

Chris Stewart, Former Representative from Utah

"The Ghost Army's tactics were meant to be invisible, but today their constructions will no longer remain unseen in the shadows. Their weapons were unconventional, but their patriotism was unquestionable."

Ed Markey, Senator from Massachusetts

“The ingenuity and contributions of the ‘Ghost Army’ were classified for decades without its members receiving the recognition that they deserved. It was not until 1996 that their heroic actions were declassified, and the American public began to learn the full scope of their contributions to achieving our Allied victory.”

Susan Collins, Senator from Maine

“The actions of the Ghost Army helped change the course of the war for thousands of American and Allied troops and contributed to the liberation of a continent from a terrible evil. Even though technology has changed quite a bit since 1944, our modern techniques build on a lot of what the Ghost Army did and we are still learning from your legacy.”

Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army

“May we never forget all they did for us, may their story be told in this and every succeeding generation. May it be told in our cities and towns, and our schools and places of worship, to our friends and neighbors, and to our families. May their righteous deeds and heroic memory live with us and a grateful nation forever and ever.

Aaron Stucker-Rozovsky, Chaplain 338th Medical Brigade, United States Army Reserve.

“I am very proud and happy to be here to receive this honor. Thank you!”

Bernie Bluestein, Ghost Army veteran, Age 100

On March 21, 2024, Congress will present the Congressional Gold Medal to the Ghost Army in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

It has been two years since President Joe Biden signed into law the Congressional Gold Medal Act, awarding a Congressional Gold medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, and the 3133 Signal Co. Special, which practiced sonic deception in Italy.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest distinction Congress can bestow.

The bill was sponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Susan Collins (R-Me) in the Senate, and Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Chris Stewart (R-UT) in the House.

Final passage of the bill capped a seven-year effort by the Ghost Army Legacy Project seeking recognition for this unit.•

Each Congressional Gold Medal is custom designed, and the design for this one is now being finalized. The Mint will produce one medal, 3" in diameter, which will be unveiled in a ceremony at the Capitol and presented to the Smithsonian. It is literally a gold medal - it contains about $30,000 of gold. The Mint will make bronze duplicates in several sizes that will be available for purchase.

“The United States is eternally grateful to the soldiers of the 23d Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company for their proficient use of innovative tactics during World War II, which saved lives and made significant contributions to the defeat of the Axis powers.”

- Text of the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act.

Gold Medal History

​The Congressional Gold Medal is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions, by individuals or institutions. More than 170 medals have been awarded over the last 250 years. Here’s a little bit more about the medal’s history.

The Story of the Lobbying Effort

It took seven years to convince Congress to bestow its highest award on The Ghost Army. Here's the four-minute version:

Celebrating the Gold Medal

Shortly after President Biden signed the bill, we celebrated with live program that brought together surviving Ghost Army veterans, family members, Senators, Representatives, and others.

Support

The following organizations supported passage of the Ghost Army Congressional gold Medal Act.

People and institutions from around the country supporting the Ghost Army Gold Medal Act