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The Ghost Army Legacy Project has awarded four grants to encourage creative projects exploring the unique contributions and legacy of the US Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and 3133rd Signal Service Company—also known as the “Ghost Army.”

“We are trying to encourage researchers, writers and educators to dig into the story of this incredible WWII unit and spread the word,” says Rick Beyer, president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project.

These units used inflatable tanks, sound effects and illusion to mislead the enemy in two dozen operations in Northern Europe and Italy. Their dangerous, heroic efforts were kept secret for nearly half-a-century following the war. In 2024, after their clandestine work became public, the Ghost Army was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Grants were awarded to:

Emily Everhart, to support production of an episode of her podcast History Snacks about the Ghost Army. (https://historysnackspodcast.com/) This quickly growing podcast is aimed at 6-12 year-olds and has a large and dedicated audience. “I think the contributions of the Ghost Army should be introduced to a new generation,” says Emily. The podcast will be presented as a conversation between the two hosts, and will be broadcast toward the end of Season 3, which begins February 2027. Emily is an experienced podcast producer who has created several podcasts for kids.

Dr. Jorrit Kamminga, in support of a graphic novel about Ghost Army veteran Jack Masey, tentatively titled All Under the Same Dome: The Marvelous Life of Jack Masey. The graphic novel explores how Masey’s wartime experience influenced his later direction of major U.S. international exhibitions during the Cold War. Seen by millions, these projects used architecture and design to communicate across political and cultural boundaries. Kamminga says the project “illustrates how the ‘deceptive’ creative skills honed in the 603rd were later repurposed to foster authenticity, communication and cultural understanding between countries. There are vital lessons to be learned for modern conflicts.” An international relations scholar and partner in Chronoscoop Film, Kamminga is collaborating on this project with Spanish comic writer and artist Miguel Ángel Giner Bou and Beverly Payeff-Masey, Masey’s widow and Founding Director of the Masey Archives, now at Yale’s Beinecke Library.

Dan Morris, to create a multi-episode narrative audio documentary series tentatively titled, The Architecture of Illusion: Artists, Engineers, and the Making of the Ghost Army. “I want this project to illuminate the relationship between the Ghost Army and the broader worlds of media, film, design, and popular culture,” he said. Morris is a narrative historian, researcher, and podcast producer specializing in documentary-style public history storytelling. He is creator, writer, researcher, and producer of Tracing the Path, a longform narrative history podcast. (tracingthepath.com/)

Dr. Karen Skibba for developing the Living Legacy Toolkit, a Generative AI initiative that reanimates Ghost Army archives and transforms personal collections into interactive experiences and graphic novels. “By leveraging AI as a design partner, we can enable grandchildren and the public to ‘talk’ to Ghost Army veterans, receiving historically grounded, personal responses.” She will also lead graphic‑novel workshops using AI for Ghost Army family members at museums hosting the traveling exhibit in Albany and Tacoma. The daughter of Ghost Army veteran Al Albrecht, Skibba brings technology and AI expertise as an educational developer and researcher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Work on all of the grants must take place between now and September 15, 2027. At the end of that period, the Ghost Army Legacy Project will share progress on the projects.

The Ghost Army Legacy Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit supported by individual contributions. The mission of the Ghost Army Legacy Project is to advocate and honor the legacy of the Ghost Army unit through domestic and global initiatives and relevant historical and cultural connections.

Contact:

Rick Beyer, President

Ghost Army Legacy Project
781-801-3261

rick@ghostarmy.org