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The Ghost Army

World War II's Artists of Deception

Chicago Fundraiser/Screening SOLD OUT

jan272013
We are taking no additional reservations for today's fundraiser/screening.

The reception begins at 2 PM at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, 1431 W. Taylor St., Chicago. The film will screen around 3 PM.

PARKING INFO: The NIASHF has a self-park lot in back (entrance on Fillmore, just south of Taylor, $8), but it may fill up. There is metered parking on Taylor St. (the meters ARE in effect on Sunday, but you can pay with a credit card and there is a three hour time limit.) UIC (University of Illinois CIrcle Campus) has parking garages at the intersection of Taylor and Paulina, just west of Ashland. If you aren't taking a taxi or public transportation, you might want to allow a few extra minutes for parking. Many of the side streets have permit parking only, so please pay attention to the signs.


One-Day Ghost Army Exhibit in Lexington MA Saturday March 3

jan292012
Ghost Army exhibit Lexington
A one-day exhibit on the artists, engineers, and radio operators who duped Hitler’s army with rubber tanks, sound effects and trickery.. View original artworks by Ghost Army soldiers, wartime artifacts, photos, and video excerpts from an in-progress documentary film. Filmmaker Rick Beyer and  WWII re-enactors will also be on hand. Saturday, March 3, Noon-6PM. The Depot, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, MA. Admission 5$ at the door.

HELP TELL THIS STORY:  The Ghost Army Kickstarter campaign

may312011
We've found an exciting (and easy) new way that you can help The Ghost Army documentary film take a giant step toward completion - and you can earn some great rewards for doing so.The Ghost Army has just launched an online campaign on the arts funding site Kickstarter.com  Please check it by clicking on the widget.

The goal: Raise $18,000 between Memorial Day and July 4th.  We'll use the money to buy the high-resolution WWII footage we need to make the finished version of the film.

Kickstarter is "all or nothing funding." You make a pledge with your Amazon account (as small as $1 or as large as your heart and wallet allow). NO money is charged unless ALL the funds are raised. We need every single donation we can get, no matter how small. Donations are tax deductible, and we have prepared a dazzling array of  different rewards for different levels of donation.  

You can help by contributing what you can, but also by spreading the word, through email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Your support will encourage other people looking at Kickstarter to support the film. Generating a large number of donors will help us convince broadcasters that the film can find an enthusiastic audience.

Ghost Army Exhibit Open

mar42010
A new exhibit on The Ghost Army at the University of Michigan's Hatcher Library is now open, and will remain so until May 4th.  (This date is correct, the information in the attached article is wrng)  The exhibit is free of charge, and tells the story of the unit through photographs and drawings supplied by filmmaker Rick Beyer, veterans of the unit, and their families.  Rick will be at the library  on Wednesday March 17  at 7 PM to introduce a special screening of the rough cut of the film.  This event is free and open to the public.  The link below will take you to a news article with details:

THE AUCTION HAS BEGUN!

mar12010
THE AUCTION HAS BEGUN
An original pen-and-ink by Ghost Army artist George Vander Sluis is now being offered for auction on E-Bay to benefit the documentary film "The Ghost Army."

Click here to go to the auction.

This is a signed original sketch of Luxembourg City done in 1944. It was donated by the family of the artist. The 8 by 10 artwork is on ecru paper. Nicely matted with acid free materials, it is unframed, and fits into a standard 11 by 14 frame. (The sketch comes with a brief bio of George Vander Sluis, and a letter of authenticity from Jeff Vander Sluis, George's son.)

The auction will last seven days. Please bid early and often! The winner will make a donation either by credit card (via Paypal) or ebay and receive a receipt allowing them to deduct the purchase (minus $200) from their taxes.

Two Original Ghost Army Drawings up for Auction

feb92010
Vander Sluis ghost Army auction

Sketches for auction by George Vander Sluis.

The family of artist George Vander Sluis has generously donated two of his wartime sketches for an auction to raise funds for the documentary film "The Ghost Army" – a unique chance for you to own a piece of WWII Ghost Army history.

The two signed 8 x 10 pencil sketches are nicely matted (unframed), each with brief bio of Vander Sluis, and a letter of authenticity from Jeff Vander Sluis, George’s son.

The auction will likely take place online. (Trying to work out the best approach. Suggestions welcome.)  Expect details in a couple of weeks.

One is a detailed view of Luxembourg’s Old City, where the Ghost Army spent several chilly months.  It is dated October 1, 1944. The view from that spot is almost identical today to what it was 65 years ago.  (The scan above is grayscale, both of the actual drawings are on ecru paper.)

The other, “Sak as ‘Sophie Tucker’ entertaining the boys,” is a humorous sketch of fellow Ghost Army artist, Norman Sakowitz, in drag. It may have been sketched during the unit’s time in Luxembourg City, where they sometimes staged amateur theatricals to pass the time between missions.  It captures some of the spirit of the unit that was always in the impersonation business!

Born in 1915, Vander Sluis was a WPA artist before the war. After serving in the 603rd Camouflage Engineers (the Ghost Army’s visual deception arm) he spent 35 years as an art professor at Syracuse University. His work has been shown at numerous exhibitions, and he became quite well known.

In the 1960's he painted designs on old barns in upstate New York to encourage barn preservation. That effort reported in the New York Times, and according to son Jeff, eventually landed George on the TV game show "To Tell the Truth." He also designed several stamps for the USPS.  Vander Sluis died in 1984.

ghostarmy 197


Questions?  email rick@ghostarmy.org






The Ghost Army Rough Cut Comes to Manhattan

oct82008
The Ghost Army Rough Cut Comes to Manhattan
For the last few months I've been assembling Ghost Army interviews, archive footage and stills into a rough preliminary version of the film.  The job is far from finished, but we just can't wait to invite supporters and friends of the project to see the film in-progress at an exclusive screening  in New York on Sunday, October 26.

Come inside the filmmaking process and take a sneak peak at the first draft of the film.  (This will be the first time I've taken the rough cut outside of my edit room, so I am looking forward to the event with great excitement!)

You'll also have a chance to meet and hear from some Ghost Army veterans in person.

If you are near New York City, or can be that weekend, we hope you'll join us.

Sunday, October 26 at 2 PM

Millennium Film Workshop
66 E 4th Street
New York, NY

(East Village near Cooper Square...not far from the Astor Place station)

Please RSVP to 781-652-0224 or rick@ghostarmy.org

Can't Come?  You can still support the film by clicking here.

Charity Badge Final Report

sept202007
It is our great pleasure to report a happy ending to our "charity badge" fundraising campaign. Between July 19 and September 16, 105 donors contributed $16,015 to the film. That includes matching money from two generous donors who kicked in on the last day.

While we did not have enough donors to qualify for additional matching funds from sixdegrees.org, we are absolutely thrilled with the amount raised. Combined with what we already have on hand, it will be enough to go back into production (on a part time basis) this fall. Specifically, we are going to be doing archival research, footage research, scripting, and some shooting. My goal is to create a rough cut by the middle of next year.

Heartfelt thanks go to everyone who made a donation. We were overwhelmed at the number of previous donors who contributed again, and delighted at the number of new donors who jointed the team. THANK YOU!!

FYI,  the charity badge will keep functioning, so donations made through it will continue to come to the film.

Two Weeks Left!!!

aug302007
Just two weeks left to go on the Ghost Army charity badge campaign.  We've made great progress, but now we need a big push to reach our goal.

As of this writing, 64 people have donated just over $3000 through the badge.  Half of that has come in the last two weeks! Many donations have come from people who haven't previously given, and some who hadn't even heard of the project before this campaign.

To all of you who have donated, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. We have two donor families that have each agreed to match the donations through the charity badge, so that $3000 in donations will translate into $9000 for the project--much  needed money that will go to archival research, footage research, scripting, and some shooting.

If you HAVEN'T made a donation through the badge, we would really love your help.

To earn an additional matching grant from sixdegrees.org, we have to get the largest number of people possible to donate through the badge. The outpouring of generosity so far has enabled us to hold our position in the top 10, but we will need every donor possible to have a shot at ending up in the top six.

The Ghost Army badge is at the right.

Just a $10 donation will help.  It's easy. Just click on the DONATE button and follow the instructions to make a tax deductible donation. ***Important: On the "Designation" line please type in THE GHOST ARMY.  

If you can convince even one other person to donate, that too would be a tremendous help.

When I look at the top ten badges I see that most of them are for charities that have to do with animals. It's tough competing against causes that involve dachshunds and horses and cats.  This one involves real people who went to war and used creativity to save tlives. Today these extraordinary men are in their 80's and 90's.  Please help us to tell their story.

Thanks for all your help and support.

***CHARITY BADGE CAMPAIGN UPDATE

aug142007
CHARITY BADGE CAMPAIGN UPDATE

The image currently in the charity badge (as of August 16) is a watercolor self-portrait of Arthur Singer, who served in the 603rd Camouflage Engineers, the visual deception unit of The Ghost Army.  Singer went on to become an internationally known wildlife artist. This image is couresty of Singer Arts

We are making excellent progress on The Ghost Army charity badge campaign. But we still need help to reach our goal of earning a matching funds grant.

A big THANK YOU to everyone  who has already donated.  As of August 14, forty people have contributed $1505 to the project through the badge.  This generous response has earned us a spot in the top 10 badges!  Amazing and wonderful!  We need to be in the top 6 to earn matching funds from sixdegrees.org, and we are very much in the running.  

A number of people have also posted the badge to blogs and websites, helping us get the message out to more potential donors. Here's one.

We also have some terrific news to share. Two generous donors responded to the campaign by offering to match all the money we raise through the charity badge. So if someone makes a $10 donation, $30 will go to the film. And if we attract enough donors to win the matching funds grant, that will be doubled again.  So a $10 donation could actually result in $60 going the film!  Rarely has there been a chance for a small donation to do so much.  

We have until September 16th to earn the matching money, so if you haven't already clicked on the badge and made a donation, we encourage you to do so now. The key thing is the number of people who donate, not the amount of the donations.  A donation of just $10 is all it takes to move us toward our goal.

Go to the badge, click on the DONATE button, and it will take you to a page where you make a tax deductible credit card or Paypal donation donation to The Center For Independent Documentary. (That's our 501(c)3 non-profit sponsor.)  ***Important: On the Designation line please type in THE GHOST ARMY.  

We're extraordinarily grateful for the many people whose support has made possible all our efforts to date.  It would be great if we could depend on the government, or large foundations, or PBS for funding, but the reality is that filmmakers depend on individuals like you.  To all of our donors:  Thank you so much for being part of our team.

Matching Funds campaign

jul232007
We're in a race against time to earn a matching funds grant for The Ghost Army film.  And we could sure use your help.

Kevin Bacons "Six Degrees charitable organization  is offering a $10,000 matching grant to the six non-profits that get the most donations between now and September 16 through a charity badge.  

What's a charity badge?  It's an online graphic module (or widget)  that lets people read about your charitable cause, see a video about it, and donate.  The badge can be replicated and embedded in websites, blogs, My Space pages, etc. Ours is at right. As you can see, it also keeps the world updated on how many people have donated and how much has been raised through the badge.

As of this writing THE GHOST ARMY badge is in the  the top ten, but it will take the support of people like you to keep that up.  We're trying engage as many donors and raise as much money as possible between now and September 16th. Theres two ways you can help:

  1. DONATE

If you donate today, it will help keep us in the top 10, and keep our badge in the spotlight. Click Donate on the badge and it will take you to a page where you make a credit card or Pay-Pal donation donation to The Center For Independent Documentary. (That's our 501(c)3 non-profit sponsor.) Even a $10 donation will help move us toward our goal.  ***Important:  On the Designation line please type in THE GHOST ARMY.

  1. SPREAD THE WORD

This is as important as donating, maybe even more so. We are trying to engage the largest number of donors as possible. Please consider sending an email to friends and colleagues, trying to enlist their support.  Again, they don't have to give much, just $10 apiece would help. Perhaps you can put a charity badge on your website. Do you know someone who has a popular blog or website--maybe they could put a list, along with a short note on why it would be great if they could donate now? In short, we're asking you to do anything  anything you can to help get as many people to donate as possible. Hit the Share button to get the code you need to put a copy of the badge someplace.  

Please help!  We'll keep you updated on progress as we go.

Thanks!

Fundraiser Recap

may222007
Martha Gavin hosted a very successful fundraiser in Hamilton, MA, on May 6th. There were about 50 people in attendance. It was especially gratifying that one of the people there was Joanne Patton, daughter-in-law of the famous World War II Commander George S. Patton. She has been very supportive of the film over the last year. Thanks for everything, Joanne!

We raised money through donations, a raffle, and an auction of signed prints by Ghost Army artists Victor Dowd, John Jarvie, Arthur Shilstone, and Ned Harris, as well as an unsigned print of a picture by Richard Morton, now deceased. This was the first time we did an auction, and it was great fun. Hilly Ebling did a fantastic job as the auctioneer.

May 6 Fundraiser

apr262007
We have a big fundraiser coming up Sun day May 6 from 7-10 PM at the Community House of Hamilton and Wenham. It is hosted by Martha Johnson Gavin, Edith Gregory, Lynne Weaver, Laura Bell, Lois Riley and Laurie Sanders.  Martha Gavin has been working months to put this together, and it should be quite an evening.  We'll have veterans, music, a short preview of the film, and even an art auction!  

We will be auctioning off framed, signed prints of wartime works by Ghost Army artists. John Jarvie (who will be at the fundraiser), Arthur Shilstone, Ned Harris, Victor Dowd, and Jack Masey have all autographed prints for the auction.  

Here's an article about the project and the upcoming fundraiser from the Hamilton Wenham Chronicle.

New Website

apr232007
The latest piece of Ghost Army news is the make-over of the website.  If you have visited before, you will note that it now looks a lot different. We've also added new material about the unit, new photographs and videos, and plan to add substantially more material on an ongoing basis.  Please browse through it and let us know what you think. If you hit the "Contact" button you can send me an email.

If you clicked an old link to the Ghost Army blog, it has taken you here.  I'm thinking of replacing the old blog with this page, although it isn't interactive like a blog.  Do you have a preference as to whether news appears in this format, or in the old blog format (which had an easy way to add comments)?  Let me know!  

Thanks for visiting,

Rick

Speaking at the Dutch Treat Club

feb82007
Speaking at the Dutch Treat Club

I received a gold medal for my talk at the Dutch Treat Club. It was placed around my neck just as if I were an Olympic athlete. I don't believe it is a metal medal--it's either wood or clay. But I treasure it nonetheless!

When you walk through the door of the National Arts Club, you enter another world. One hundred year old Italian hand-crafted woodworking, a pre-Tiffany stain glass dome over the bar, art on every available wall, and a the unmistakable air of old money. The building used to belong to New York Governor Samuel Tilden, the man who lost the notorious Tilden-Hayes election of 1876. It was three years before that, in 1873, that he redecorated it in a manner so grand that it has been called one of the most beautiful mansions in New York.

I was there last week to speak to the Dutch Treat Club about the Ghost Army. It was a dip into the New York literary world, not exactly the Roundtable at the Algonquin, but close enough. The Dutch Treat Club was founded in 1905, and draws members from various creative fields, such as literature, art media and music. Lowell Thomas and Issac Asimov are among the former presidents of the club. (The people I met included an Oscar nominated documentary producer, the man who founded New York Times Television, a Time magazine reporter, a film distributor, and a talk show host.) The club holds a lunch every week at the National Arts Club, with a speaker and a musical guest. (The speaker the week before me was Deborah Norille).

These luncheons are kept to a strict schedule. The bar opens at 11:30, the lunch begins at 12:30 (all guests are introduced) the musical entertainment goes on at 1:15, the speaker goes on at 1:30, and everything is done by 2:00.

Martha Gavin's friend Susan Chapman is a member of the club, and Martha and Susan cooked up the visit. Martha also attended, invited five Ghost Army veterans, including her Uncle John Jarvie, as well as some other guests. All told there were about 90 people at the luncheon. (Pictured at right are the 23rd vets: clockwise from upper left,  Bob Conrad, John Jarvie, Jack Masey, Bill Sayles and Ned Harris.)

The musical guest was a singer named Valerie Lemon. She used to tour as a soloist with Marvin Hamlisch. She sang selections from her one-woman tribute show to Jane Froman. I must admit here that I never heard of Jane Froman, but it turns out she was a very popular World War II era singer who was almost killed in a terrible plane crash on her way to entertain the troops in Europe. After 39 operations (because 38 were not enough!) she returned to the stage to entertain the troops while wearing crutches. They made a move about her life entitled With a Song in My Heart.

Everything went off without a hitch, and in fact almost the entire audience stayed an extra 15 minutes or so for questions. I ducked out for a meeting with my agent in the late afternoon, then came back for a smaller dinner party with in the club's beautiful dining room. Fabulous menuthe desert menu alone had 30 itemsand every single dish that came to the table was amazing.

Now if only every day could be like that

Updated Edition of Ghost Army Book Released

oct102023
Updated Edition of Ghost Army Book Released

A new updated edition of The Ghost Army of World War II, by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles, was released on October 10.

The book tells the story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a U.S. Army unit in World War II that used inflatable tanks, sound effects, radio trickery, and all sorts of illusion to fool the Germans on the battlefields of Europe. The unit carried out 22 deception missions on the battlefields of Europe and was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2022.

The new edition features a 16-page afterword detailing some of what has been learned about the unit since the first edition came out in 2015, and telling the story behind the lobbying effort for the Congressional Gold Medal. It also includes 20 never-before-seen images, including beautiful tintype photos by portrait photographer Mark Mann taken of Ghost Army soldiers.

“We’ve heard so many stories, and seen so much new information, it is really rewarding to be able to include that in this new version of the book,” said co-author Rick Beyer. “I’m thrilled that Princeton Architectural Press was able to bring this out just as we are planning for the Gold Medal award ceremony. We want to make sure these men are never forgotten.”

Here’s a link to various sites where you can order the book.

National WWII Museum Launches Ghost Army Exhibit

jan272020
National WWII Museum Launches Ghost Army Exhibit
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans will unveil a new exhibit on the Ghost Army March 5, 2020. It’s entitled Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II, and will occupy the first floor of the museum's brand new Hall of Democracy. The Ghost Army Legacy Project is working with the museum to develop the exhibit. The exhibit will run until September 13.

The museum has commissioned several new inflatables and is developing interactive elements to help visitors simulate taking part in sonic and radio deception. Oral histories will appear on TV screens. There are plans to recreate the façade of a phony HQ from one of the operations. It will also feature uniforms and personal items donated by veterans and their families.

The exhibit opening on March 5 at 5 PM, featuring remarks by curator James Linn and Ghost Army author/filmmaker RIck Beyer, is open to the public. It is also expected that a number of Ghost Army veterans will attend. You can reserve a space here. The opening night event will also be streamed on Livestream.



Ben Affleck to Direct and Star in Universal Studios Movie about The Ghost ARmy

apr232019
Ben Affleck to Direct and Star in Universal Studios Movie about The Ghost ARmy
Ben Affleck will star in and direct the Universal Pictures caper “Ghost Army,” based on the book The Ghost Army of World War II by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles, as well as the documentary The Ghost Army.

Ghost Army Non-Profit estabished

aug172016
The Ghost Army Legacy Project, a non-profit dedicated to preserving and honoring the legacy of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, was incorporated today in Massachuetts.  

Objectives include:

  • Building and curating a comprehensive Ghost Army archive
  • Developing Ghost Army exhibits, educational materials, and historical markers
  • Gaining the unit official recognition for theiwr accomplishments during WWII.
Ghost Army author and filmmaker will serve as president of the non-profit.  "The Ghost army is slipping away" says Beyer.  "Soon they will be an army of ghosts.  Our mission is to make sure that these men and what they did will never be forgotten."


Audible releases GHOST ARMY audio book!

jan162016
The audiobook version of THE GHOST ARMY OF WORLD WAR II is now available from Audible.com

You can listen to the first chapter for free here:



Military History Magazine Book Review

jul172015
"The Ghost Army is packed with humorous, moving and dramatic recollections from the soldiers and officers who served in this unique unit. It is a marvelous homage to an exceptional military force."
-Military History

THE GHOST ARMY is being developed as a major motion picture

jul162015
Deadline Hollywood reported the news in June: The Ghost Army is beind developed as a major motion picture. American Sniper Producer Andrew Lazar is teaming up with Sniper star Bradley Cooper and Director Todd Philips to produce the film for Warner Brothers. The movie will be based on the documentary The Ghost Army and the new book The Ghost Army of World War II by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles. Screenwriter Henry Gayden will be doing the screenplay.

Here's the original story:

Ghost Army art coming to Salmagundi Art CLub - Includes 3 works by Ellsworth Kelly - Opens June 14

jun22015
Ghost Army art coming to Salmagundi Art CLub  Includes 3 works by Ellsworth Kelly  Opens June 14

"Hey," by Cleo Hovel, 1944

New York City - They were young artists given the job of fooling Hitler’s legions. In their spare time they never stopped painting and sketching. Many went on to illustrious post-war art careers, like fashion designer Bill Blass, minimalist painter Ellsworth Kelly, and wildlife artist Arthur Singer. Now a special two-week exhibit at the Salmagundi Art Club brings together original wartime works from nineteen of these soldier/artists, including three rarely displayed pieces by Ellsworth Kelly.

The men were part of a top-secret unit that used inflatable tanks, sound effects, and illusion to deceive the Germans on the battlefields of Europe. The 1100 soldiers in the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops impersonated other, larger American units to fool the Germans about the size and location of the troops facing them. They became known as The Ghost Army.

“...the age-old skills of painting, drawing and making things helped win World War II, highlighting one surprising way art and artists have proved their value during times of crisis."

Steven Heller, New York Times

The Ghost Army of World War II” includes landscapes, portraits, caricatures, cartoons, and rough sketches, done in watercolor, pencil and pen. and ink. All bring to life the period from June 1944 to May 1945, when The Ghost Army was in action in Europe.

“We were sleeping in hedgerows and foxholes. But nothing kept us away from going someplace to do a watercolor.”

-Ghost Army artist John Jarvie, Kearny NJ

The exhibit is co-curated by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles, authors of the new book The Ghost Army of World War II, published by Princeton Architectural press. (Most of the art from the exhibit as well as numerous other pieces are reproduced in the book.) Sayles grew up hearing stories about the unit, since her father, Bill, was one of the deceivers. Beyer has been researching the story for ten years and produced the 2013 PBS documentary The Ghost Army.

There will be an opening reception and book-signing on Sunday, June 14 at 2 PM. On Thursday June 18 at 7 PM there will be a screening of The Ghost Army documentary followed by a panel discussion including Beyer, Sayles, and two Ghost Army veterans whose art is part of the exhibit: John Jarvie and Jack Masey.

The Salmagundi Art Club is located at 47 Fifth Avenue, New York. Information on gallery hours and admission prices at www.salmagundi.org or by calling (212) 255-7740

CONTACT:
Liz Sayles 845-270-9113 liz@elizabethsayles.com
Rick Beyer 781-801-3261 rick@rickbeyer.net

Artists (subject to change)

Edward Boccia

Belisaro Contreras

Victor Dowd

Ned Harris

Cleo Hovel

John Jarvie

Ellsworth Kelly

Joe Mack

George Martin

Jack Masey

Richard Morton

Bill Sayles

Arthur Shilstone

Arthur Singer

Joe Spence

Bob Tompkins

George Vander Sluis

Anthony Young

Bruce Zillmer



Ghost Army Book reviewed in New York Times Sunday Book Review

may302015
Ghost Army Arthur Singer New York Times
The Ghost Army of World War II was included in a summer reading round up by New York Times design guru Walter Heller. He introduces it this way: "An unusual history describes how the age-old skills of painting, drawing and making things helped win World War II, highlighting one surprising way art and artists have proved their value during times of crisis."

Kuster and King Introduce Gold Medal Legislation in US House of Representatives

may12015
Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Peter King (R-NY) have introduced bipartisan legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. Similar legislaton will introduced soon in the Senate.

theghostarmy 835
"I am incredibly proud to sponsor this bipartisan bill, which would honor Granite State Mickey McKane and all the heroic members of the Ghost Army whose innovative tactics saved thousands of lives during humanity's darkest hour. I urge my colleagues to join me in working across the aisle to convey our overdue appreciation to these brave Americans, whose critical accomplishments remained a secret for decades." - Representative Annie Kuster, D-NH

“I commend Rep. Kuster for introducing this legislation which honors the critical role of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops (“Ghost Army”) during World War II. Their heroics were unknown for more than 40 years and it is finally time that the American people not only learn about but recognize their ingenuity and selflessness which saved countless American and Allied lives. They deserve their due.” - Representative Peter King, R-NY


The legislation is HR 2170.

More on the Ghold Medal campaign here.

Brand New Book Trailer

jan222015

2016 Ghost Army/Secret War Tour

jan132015
2016 Ghost ArmySecret War Tour
Registration is Open for the 2016 Ghost Army/Secret War tour of Europe. The tour will be in September 2016, exact dates to be firmed up shortly  It is being organized by Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours. The tour follows the story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops from London all the way to Germany. It also includes many other World War II sites to offer a wider context for the story of the deceivers. Last year's tour (a magical experience) filled up pretty quickly, so if you are interested in joining us, act promptly! There are links to a downloadable brochure and registration form below. Or go on the Ghost Army page on the Stephen Ambrose website to learn more.

And here's a slideshow from the 2014 Tour:

2014 Ghost Army Tour Scrapbook from Rick Beyer on Vimeo.

2014 Year End Update

dec172014
2014 Year End Update

WWII Christmas card by Ghost Army camofleur Joe Mack.

2014 was another amazing year for The Ghost Army. We conducted our first European tour, and it proved a memorable experience for everyone who came along. We staged more than two-dozen screenings, exhibits and other events across the U.S. and in Europe. The film had its German television premiere this summer, bringing to fifteen the number of countries in which it has been broadcast, with more still to come. The film was picked up by Netflix, which has introduced it to many new viewers across the U.S.

Preserving the memory of The Ghost Army is a very important priority, and we have made great progress organizing and expanding The Ghost Army Digital Archive. I recently helped arrange the donation of a group of Ghost Army paintings to Brown University’s Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection. Brown now holds the works of four Ghost Army artists, and I hope will become the home of more artworks from the artists in the 603rd. Thanks to everyone who continues to support our archiving efforts with your donations.

You might wonder what’s next, and the answer is: Plenty!

For starters, Liz Sayles and I have a new Ghost Army book coming out in April. It is entitled The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects and Other Audacious Fakery, and it is being published by Princeton Architectural Press. The book is already drawing praise from folks such as Tom Brokaw (yes that Tom Brokaw!) who called it a “riveting tale” and added, “I enjoyed it enormously.” You’ll be hearing more about this exciting new telling of The Ghost Army story in the coming weeks and months.

My wife Marilyn and I will also be leading another European tour in July, once again starting in England and ranging across France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany. Registration will open in January, and I expect it to fill up quickly.

Another 2015 initiative is particularly dear to my heart. I will launch an effort to gain official recognition for the accomplishments of this unit. The 23d Headquarters Special Troops never received a unit citation, or any other official recognition for their efforts, most likely because of the blanket of secrecy thrown over this after the war. My goal is to get them awarded a Congressional Gold Medal like that given this year to the Monuments Men. I may be reaching out to you in the coming months to ask you to lobby your congressman and senator on this issue. The 23rd harnessed creativity and imagination to save lives,

Thanks to everyone who has lent a helping hand. Looking forward to a wonderful new year full of more Ghost Army milestones.

Ghost Army  artworks donated to Brown University

dec92014
Ghost Army Contreras Brown University

Looking at Belisario Contreras's drawings with Peter Harrington, curator of the Anne S.K Brown Military Collection.

When I began work on The Ghost Army project more than ten years ago, I had no idea that it would end up branching out in so many unexpected directions. Work on the documentary led to the museum exhibit, the Ghost Army tour, and the new book being published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2015.

Yet another important facet of the project, and one that I consider especially important, is the effort to preserve and curate artworks, documents, artifacts and ephemera relating to the story. As part of that effort, I am thrilled and honored to have been able to help arrange the donation of 28 wartime drawings by Ghost Army soldier Belisario Contreras to the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection at Brown University.

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The works were donated by his widow, Marta Contreras, with the assistance of her niece, Rosa Bland. “I think that Belisario will be happy to know that we found a home for this priceless collection,” said Bland. The donation also includes assorted photos and documents relating to Contreras’ wartime service.

The Brown collection is now home to the artworks for four Ghost Army artists: Bob Tompkins, Richard Morton, Walter Arnett, and Contreras. "We hope to add additional pictures from 603rd artists in the future to create a fitting and lasting memorial to the work of this special and unique unit," says curator Peter Harrington. One reason I believe Brown is a great home for Ghost Army artworks is their robust web presence – they are working to put their entire 15 thousand piece collection online, so it can be viewed around the world.

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Contreras was born in Chili and grew up in the U.S. His fellow soldiers in the 23rd admired his work with pen and ink. “He was a master at the art of taking lines, putting them together, and making visual sense out of them,” said Ned Harris. After the war he worked as an artist for the U.S. State Department. He received a PhD in history from American University in 1967 and wrote the book Tradition and Innovation in New Deal Art. He died in 1990.


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I visited Brown in November to look over the Contreras drawings with Peter Harrington. You can learn so much by examining the original drawings. For instance, you can see that in this August 2, 1944 sketch of the church in Trévières France, that the name of the town has been cut out. That means that Belisario probably mailed this drawing home, and the censor scissored out the location.

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This and other ongoing archiving efforts are made possible by the genorous support of our donors. If you want to make a tax-deductible contribution to underwrite are arching initiatives, you can do so here:

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Rick Beyer



All photos by Mara Brod.

Blackstone Valley Excellence in the Arts Award

oct302014
Blackstone Valley Excellence in the Arts Award
I was honored to receive a “Blackstone Valley Excellence in the Arts” award in Rhode Island earlier this month from The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. Our collaborations over the last two years have resulted in an exhibit at the Museum of Work and Culture, a gala Ghost Army screening at Woonsocket's Stadium Theater, and multiple other events. They have all celebrated the close connection between The Ghost Army and Woonsocket, R.I. Many of the dummy tanks employed by the unit were manufactured at the U.S. Rubber plant there.

The award was presented at the group's gala annual dinner, held in the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, RI. In addition to the nifty piece of hardware at right, I received citations from R.I. Governor Lincoln Chaffee, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon White House, and R.I. Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, who sat next to me at the dinner!  I want to thank Bob Billington and everyone at BVTC for all they have done to Support the Ghost Army. Working with them to explore and showcase the Woonsocket connection has been extremely rewarding.

All in all, a wonderful evening. There are a few pictures below.  

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Several hundred people in attendance, the food was fantastic!

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With Bob Billington, Executive Director of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, who presented the award.

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Did I take the opportunity to say a few words?  Of course I did!

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Also in attendance:  our inflatable tank, my sister Catherine Hurst, and my daughter's boyfriend Trent Robertson (who assisted me in setting up and taking down the tank!)

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Thank you Governor Chaffee!



The Ghost Army/Secret War Tour 2014

oct102014
The Ghost ArmySecret War Tour 2014
Note: The 2014 tour was a huge success and the 2015 tour is now scheduled from July 9-22. Please email rick@ghostarmy for more info.

We gathered that first evening at the Regency Hotel in London, thirty-three intrepid travelers in search of history. We introduced ourselves over drinks, each of us wondering what the next 12 days would have in store. I can honestly say that, even after a year of planning, Marilyn and I had no idea how magical it would prove to be.

One thing that made it special was the presence of ninety-two year old Ghost Army veteran Gazo Nemeth on his first trip to Europe since the war. He spun stories of his wartime experience at every stop. There were also eleven family members of Ghost Army veterans, who shared stories and scrapbooks. Their presence gave us a powerful personal connection to the Ghost Army story as we trekked across Europe.

Those 12 days were full and rich. The time and miles flew by as we visited nearly 40 sites, each one more amazing than the last. Here are a few highlights.

Walton Hall

Blowing up a rubber tank at Walton Hall for the first time in 70 years was one of the most memorable moments. The 19th century manor house that was home to The Ghost Army before they went into Normandy is now a hotel, so we ”bivouacked”  here just as they did. There was plenty of opportunity to stroll the enchanting grounds and imagine them covered with the tents of the deceivers.

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The camouflage unit began working with inflatable tanks here, and we had great fun inflating our replica dummy tank on the manicured lawn. Well, some of us took part inflating it – others sat on the veranda drinking Old Speckled Hen and snapping photos! As the tank took shape, Rick talked about how the original ones were designed and constructed. What a thrill to experience doing what the Ghost Army soldiers did in the very same place.

Southwick House

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This was General Eisenhower’s headquarters in the days leading up to D-Day. The great wall map showing every particular of the invasion has been meticulously preserved. Now an officers’ mess on a British Army base, this is definitely off the beaten track, but you could almost feel the presence of Ike, de Gaulle, and Churchill taking part in the momentous decisions made here. Retired British Army colonel Jeremy Green painted a vivid picture in a talk that was as entertaining as it was insightful. His passion and knowledge swept us away.

Trévières and Omaha Beach

Arriving in the Normandy village of Trévières, Mayor Jean-Pierre Richard greeted us like celebrities, and then escorted us to the bombed-out church (now restored) that so many Ghost Army artists painted in 1944. We were brought to tears when we learned that one of the members of the town delegation was the brother of a young boy painted by Ghost Army artist John Hapgood! Mayor Richard presented a medal to commemorate the unit’s efforts, and to thank us for illuminating this hitherto unknown piece of the town’s history. We presented the mayor with a reproduction of Arthur Singer’s evocative watercolor of the church that will hang in the town hall.
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Our friend Jacques Fourcade, who had organized the morning’s ceremony, introduced us to Marie-France Benoist. Her family home on Omaha Beach is one of the few houses there that survived the invasion. It was used by the Germans as an officers’ billet, and by the Americans as a field hospital. Years later, an American veteran told her that he went down into the basement looking for wine and discovered a German time bomb there. (Thus proving the unexpected health benefits of wine.) She invited us to visit her house - and we accepted! It was a unique experience to walk through her gardens, just steps from where the most desperate fighting took place, and hear about her family’s experiences during invasion-Day and its aftermath.

Everywhere in Normandy we saw signs celebrating the 70th anniversary of D-Day and welcoming the liberators’ return. We were touched by the gratitude directed towards the United States from Mayor Richard, Marie-France, and many others who we met.


Luxembourg City

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The seminary that was home to the camouflage and radio units is now a part of the University of Luxembourg, which invited us in and hosted a reception just outside the room where Marlene Dietrich performed for the men on November 20, 1944. Gazo also showed us the room where bunked. We walked in and surprised a few students, whose bewilderment turned to fascination when they learned the story.

We also did a walking tour of The Grund, the oldest and most beautiful part of Luxembourg City, visiting many of the spots where artists in the unit painted and sketched. Later that day, we traveled through all the towns that were part Operation KOBLENZ, the deception mission along the German border that immediately preceded the battle of the Bulge. Fascinating to see first-hand how much territory was involved in just one of their 21 deceptions.

American Cemetery Luxembourg

The most emotional moment of the tour. We came to visit the grave of Staff Sergeant George Peddle, one of the handful of Ghost Army soldiers killed in Europe. Gazo Nemeth knew him well, and as we laid flowers by the headstone, Gazo haltingly remembered his friend. Then he turned to salute his fallen comrade. There were hugs all around, and not a dry eye among us.
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Among the five thousand-plus Americans buried here is General George S. Patton. We paused at his grave and then visited the nearby German military cemetery as well. Earlier in the trip we heard it said that “the British celebrate their dead, the Americans honor their dead, and the Germans mourn their dead.” The German cemetery’s somber, gothic feel is so different from the rows of gleaming white crosses in its American counterpart.  

Bastogne

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We had a fantastic day in and around Bastogne, Belgium, a pivot point in the Battle of the Bulge. Historian Martin King gave us an insider's tour of the battlefield, taking us into the forest to see foxholes used by the Company E of he 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, (The Band of Brothers,) leading us to a Panzer tank left behind by the Germans, and much more. Martin mesmerized us with stories of little known heroes.

We stopped at the Bastogne Barracks, headquarters of the 101st Airborne during the battle. It was here that General Anthony McAuliffe responded to a German surrender demand with a single word: “Nuts!” The Belgian soldiers working hard to restore it have done a standout job. Especially impressive were the dozens of restored WWII vehicles. Several family members of soldiers from the sonic deception unit climbed into a halftrack just like the ones their fathers and grandfathers used!

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Helen Patton, granddaughter of General George Patton and a good friend of the Ghost Army, hosted us for lunch at the 101st Airborne Museum. She served up chili she made with the Patton family recipe – which includes coffee and chocolate! Helen urged us to visit this museum, and it was a gem. Most memorable bit: a subterranean multi-media show in which visitors experience what it was like for townspeople sheltering from German artillery and bombers during the siege of Bastogne. It was chilling.

And more…

The our last dinner together, each person stood up to speak about his or her favorite memory of the trip. It was a wonderful way to relive our experiences. By then Marilyn and I counted every person in the group as a friend. It was very rewarding to see how much they had enjoyed the journey. The places above were frequently mentioned, but so were many others:

Bletchley Park: the huts and blockhouses where thousands toiled to decipher, read, and analyze the Germans’ coded radio messages.

Pegasus Bridge: site of the first action on D-Day, a dramatic British glider attack that took place a few minutes after midnight.

The Surrender Museum in Reims: The room where the Germans surrendered to Eisenhower has been carefully preserved exactly as it was on that fateful day.

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Utah Beach: where most of the Ghost Army landed in Normandy, with a wonderful museum

And the side trips…Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford, the Bayeux Tapestry, Giverny, Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims… dizzying!

The day after the tour ended, Marilyn and I attended a screening of The Ghost Army documentary in Wiesbaden, Germany. We had seen the film unfold hundreds of times before, but now we saw it with new eyes. It felt more intense, so much more personal. That is just part of the powerful effect the trip had on us.

We are grateful to Tour Director Brian Kruse ("The Kruse Missile") and driver Lucien Hilvering, who both contributed so much; to all the people from England to Germany who welcomed us, shared their experiences, and made this journey unique; and to everyone on the tour for their enthusiasm, energy and insights.  We have already begun talking to Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours about the 2015 Ghost Army/Secret War Tour, filled with excitement about the opportunity to go there again, secure in the knowledge that there is more to experience and discover.

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Rick and Marilyn Beyer

You can see more photos from the trip here and follow us on The Ghost Army Facebook page.

Ghost Army landing on Utah Beach Seventy Years Ago Today

jun242014
Ghost Army landing on Utah Beach Seventy Years Ago Today
Seventy years ago this month, The Ghost Army went into action in Normandy. Many landed on Utah Beach this very day, June 24. Over the next nine months they carried out 21 different battlefield deceptions to help defeat Hitler's legions, and save thousands of lives in the process.

Today we continue our efforts to tell their story and celebrate their contributions to the war effort.

In December we set a goal of raising $15,000 to support expanding, organizing, and preserving the Ghost Army digital archive. We have raised half that amount, and today I am launching a ten-day fundraiser to get the rest of the way by July 4. (That's the date that the Ghost Army's first full-scale deception, Operation ELEPHANT, came to a conclusion.)

We have already made a great deal of progress.

• We have created a searchable list of Ghost Army soldiers accessible  on our website. (Since no master list previously existed, this had to be painstakingly assembled from multiple sources.)

•An archivist is cataloging research materials gathered over the last nine years using the museum software Past Perfect.

•We have begun digitizing a wide array of documents relating to the story.

•We are in the process of reaching out to various institutions to find a permanent home for the material – one where most or all of it will be available online.

Up next: A trip to the National Archives in Washington soon to look through comb through declassified files for documents that may add new details and perspectives.

Please help preserve the memory of The Ghost Army as we celebrate this anniverary.

This work NEEDS YOUR HELP to continue. It may not be as glamorous producing the film, or mounting an art exhibit, but it is vital to preserving the memory of this unit.

Click here to make a tax-deductible donation via credit card!

You can also make a tax deductible donation by check. Make the check out to "Center for Independent Documentary" and mail it to Rick Beyer, Plate of Peas Productions, 34 Outlook Drive, Lexington, MA  02421. You will receive a tax receipt in the mail.





WWII Veteran Tells a Ghost Story.

jun152014
Gazo Nemeth Ghost Army
Nice story about Ghost Army veteran Gazo Nemeth in the May 2014 issue of Expressions, the magazine that goes out to members of public TV station WGCU in Naples.  

Rick Beyer Memorial Day 2014 Address

may302014
rick beyer speaker history WWII
Rick Beyer was the main speaker for the 2014 Memorial Day commemoration on Lexington Common. In his remarks, he talked about just why he thinks it is important to remember the story of The Ghost Army.

What a great honor to speak under this flag, on this spot, where men first gave their lives in the revolution that would breathe life into these United States. I want to salute everyone involved in today’s ceremonies, especially parade marshal Jack Ryan, and all of the other veterans who have joined us today.

Seventy years ago today hundreds of thousands of American soldiers were readying themselves for the Normandy Invasion. On June 6, 1944, along beaches code-named Omaha and Utah, these GIs would begin the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny.

Among the multitudes gathered for the invasion were the men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, the remarkable unit that became known as The Ghost Army. This traveling road show of deception went into action shortly after D-Day, using inflatable tanks, sound effects, illusion and impersonation to deceive Hitler’s legions on the battlefields of Europe.

They did not employ the steel of the bayonet, or the power of artillery, but instead wielded imagination, bravado, and creativity. They staged 21 different battlefield deceptions to keep the Germans guessing about the real strength and location of American forces.

Extraordinary as it is, their story is just one of many from the global cataclysm we call World War II.  So why is it worth remembering today?

It was first of all a marvelous example of leadership and daring. All too often, when the stakes are high, the tendency is to go conservative. But here we see the U.S. Army reaching for something out of the ordinary. Nobody knew if it would really work. Blowing up inflatable tanks on the battlefield? Using sound effects records to conjure up phony troop movements? What a crazy idea. Yet high-ranking generals had the vision and guts to take the risk. They dared to innovate. And it worked.

The Ghost Army also demonstrates the power of America’s most remarkable resource: our diversity. It begins with the mismatched pair of officers who dreamed up this madcap idea: a flamboyant left-wing journalist named Ralph Ingersoll who was drafted under protest, and a buttoned down West Pointer named Billy Harris from a family with a long military tradition. It took the divergent talents of this  odd couple to bring the Ghost Army into existence. They also coordinated its deception missions throughout the war.

And who carried out these missions? High society artists from New York City working alongside truck-drivers from Tennessee. Radio writers from Hollywood and bartenders from Louisiana.  As on soldier told me: “It was a big war. It was a big war and everybody went.” For many it was the first time they had ever been exposed to people so different than themselves. Future fashion designer Bill Blass, one of many artists who served in this unit, recalled that you could hear Beethoven’s Fifth at one end of the barracks, and “Pistol Packin’ Mama” at the other.

These men of staggeringly different backgrounds worked together to pull off their battlefield illusions. Today, when our nation is divided in so many ways, we do well to remember the power of embracing those who look or think or speak differently than us in pursuit of the common good.

No man who served in this unit considered himself a hero. Each would tell you that the real heroes were the infantryman and tankers who bore the brunt of the fighting. But it has always struck me that their deception mission demanded a special kind of courage. To operate on or near the front with no heavy weapons…to project strength when you have none…to purposely draw enemy fire, in order to keep it from falling on others? A dangerous business, not for the faint of heart.

And yes, they did take casualties. Men died to carry out these missions. It is fitting and proper to remember them by name. Captain Thomas Wells, Sergeant George Peddle, and Corporal Chester Peliccioni made the ultimate sacrifice, and on this Memorial Day we honor their memory

Many more, of course, have died in the years since. Today the Ghost Army is increasingly an army of ghosts. Most of the men have left us. The youngest surviving veterans are nearly ninety. In another decade or so I fear they will all be gone, along with almost every one of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II.

It will be up to the rest of us to make sure they are not forgotten.

Five hundred years ago, the brilliant and cunning political philosopher Machiavelli wrote these words: “Though fraud in all other actions be odious, yet in matters of war it is laudable and glorious.” The men of the Ghost Army were not textbook soldiers or heroes, yet they served with ingenuity, courage and honor. By fooling the enemy, they sought to lessen the number of men destined to die, young, trembling, in a muddy field so very far from home.

Veteran Stanley Nance summed it up this way: “If one mother, or one new bride, was spared the agony of putting a gold star in their front window. That’s what the 23rd Headquarters was all about.”

Which truly does strike me as something laudable and glorious, worth recalling on this Memorial Day.
Thank you very much.



Ghost Army/ Secret War Tour 2014

jan72014
Ghost Army Secret War Tour 2014
 
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Now you can have a chance to walk in the footsteps of the Ghost Army. Registration is open for the 2014 Ghost Army/Secret War Tour of Europe. The tour takes place from September 11 to September 24, 2014.  

The tour  follows the story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops from London all the way to Germany. It also includes many other World War II sites to offer a wider context for the story of the deceivers. It is being led by filmmaker and author Rick Beyer, who made The Ghost Army documentary, along with his wife Marilyn Rea Beyer.

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Space is limited. A (mostly) refundable deposit will guarantee you a spot. There is a link below to a downloadable day-by-day itinerary and registration form.  


THE GHOST ARMY Grabs a CINE Golden Eagle

dec202013
CINE Golden Eagle Ghost Army
THE GHOST ARMY has been honored with a prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award. For over 50 years, the CINE Golden Eagle Award has signified excellence within the film and television industry. Winners are chosen twice a year through a rigorous two-tiered judging process. Previous honorees include such notable filmmakers as Stephen Spielberg, Ron Howard, Ken Burns, Werner Herzog, and Albert Maysles.

The film won in the Television Documentary/History category. Other winners in this category include Robert Redford as Executive Producer of All The President's Men Revisited and Ric Burns for the American Experience film Death in the Civil War.

"I am thrilled and honored to receive this recognition from my peers," said filmmaker Rick Beyer.  "This award also belongs to the 700 plus donors who made the film possible, and the many talented professionals who brought it to life. What a fine tribute to the veterans whose stories we told.”  

THE GHOST ARMY, which premiered nationally on PBS in May, tells the story of a handpicked group of GI’s, many of them artists, who used creativity and illusion to deceive German troops across the battlefields of Europe during the Second World War. Armed with truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound effects records, and more than a few tricks up their sleeves, their job was to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war’s end.

The film, which recently had its European Theatrical Premiere in Luxembourg, is now available from PBS Home Video.  As the 70th anniversary of D-Day approaches, Beyer is also doing numerous screenings and talks both in the US and Europe.  

Year End Update

dec102013
What an incredible year this has been for The Ghost Army.  The many film festivals, the PBS Premiere, the international news coverage – it’s been great to see all the attention focused on this incredible story and the men in the unit. Here's a brief report on the latest happenings, and what's ahead - including a new initiative that could use your support.

Here’s just some highlights from the last six months

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• The unveiling of a replica dummy tank that will travel with The Ghost Army Museum exhibit. Thanks to the donors who made it possible:  Athena’s Home Novelties Inc, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, Martha Gavin, Hope Global, Little General Stores Inc., Rhode Island Commandery, Soucy Insurance Inc. and Twin River Casino. Special thanks to Toni McKay at Starbound Entertainment, who did an amazing job  on it.

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• A series of events in Luxembourg including the European Theatrical Premiere and a Ghost Army art exhibit, which is ongoing until the end of December. I also gave a lecture in the building where The Ghost Army was billeted, shared a stage with Helen Patton, granddaughter of WWII General George Patton, and had lunch with prince!  

• TV Premieres in the UK, France, Australia, and Denmark, among other countries

• Screenings at The Military and Historical  Film Festival in Warsaw Poland, the FIT in New York, and more than a dozen other venues

What’s Next?

Many people ask me, “What's your next project?”  The truth is, I’m not ready to move on to another project yet, because there is a lot still to do on this one. I want to bend every effort to make sure this story is remembered the way it should be.

I am busy scheduling screenings, talks and exhibits for 2014. I will lead a Ghost Army European tour in September (the long awaited brochure and registration form should he finalized in the next week or two). Liz Sayles and I are working together on an exciting Ghost Army book project, details of which we hope to share next year.

The Digital Archive

There’s another aspect of these ongoing efforts that needs your help.

I am launching a year-end fundraising campaign to curate The Ghost Army Digital Archive. Over the years I have collected digital images of more than a thousand artworks, photos, maps, and artifacts.  I also have dozens of hours of video and hundreds of pages of research including transcripts, reports, letters, etc. Taken all together, this is a unique repository of Ghost Army information and artifacts.

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Eventually it is my hope to find a home for this digital collection at a major archive where it can be available to researchers long into the future.  I also hope that big parts of it can go up on line to be accessible to the general public.

First, there is important work to be done. Here are my goals:

1)  Expand the archives to include artworks, photos, and research that has only become available since the PBS Broadcast.

2)  Organize, label and index material to maximize it historical value

3)  Preserve the collection by acquiring drives for storage and backup

I believe that it is vital that these primary source materials are gathered and preserved in one place, instead of being so scattered that no one can ever bring them together again.  

My goal is to raise $15,000 for this effort.  Please help if you can. You can click here to make a tax deductible donation via credit card. For information on how to donate by check, click here.

More news to come as The Ghost Army story spreads across the globe! 


New York Re-Broadcast of The Ghost Army

aug12013
The Ghost Army documentary is being re-broadcast by WNET Thirteen in New York. The film will air  on Tuesday, August 6, at 10 PM.   For you night owls, it will also be broadcast on Thursday, August 8, at 3 AM,

The Latest

jun242013
It has been just over a month since The Ghost Army premiered on PBS, the culmination of years of effort by so many people. The dust is finally starting to settle, here's the latest:

Response

The critical response to the documentary was amazing. The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, TV Guide, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and The Boston Globe were among the outlets that published enthusiastic reviews. The film did very well in the ratings, and viewer response was overwhelming. Here is a small sample:

“The juxtaposition of actual places with the drawings done by the soldiers was heart stopping.”

“It was a spell-binding piece of work.”

“ That was the best thing we've seen in a long time.”

“Thank you again for putting it on the air and I gather that it is going to be on the air again tomorrow which will give me time to try and notify as many people as I can to watch it.”

“One of the best and most informative shows I have ever watched.”

“We were completely bowled over!”


All of which should make everyone of you who supported or worked on the film very, very proud.

Home Video

The film is now on home video, and there are lots of ways to buy /rent it/download it. Here are just a few:

Amazon
Amazon Instant Video
iTunes
Netflix
Shoppbs.org

Pushing the Donate Button

Since the film is complete, you might wonder why we sill have a big red donate button on ghostarmy.org.

The answer is that there remains a lot to do to fully tell this story, and we can definitely still use your support. Ongoing efforts include:

• Doing additional research into unexplored aspects of the story
• Creating a more robust website with richer content
• Adding new materials to the Ghost Army archives from families that have reached out to us since the broadcast
• Producing a short film (to go with the museum exhibit) about how/where dummy tanks were manufactured,
• Adding to the museum exhibit, and finding more venues to book it
• Set up screenings in the US and abroad

Contributions are tax deductible, and greatly appreciated.

Tour

We are considering conducting a Ghost Army tour in the fall of 2014, and are now trying to gauge how many people might be interested in going. It would probably be a two week trip in all, visiting England (Walton Hall, where the Ghost Army bivouacked, is now a hotel), Normandy, Paris, Luxembourg (and nearby Bettembourg,) Bastogne, Trier and possibly a few other locations.) We would visit sites involved in The Ghost Army story, as well as other WWII museums and sites. If you have any interest in going, please send an email to event@ghotarmy.org.

Exhibits

The Ghost Army art exhibit in Nyack is now finished after two months. But our traveling museum exhibit is currently on display at The Highground Veterans Park in Neillsville WI, where it will be through the end of July and into August. In November it will be going up at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket, RI. Woonsocket has a great connection to the story because some of the dummies were manufactured there.

We are also in discussions about bringing the film and some version of the exhibit to Europe in the fall, more about that as it develops.

Many people have been asking what Rick Beyer's next project is. His response:  "I am still immersed in The Ghost Army, but I am taking some time this summer to think about what comes next. I’m not ready leap into another big project right away, but when I am, you can be sure you will be the first to know about it!"

Special Memorial Day Screening in Nyack, NY

may192013
Monday, 5/27/13 at 5 PM at the Nyack Center.

Order Tickets here!

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Your last chance to see the film on the big screen until fall!

Following the film there will be a Q&A with the film’s director, Rick Beyer, and exhibit co-curator, Liz Sayles. Several Ghost Army veterans also plan to be there.  

Order Tickets here!

"Artists of Deception" Art exhibit opens April 13 at the Hopper House in Nyack NY

apr132013
Ghost Army WWII Hopper House Nyack
Imagine a group of GI’s who help win World War II with inflatable tanks, sound effects, and impersonation. Now imagine many are artists, who never stop painting and sketching as they make their way across war-torn Europe.  And some go on to become famous, including fashion designer Bill Blass. That’s the TRUE story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka The Ghost Army. Now a landmark art exhibit opening April 13 at the Edward Hopper House Art Center in Nyack, New York, brings together work from more than 15 members of this unique unit, many of whom went on to have illustrious post-war art careers.

The exhibit, entitled Artists of Deception, is the largest collection of Ghost Army art brought together since World War II.  Among the items being exhibited are Bill Blass’s wartime notebooks. On the cover of one can be seen the logo Blass sketched for what would become his fashion empire. The exhibit also includes striking watercolors from famed wildlife artist Arthur Singer. Two of the artists—Bill Sayles, and Ned Harris, are from Rockland County, New York, where the exhibit is taking place.  The rest are from around the country.

“We were sleeping in hedgerows and foxholes. But nothing kept us away from going someplace to do a watercolor.”
-Ghost Army artist John Jarvie, Kearny NJ

The exhibit includes landscapes, portraits, caricatures, cartoons, and rough sketches, done in oil, watercolor, pencil and pen and ink.  All bring to life the period from June  1944 to May 1945, when The Ghost Army was in action in Europe.

The exhibit is co-curated by filmmaker and author Rick Beyer, from Lexington, MA, and illustrator Elizabeth Sayles, from Valley Cottage, NY. The two are co-authors of the book Artists of Deception: The Ghost Army of WWII.

There will be an opening reception for “Artists of Deception: The Ghost Army,” on Saturday, April 13 – 5-7p at the Edward Hopper House Art Center, 82 North Broadway, Nyack NY.  The exhibit runs until June 9.  Information on gallery hours and admission prices at http://www.edwardhopperhouse.org/ More on the unit itself, and the PBS film chronicling it’s role in WWII, at http://www.ghostarmy.org .

Artists whose work is being displayed:

Walter Arnett*
Bill Blass*
Moredcai Reese Craig*
Victor Dowd*
Ned Harris
John Jarvie
Harold Laynor*
Jack Masey
Richard Morton*
Bill Sayles
Alvin Shaw*
Arthur Shilstone
Arthur Singer*
Joe Spence*
Bob Tompkins*
George Vander Sluis*
Anthony Young*

(*Deceased)

The exhibit is made possible by generous contributions from 60 donors.

Lisa Aaron
Patricia Amann
Christine Hardy Ayers
Lee Baldwin
Foster Bass
Holden Becker
Marilyn Rea Beyer
Jill Rovitzky Black
Elisabeth Born
Theodore Bouloukos
Holly Caster
Jill Clancy
Dylan Craig
Claudia Boders Fenderson
Marsha Baker and Harry Forsdick
Janet Freeman
Kirk Friedland
Bob Gaffney
Bennett Gewirtz
Bob Gill
Kathy Greenholdt
Jennifer Hanlon
Charles Heilbronn
Peter Hirshberg
Christine Hughes
Stephanie June
Lauren Patricia Kennedy
Richard Klug
Anne Lee
Frankie Lieberman
David Macpherson
Michael Mark
Henry Mason
Susan McHugh
Delah McKay
Barbara Moran
Jay Newell
Beverly Payeff
Carole Perry
Jessica Poggioli
Anne Pollack
Luther Rix
Carol Sawyer
Allan Seward
Kara Sheridan
C. Bowes Sheridan
Alan Singer
Mary F. Spence
Joseph Spence
Marcia D Stearns
Deborah Stein
Peter Threadgill
Sam Waymon and William Tucker
Michael Vosburgh
Jeff Walker
Sterling Wall
Garrett Zevgetis
Jessica



THE GHOST ARMY to screen at GI Film Festival 2013 In Washington D.C. on Friday May 10

mar132013
The Ghost Army has been selected to screen at the GI Film Festival in Washington DC on Friday May 10. The festival celebrates the successes and sacrifices of the service member through the medium of film. Filmmaker Rick Beyer will attend and answer questions after the screening.

Details:

Date:  Friday May 10
Time: 11:30 AM
Location:  AMC Shirlington Theater 2772 S Randolph Street, Arlington, VA
Tickets:  $12 apiece, on sale March 19 at gifilmfestival.com

Special screening of THE GHOST ARMY in Pelham, New York on April 14.

mar92013
Special screening of THE GHOST ARMY in Pelham New York on April 14
In honor of Ghost Army veteran Richard Syracuse, a special one-night-only screening of the film will take place at The Picture House in Pelham, New York, Sunday April 14 at 5 PM.  Syracuse, now 90 and living in New Rochelle, plans to attend the screening, as does Ghost Army veteran Arthur Shilstone from Redding, Connecticut. Filmmaker Rick Beyer will be there as well to answer questions from the audience.  It is a chance to see the film on the big screen before it is broadcast nationwide on PBS in May.

The screening is sponsored by Andrea Syracuse-Silverstein of Pelham and Rina Syracuse of New Rochelle to honor their father’s wartime service. Tickets  ($25/$20 for students and veterans) are available at ghostarmypelham.brownpapertickets.org or by or by phone:  1-800-838-3006. Proceeds go to benefit the PBS broadcast of the film.

"I used to refer to us as the Cecil B. DeMille Warriors."
                   -Richard Syracuse

Second Screening scheduled at Salem Film Fest

mar82013
The Salem Film Festival has scheduled a second screening of The Ghost Army after the opening night screening sold out. This one will be on Wednesday March 13 at 4 PM at Cinema Salem.  Tickets are available from the Cinema Salem box office, or you can buy them online here.

Filmmaker Rick Beyer will be in attendance at the March 13 screening, and will answer questions from the audience.  

Cinema Salem is at One East India St, Salem, MA.

Providence Fundraiser Sunday April 21

feb272013
Please join us for a fundraising event for The Ghost Army documentary at 2PM, Sunday, April 21,  at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, 175 Main St., Pawtucket, RI.

Enjoy a gala reception with champagne, wine  and hors d'oeuvres, followed by a screening of the film, and Q&A with filmmaker (and Rhode Island native) Rick Beyer.

Hosts:

Bob Billington
Scott Fraser
Catherine Hurst
Rick and Marilyn Beyer

The event is $75 per person ($50 tax deductible). There is still room at this event, and we would love to see you there,

You can donate in advance by credit card, use the donate button below, and then send an email to rick@ghostarmy.org letting us know that you are coming to the event.  That will help us get an accurate count.

Make a Secure Donation Now

Or you can come to the door and bring a check.  

If the event fills up before Sunday, we'll post that information here.  

Here's a recent video of Rick talking about the film on MSNBC:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy




THE GHOST ARMY PREMIERES ON TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013 AT 8:00 PM ET ON PBS

feb152013
THE GHOST ARMY PREMIERES ON TUESDAY MAY 21 2013 AT 800 PM ET ON PBS
New Documentary Reveals the Amazing Story of the Secret WWII Unit That Duped Hitler’s Army — With Rubber Tanks, Sound Effects and Multimedia Illusions

War, deception and art come together in Rick Beyer’s new documentary The Ghost Army, the astonishing true story of American G.I.s - many of whom would go on to have illustrious careers in art, design and fashion - who tricked the enemy with rubber tanks, sound effects, and carefully crafted illusions during the Second World War. A remarkable story of a top-secret mission that was at once absurd, deadly and amazingly effective, The Ghost Army premieres on Tuesday,May 21, 2013, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of G.I.s landed in France to conduct a special mission. Armed with truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound effects records, and more than a few tricks up their sleeves, their job was to create a traveling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe, with the German Army as their audience. From Normandy to the Rhine, the 1100 men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the Ghost Army, conjured up phony convoys, phantom divisions, and make-believe headquarters to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war's end.

Each deception required that they impersonate a different (and vastly larger) U.S. unit. Like actors in a repertory theater, they would mount an ever-changing multimedia show tailored to each deception. The men immersed themselves in their roles, even hanging out at local cafes and spinning their counterfeit stories for spies who might lurk in the shadows. Painstakingly recorded sounds of armored and infantry units were blasted from sound trucks; radio operators created phony traffic nets; and inflatable tanks, trucks, artillery and even airplanes were imperfectly camouflaged so they would be visible to enemy reconnaissance. The Ghost Army staged more than 20 deception operations in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, often operating dangerously close to the front lines. In the final days of the war they faced their ultimate test: a deception along the Rhine in which thousands of lives depended on their delivering a convincing performance. What they accomplished was kept secret for nearly fifty years.

Many of the men chosen to carry out these deceptions were young artists recruited from art schools across the country. In their spare time, they painted and sketched their way across Europe, creating a unique and moving visual record of their war. Some would go on to become famous, including fashion designer Bill Blass, painter Ellsworth Kelly and photographer Art Kane.

Interviews with nineteen Ghost Army veterans are the heart of the film. The Ghost Army may be one of the last World War II documentaries told in the words of the men who served. Filmmaker Rick Beyer devoted a major portion of the last eight years to the project, after being introduced to the story in a Lexington, Massachusetts coffee shop. "Martha Gavin, the niece of a Ghost Army veteran, brought me an armload of her uncle's wartime watercolors and sketches and told me the story. I was hooked," he says, "and since then I've been determined to bring the amazing story of these creative soldiers to the world.."

More than 65 years after the end of the war, the surviving members of the Ghost Army are proud that they used artistry and creativity to save lives. Theirs is not just another war story but a multi-layered tale of showmanship, creativity and humanity.

For more information, visit www.ghostarmy.org.

  • * *


About the Participants

Cpl. Al Albrecht served in the sonic unit. After a long career in sales, he died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2010.

Sgt. Al “Spike” Berry served in the radio unit. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

PFC Ed Biow served in the camouflage unit. He worked in advertising after the war, and now lives in Portland, Oregon.

Gen. Wesley Clark (ret) was the Commander of NATO from 1997 to 2000. He is also the author of Waging Modern War.

Lt. Robert Conrad served in the radio unit. He died in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2010.

Sgt. Victor Dowd served in the camouflage unit. An illustrator, he died in 2010.

Roy Eichhorn was the Director of Research and Development at the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. His father served in the Ghost Army.

Pvt. Harold Flinn served in the sonic unit. He lives in Maquon, Illinois.

Jonathan Gawne is the author of Ghosts of the ETO.

Pvt. Ned Harris served in the camouflage unit. A designer and photographer, he lives in New City, New York.

Cpl. John Jarvie served in the camouflage unit. After the war he became an art director at Fairchild Publications. He lives in Kearny, New Jersey.

Cpl. Jack Masey served in the camouflage unit. After the war he designed US government exhibits all over the world. He lives in New York City.

Lt. Bernie Mason served in the camouflage unit. He was a creative director for a multimedia company and graduated from college at age 75. He lives near Philadelphia.

Sgt. Jack McGlynn served in the sonic unit. He served five terms as mayor of Medford, Massachusetts, where he lives today.

Sgt. Stanley Nance served in the radio unit. He lives today in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lt. Gil Seltzer served in the camouflage unit. At age 98 he is still actively working as an architect in West Orange, New Jersey.

Cpl Arthur Shilstone served in the camouflage unit. After the war his illustrations appeared in more than 30 national magazines. He lives in Redding, Connecticut.

Pvt. Joe Spence served in the camouflage unit; a professor of art, he died in 2011.

Cpl. Irving Stempel served in the camouflage unit. He died in 2010.

Lt. Dick Syracuse served in the sonic unit. A "kid from the Bronx," he became a developer and builder in New Rochelle, New York, where he lives today.

Cpl. Bob Tompkins served in the camouflage unit, where he was close friends with fellow artist Bill Blass. After the war he worked as an art director. He died in 2011.

Lt. John Walker served in the sonic unit. A career military officer, he died in 2010.

The Ghost Army

Written, Produced, and Directed by Rick Beyer
Edited by Jon Neuburger
Director of Photography: Dillard Morrison
Original Music by Matt Mariano
Narrated by Peter Coyote



Rick Beyer (Writer/Producer/Director) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, a bestselling author, and a long-time history enthusiast. His credits include Expedition Apocalypse, filmed in Siberia for National Geographic Channel; The Wright Challenge (winner of a Parents’ Choice Award), Secrets of Jamestown, Revolution in Boston and The Patent Files for The History Channel; and The Emancipation Proclamation (featuring President Bill Clinton) for the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibit “Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life.” He is also the author of the popular Greatest Stories Never Told series of history books published by Harper Collins, which have been described by the Chicago Tribune as “an old fashioned sweetshop full of tasty morsels.” He began his career as a radio and TV journalist in Chicago and Boston, and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

About PBS
PBS, with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 120 million people through television and nearly 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

  • * *

Publicity Contacts:
CaraMar Publicity
Mary Lugo 770-623-8190 lugo@negia.net
Cara White 843-881-1480 cara.white@mac.com
Abbe Harris 908-233-7990 abbe@caramar.net

For further info and photos visit http://www.pbs.org/pressroom

THEATRICAL WORLD PREMIERE!

jan232013
Ghost Army WWII film festival salem
We are excited to announce that The Ghost Army will have its theatrical WORLD PREMIERE on Thursday, March 7, 2013. It has been selected as the opening night film at the Sixth annual Salem Film Fest. The screening will take place at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Entering its sixth year, the Salem Film Fest is emerging as a leading American all-documentary film festival, showcasing a rich and diverse collection of the year’s best work from all over.
The 2013 Festival will feature 33 feature-length documentaries from around the world.

"I’m thrilled  that the film is going to have its theatrical premiere in the Boston area, where there are so many people who have supported the project. My thanks to Program Director Joe Cultera, programmer Jeff Schmidt, and everyone else at SFF for honoring The Ghost Army with this selection."
                                       -Rick Beyer

ARMY Magazine reviews "Artists of Deception"

jan152013
ARMY magazine has reviewed the book Artists of Deception: The Ghost Army of World War II in its latest issue (February, 2013.) The review is by Jeremy Dow.  To read, click on link below. That will open a PDF of the book reviews in this issue...scroll to the last page to read.
Artists of Deception Ghost Army

Final Ghost Army Fundraising Push

nov192012
Final Ghost Army Fundraising Push
Within the space of two short weeks, more than 75 supporters of The Ghost Army came to two events - in Lexington, Mass., and New York, N.Y. -  to view a final cut of the film. The enthusiastic crowds included  several Ghost Army veterans. They launched the final drive to bring the story of these remarkably creative G.I.s to a national audience on PBS in 2013.

The goal is to raise $60,000 in the next 60 days.

The film is complete, and PBS has selected it for prime-time national broadcast next year. (The airdate is expected to be in the spring or summer.) But the PBS commitment doesn't come with any additional funding, and money is needed cover music clearances, insurance, closed captioning, and the intensive outreach and PR campaigns needed to insure the PBS broadcast reaches the largest possible audience.

The fundraisers in Lexington and NYC have already brought in $25,000.

That means there is only $35,000 left to go.  

People wishing to contribute by credit card can make a secure donation  by credit card just have to hit the big red button.

Make a Secure Donation Now

theghostarmy 445
To donate by check, make it it out to the Center for Independent Documentary, write “Ghost Army” on the memo line, and mail it to Rick Beyer, 34 Outlook Drive, Lexington, MA  02421. (All donations are tax-deductible.)

As part of the fundraising campaign, the search is also on for a corporate underwriter interested in donating at least $25,000 in return for underwriting announcements at the beginning and end of the film when it runs on PBS.  (It will run up to four times in three years.) This is a great opportunity for national exposure in association with a story that is about using creativity and imagination to save lives in a time of war.




............................................................................................

The Ghost Army Headed to PBS!

jul92012
PBS has selected The Ghost Army for nationwide prime-time broadcast in 2013!

The exact airdate has yet to be determined.

“Your documentary gives an entertaining and informative account of a facet of WWII that has been rarely told on American television. We applaud your fine work and your dedication to the project.  We are very excited to have The Ghost Army as part of our national line-up!”  

--Jalyn Henton, Sr. Program Associate, General Audience Programming, PBS

This is thrilling news for the production team, all the veterans and their families, and everyone who has supported the project with donations, encouragement, and feedback. This is what we have all worked toward for so many years. We now have the opportunity to reach millions of PBS viewers with the story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.

Moving Forward

PBS will provide a prime-time slot for the film, but as of now they are not offering any funding. While we now have nearly enough money to complete the theatrical/DVD version of the film, which should be finished by the end of the month, we will need to secure additional funds for the PBS broadcast version.  This will pay for:  

-Final Editing costs

-Production of required promos and trailers

-Errors and Omissions Insurance (required for network broadcast)

-Closed Captioning  (Ditto)

-Station Relations Campaign
Individual PBS stations have a great deal of autonomy over whether air programs on the PBS national schedule. We need to mount a station relations campaign to “sell” the film to program directors at major market PBS stations.

-Public Relations Campaign
To ensure that the television premiere of The Ghost Army gets the media attention needed to bring viewers to the broadcast.

All-in-all, we probably need to raise another $50,000 to cover all these costs, and we'll start working on that in the coming weeks. But for now, we're taking a moment to savor and celebrate the good news.

PBS has selected The Ghost Army for nationwide prime-time broadcast in 2013!

Raising the Roof for the Ghost Army in Beverly

jun82012
More than 50 people turned out for a terrific Ghost Army fundraiser in Beverly, MA on the night of Friday, June 8. Guests had the chance to sip champagne in one of Beverly’s most historic homes, watch a sneak preview of the nearly-finished film, and meet two Ghost Army veterans—John Jarvie and Ned Harris. Afterwards we auctioned off a select few reproductions of paintings by Ghost Army artists (including John and Ned) to raise money for the film.
ghostarmy 390
We are delighted that so many people came and offered such generous support. This was very much a multi-generational affair: It was organized by John' Jarvie's niece, Martha Gavin, and the first-class audio visual set-up was put together by her son, John Gavin. Of course the Gavins have been there from the very beginning. Without their energetic support, their would be no Ghost Army film.
ghostarmy 390
Many thanks to  to Gary and Jen Palardy for inviting us to hold the event in the Great Hall of their historic home, and a special shout out to Gary for "volunteering" as the auctioneer--he did a wonderful job! Above you can see him auctioning a painting by Ghost Army artist Tony Young, one of five limited reproductions created specifically for this event.
ghostarmy 390
One of the winning bidders was Joanne Patton, seen with Martha Gavin and Rick Beyer above. She was a double winner because we also presented her with as reproduction of a George VanderSluis painting of Luxembourg donated by the family of Harold Dahl. The city has special meaning for the Patton family. It is where General George Patton located the headquarters for his Third Army. After his death in 1945, he was buried there.
ghostarmy 390
We also want to thank Ed Brown (above with Ghost Army veteran Ned Harris) and Diane Howard for serving on the host committee and helping to bring together such a great group of people.
ghostarmy 390

ghostarmy 390

ghostarmy 390

Ghost Army veteran John Jarvie, age 90, with Jeff and Leslie Filmore. They were the winning biddgers on his December 1944 watercolor of Habay-la-Vieille, Belgium.

The money raised from the fundraiser brings us that much closer to being able to finish the film. Work is underway now on music, sound effectrs, and photo animations, with the goal of finishing the theatrical version of the film by the end of July, so that we can enter it into the Sundance Film Festival.

Peter Coyote to Narrate The Ghost Army

mar62012
Peter Coyote to Narrate ltemgtThe Ghost Armyltemgt
Rick Beyer announced today that Hollywood actor Peter Coyote has signed on to narrate The Ghost Army. "This is huge—he was our top choice, and I am delighted that he has agreed to narrate the film," says Beyer. Coyote has appeared in many movies (including E.T.) and television shows, and is an Emmy-award winning narrator who has given voice to more than 150 documentary films. He has narrated several Ken Burns PBS documentaries including Prohibition,and National Parks, as well as Apple's IPad launch. Here's a link to his demo.  Coyote will be recording the final narration in late April.  

Ghost Army 2011 Update

dec192011
Ghost Army

The marquee of the Lafeyette Theater in Suffern, NY, for a September benefit, with WWII re-enactors in attendance.

2011 was a big year for The Ghost Army film project. After seven years of effort, the film is very nearly done, and I have set a final deadline for its completion:

June 30, 2012.

Here is an update on our many 2011 accomplishments, and a request that you consider a year-end donation to help finish the film with the quality it deserves.







2011 Accomplishments

We raised $38,728 this year. More than 400 people gave in 2011! To date we have a total of $158,194 raised in support of the film, every single penny from individual donors. You’ll be amazed at how we stretched every one of those pennies. Read on:

ghostarmy 365
We expanded the traveling Ghost Army museum exhibit, and displayed it for five months at the Historical Society of Rockland County, NY, which has been an invaluable advocate for the project. Liz Sayles did a beautiful job curating the exhibit.  

We have honed the rough cut, which now runs 62 minutes. As many people have pointed out, it is not so rough any more!  It received rave reviews from the audience at a September benefit screening at the Lafayette Theater in Suffern, NY.  

Here’s a sample of their comments:

“The rest of America needs to see this!”

“Entertaining, humorous, and a real tribute to the creative efforts of The Ghost Army…Bravo!”

“Fantastic, great job!”

“I think it will inspire the creative youth of our country!”

Sotheby’s and Spire Fine Art Printing helped us produce a 48-page visual history of The Ghost Army with more than 200 images. (Cover below.) Co-author Liz Sayles did the gorgeous layout. The book, entitled Artists of Deception is currently available on Amazon

ghostarmy 365


We obtained all of the high-resolution WWII era footage needed for the film. This was an important milestone, requiring a major expenditure, but its value can be seen in the comparison below. Check out the difference between the low-res film used in the rough cut, and the final high quality version we now have in hand for the final cut.

ghostarmy 365


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In November, we interviewed Major General George Rebh (Ret.), the most senior surviving Ghost Army officer. As a captain in WWII, he commanded the 406th Combat Engineers, one of the four sub-units of The Ghost Army. George (seen in the then-and-now photos below) lives near Washington, DC, and is full of vivid recollections from the war years. It was a remarkable experience to capture his unique perspective on the unit.

ghostarmy 365


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Going Forward

I pledge to finish the film by June 30, 2012. Currently we have no TV deal, but German Public Television (ZDF) remains interested, and I am still trying to snag a US partner. If we don’t have a TV deal by summer, I will enter the film in selected film festivals to raise its visibility and possibly secure a limited theatrical release. My back-up plan is to tour the film around the country myself. Whatever it takes, we will get this seen by as many people as possible!

Finishing Budget

To finish the film we need at least $44,000. That is an absolute barebones budget--so lean that it doesn’t cover any overhead or pay for my own time.

There’s currently about $15,000 in unspent funds, which means we must raise a minimum of $29,000.  

The money will pay for the following:

•One final historian interview
•Final editing of program plus DVD extras
•Online edit and color correction of all footage
•Still photo animation
•Music scoring
•Professional narration (we’re trying to land a “name.”)
•Sound sweetening and mixing

Please Help

Your generosity has brought us this far, so close to completing The Ghost Army. Some of you  have donated time after time. I am incredibly thankful for your commitment to telling this story. You are the people who have said YES, and I can't begin to express how rare and wonderful that is. In the spirit of the holidays, I hope you’ll consider helping us one more time by making a tax deductible year-end contribution to see this film through to the finish!




Checks can be made out to The Center for Independent Documentary with the words "Ghost Army" on the memo line and mailed to:

Plate of Peas Productions
34 Outlook Drive
Lexington, MA  02421


If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me at rick@ghostarmy.org . Or you can post on our Facebook Page

Thanks once more for all your help and support. Have a joyful holiday season.

ghostarmy 365


Rick Beyer
Producer/Writer/Director  
(Photo taken in Bastogne in 2008)

First Ever Ghost Army Historical Marker Going Up in Luxembourg

jul132018
First Ever Ghost Army Historical Marker Going Up in Luxembourg

An inflatable tank barely visible in the words during Operation Bettembourg, September 1944

The Ghost Army Legacy Project has announced that the first ever Ghost Army historical marker will be dedicated September 26 in Bettembourg, Luxembourg. The marker will stand on the exact spot where the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops carried out Operation BETTEMBOURG, one of their longest and most important operations.

The Ghost Army Legacy Project is erecting the marker with the help of grants from the US Embassy in Luxembourg and the PSYOP Regimental Association, as well as the assistance of the Commune of Bettembourg.

“We are grateful for the support of these organizations,” said Rick Beyer, President of the Ghost Army Legacy Project, “for enthusiastically stepping forward to help preserve the legacy of this remarkable unit. “

The historical marker was designed by Paul Singer, whose father, Arthur Singer, was one of the soldiers in the Ghost Army. It commemorates a mission carried out in September 1944. For more than a week, the 23rd helped defend a dangerously undermanned section of the Third Army’s front line, stretching more than twenty miles. Ghost Army Operations Officer Col. Clifford Simenson considered it a turning point for the unit: “It was our first operation that was executed fully professionally and correctly.”

More information on the dedication ceremony will be made available closer to the event.



Ghost Army Tintype Shoot

feb22017
Ghost Army Tintype Shoot
Four Ghost Army veterans gathered for a very special portrait shoot in New York in February 2, 2017. Celebrity portrait photographer Mark Mann teamed up with Geoffrey Berliner and Jolene Lupo of the Penumbra Foundation to take exquisite tintype photograms of John Jarvie, Seymour Nussenbaum, Arthur Shilstone, and Nick Leo. The photo-shoot was undertaken by The Ghost Army Legacy Project as part of its mission to preserve and honor the legacy of the 23rd HQ Special Troops. All of the tintypes and a video about the shoot can be seen on the GALP website.

Momentum Gathers Behind WWII Ghost Army Gold Medal Campaign

mar102016

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A bipartisan group of congressmen is fighting to gain long-overdue official recognition for veterans of an extraordinary WWII deception unit known as The Ghost Army. The campaign builds on the efforts of Boston area filmmaker and author Rick Beyer, who has worked for more than a decade to bring attention to the unit. This little known group of soldiers used inflatable tanks, sound effects, and illusion to fool the Germans on the battlefields of Europe, risking their lives to draw fire away from their fellow GIs.  

Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Peter King (R-NY) have introduced a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the unit. More than 30 representatives from both parties have signed on as co-sponsors of H.R. 2170, "The Ghost Army Gold Medal Act." (https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2170)  Similar legislation will be introduced soon in the Senate.

People can ask their congressman to co-sponsor the bill by visiting:https://ghostarmy.com/initiatives/f/c/835#what.

"I am incredibly proud to sponsor this bipartisan bill," says Representative Kuster, who serves on the Veterans Affairs Committee. "I urge all of my colleagues to join me in working across the aisle to convey our overdue appreciation to these brave Americans, whose critical accomplishments remained a secret for decades."

Representative King serves on the Homeland Security Committee. "It is finally time that the American people recognize their ingenuity and selflessness which saved countless American and Allied lives," he says "They deserve their due."

Saving Thousands of Lives

The Ghost Army carried out 21 battlefield deceptions from June 1944 to March 1945.  They often operated on or near the front lines in order to divert enemy attention away from actual units. Three of them were killed and dozens wounded, but they are credited with saving thousands of American lives. Learn more athttp://www.ghostarmy.org.

Beyer began researching the unit in 2005. This led to his 2013 PBS documentary The Ghost Army and the 2015 book The Ghost Army of World War II, co-authored with Elizabeth Sayles.  "This is one of the most compelling stories I have ever come across," he says. "Using creativity to save lives – amazing!"

Hollywood seems to agree. American Sniper producers Andrew Lazar and actor Bradley Cooper have optioned the book and documentary, and are working to bring the story to the big screen.

A Sense of Urgency

Rep. Kuster recently hosted a screening and discussion of Beyer's documentary on Capitol Hill to draw attention to the Gold Medal campaign. Among those attending was Robert Dahl, whose late father Harold Dahl served in the unit, and he feels a sense of urgency about the campaign.  "There's so few of them left, so having some of them still alive when that recognition happens is really important."

Beyer is in touch with surviving Ghost Army veterans in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio,New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington D.C. They are grateful for the effort to gain them recognition. "It's wonderful, but a little bit embarrassing," says John Jarvie of Kearny New Jersey. "I don't really go in for a lot of patting on the back, but I feel very honored." Jarvie treasures a remark by a friend who served in one of the units that The Ghost Army impersonated. "You know John, if your unit hadn't been there to cover for us, I might be dead."

The Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded to other unsung WWII units including The Doolittle Raiders (2015), The Monuments Men (2013), Women Air Service Pilots (2010) and the Native American Code talkers (2008). "The dangerous, life-saving, top-secret work of The Ghost Army is well deserving of similar recognition," says Representative Kuster.

CONTACT:
Rick Beyer
Ghost Army Author/Filmmaker
rick@ghostarmy.org
781-801-3261

Video - http://youtu.be/CLyg554WAMQ
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160309/342226

The Ghost Army Audio Book Is Out!

jan162016
Audible.com has released the audiobook version of THE GHOST ARMy.



The Historical Society of Rockland County purchased several inflatale tanks (from China!) to put outside the exibit. Three Ghost Army veterans helped inflated one of them at the exibit opening. Co-curator Liz Sayles and her team also hand-made a replica of a dummy, seen below.

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During the war Ned Harris carried his art around in a German grenade case, and that's where it is at the exhibit as well!

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February 2011 Update

feb32011
Encouraging news to report on the Ghost Army film project.

Historymakers2011, a conference of history filmmakers and broadcasters held in NYC last week, offered an excellent opportunity to pitch The Ghost Army to many networks looking for history programming. The headline: There is definite interest in the film.  

I had several conversations with executives from a large European broadcaster that may make a co-production offer in the coming weeks. I  made contact with the appropriate decision-makers at a number of US Networks (including PBS) and put a rough cut of the film in their hands. Exploring as many options as possible, I have also applied for grant money from the Independent Television Service (ITVS) which provides funding for public television documentaries. It is a multi-phase process. In a few weeks we'll know if we made it past the first cut.  

Now let's cross our fingers, and see what happens! The goal is to put together the funding needed to finish the film in 2011, and to get it on TV--not just in the US, but worldwide.

Rough Cut

The version of the film being presented to networks is a revised rough cut that editor Jon Neuburger and I completed in October. Jon has edited films for PBS' American Experience, NOVA, and Frontline. The new cut is a shorter, more focused version of the film that takes into account some of the astute feedback that we got from people who watched it. It is generating a very positive response.

Media

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The Ghost Army has garnered a great deal of media attention in the last year, not just in the US, but around the world. Articles appeared in Der Spiegel (Germany), The Daily Telegraph (Great Britain) Newsweek Polska (Poland), Nasha (Russia), Bakchich (France) and most recently, in the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal and Military Officer Magazine (USA). Find links to each article here.

Veterans

Sad to say, four Ghost Army veterans I interviewed for the film passed away in 2010: Bob Conrad, Victor Dowd, Irving Stempel, and Al Albrecht. My condolences to their families and loved ones.
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In November, there was a special screening of the rough cut at the Zabocki VA Medical Center  in Milwaukee, where Al Albrecht was being treated for pancreatic cancer. Al got to watch the film, but died three weeks later. The Milwaukee Sentinel Journal did a nice article and online photo album

On the brighter side, a number of veterans I did not know have recently made contact.  I hope to learn more about their stories this year. In September I interviewed Ghost Army veteran Gil Seltzer, age 96, and still a practicing architect. He's the oldest living Ghost Army vet that I know--I'm interested to know if somebody can trump that!

Museum Exhibit

Work continues on the Ghost Army museum exhibit. Last month I met with Brian Horrigan, curator of the terrific Minnesota's Greatest Generation exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. He was brimming with ideas and potential contacts. Look for more on that in the coming months.

Thanks to everyone for your continuing support of the project. It has taken longer to make the film than it did to fight World War II, but I think we are finally getting close to realize our shared goal of telling this story the way it deserves to be told.

Rick Beyer



Armia Duchow

oct52010
Ghost Army Poland article
An article about the Ghost Army  in Newsweek Poland.

New Ghost Army Auction "Guard Duty" by Harold Laynor

jul252010
Harold Laynor Ghost ARmy

“It seemed we were spending half our war years on guard duty” said Laynor, "in rain, slime, sleet, snow, whatever. You had to keep awake. I recall putting match sticks in our eyes just to keep our lids open, so we looked awake.”

Guard Duty,” a 9” x 12” watercolor  by Ghost Army artist Harold Laynor, is being offered for auction to benefit both "The Ghost Army" film project and the Laynor Foundation Museum.  It is a wartime study that became the basis for a later oil painting.

View the Ebay auction.

Two Ghost Army Paintings to be Offered for Auction

jun222010
Two original wartime paintings by Ghost Army artist Harold Laynor will be offered for auction in the coming weeks to benefit both The Ghost Army film project and The Laynor Foundation Museum. A special thank you to Harold’s wife Gloria for sharing the paintings for this auction. These are vivid, evocative  pieces, and present an exciting opportunity to own a unique piece of Ghost Army history.

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The first of the two paintings being offered is After the Battle, a 24” x 17” oil painting. Its appraised value is $5500. Laynor described the work this way: “The Battle of the Bulge is over. It’s over and we’re war weary. We’re tired, and we rested."

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The second is Guard Duty, a 9” x 12” watercolor study that became the basis for a later oil painting. “It seemed we were spending half our war years on guard duty” said Laynor,” in rain slime, sleet, snow, whatever. You had to keep awake. In fact, I do recall putting match sticks in our eyes just to keep our lids open, so we looked awake.”

The auction will take place on Ebay, most likely in the second week in July.

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Harold Laynor was born in New York City in 1922 and graduated from Parson’s School of Design. While serving in the 603rd Camouflage Engineers, the visual deception arm of the Ghost Army, he was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge. He was convalescing in a Paris hospital when painter Pablo Picasso visited the ward. Struck by Laynor's interest in his work, Picasso invited the young artist to visit him in his studio. "I found Picasso wonderful and it's not difficult to see why he is the top figure in the art world today" wrote Laynor to his wife Gloria in 1945. "My visit to his studio and working with him greatly inspires me to continue with my painting."

Picasso strengthened Laynor's belief that an artist must trust in his or her intuition to create freedom and originality. Laynor's strong convictions about patriotism coupled with his sense of the realities of war are dramatically portrayed in his vivid and striking collection of World War II paintings, some painted during the war, some painted afterward based on wartime sketches and watercolors.

Laynor went on to become a Professor of Art at Millersville University, Millersville, PA. An internationally renowned artist, he won many prestigious awards including the Louis Comfort Tiffany scholarship for painting, a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Huntington Hartford Fellowship for painting. Laynor died in 1991.

Laynor’s collection of World War II paintings has been exhibited all over the world, and it is only recently that individual items from this collection have become available for sale.

An online presentation about Laynor and his work can be found here.  This is from the Patton Memorial Museum in Luxembourg.



This is Part 1 of a 1992 video about Laynor and his work. The style is quite dated, but it is interesting to hear Laynor talk about his work. Produced by Gigantic Productions, ©1992 Gloria Laynor.

The Laynor Foundation Museum awards scholarships to deserving students who are pursuing a career in the visual arts and art education, and are in need of financial assistance. It also supports community needs by increasing the awareness of the value of the visual arts.


Ghost Army Exhibit in Michigan

dec22009
The University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor will host a Ghost Army exhibit during the month of March, 2010.  I am working very closely with them and supplying photographs and facsimiles of artworks which will be displayed in the Hatcher Graduate Library.  In addition, a rough cut of the film will be screened on the night of March 17th, which is almost 65 years to the day from the commencement of the Ghost Army's final operation. I plan to have a completed version of the rough cut done by that day, although it will still be a very preliminary cut likely to go through many changes.

Karen Jordan, Exhibits and Outreach Librarian at the University of Michigan says that the library hopes to have some related programs during the month.  We welcome any ideas on possible speakers or topics that would work well in this series she adds.  If anyone connected to the Ghost Army plans to come, wed love to know!

If you have suggestions or questions for Karen, you can email her at  kjordan@umich.edu or call (734) 615-5783)

Ghost Sightings in New York

nov282008
Ghost Sightings in New York

Seven Ghost Army veterans share their wartime tales at the Manhattan screening.  From left to right:  Jack Masey (603rd), Tom Roche (3132), John Jarvie (603rd), Dick Syracuse, (3132), Bill Sayles (603rd), Gil Seltzer (3132) and filmmaker Rick Beyer  

A very exciting weekend in October  as the in-progress Ghost Army rough cut saw the light of day at two NY screenings Oct. 25 & 26.  

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On Saturday the 25th we showed the film at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn as part of their ReIgnite 2008 alumni weekend. Ghost Army veterans Ned Harris, Victor Dowd, and Bill Sayles were on hand to talk about their experiences. (The Fall 2008 edition of PRATTFOLIO, the Alumni Magazine, also ran an excellent article on Ghost army artists.)

The next day we screened the film at the Millennium Film Workshop in Manhattan for an audience of donors, veterans, families of veterans, and friends of the film. About 100 people came, including seven Ghost Army veterans (pictured above), who took part in an extended panel discussion after the screening.  Both audiences were very receptive, and offered valuable feedback.

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Several people traveled quite a way to get to the screening, including Kim Seale, whose dad Oscar Seale was an officer in the unit. Kim came all the way from Texas. It was especially exciting to welcome another long distance traveler, Madison Atterbury, an 8th grader from Minnesota who did a "History Day" project on the Ghost Army that made it to the state finals. Madison took a great interest in the 23rd during her project, and was thrilled to come to New York and meet so many veterans.  

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At left, Six Ghost Army veterans, and the six "Pioneers" who hosted the Manhattan screening.  Plus one filmmaker.  From left to right:  Maura Harway, Richard Mark, Jerri Mayer, Tom Mayer, Jack Masey (603rd), Tom Roche (3132), Barbara Moses, Matt Grayson, Ned Harris (603rd), Rick Beyer, Bill Sayles (603rd) and John Jarvie (603rd).  The Pioneers are major supporters of the film whose generous contributions and  unswerving commitment have been instrumental to the progress made to far.  

A spooky Ghost Army  story:  One of the pioneers, Tom Mayer, invited a lawyer he works with named Richard Seltzer.  Richard sent a copy of the invite to his father, Gilbert Seltzer, who happens to be a member of the Ghost Army!! (He was the adjutant of the 603rd.) Tom had no idea.  We were all quite thunderstruck by the coincidence.  What's more, 94 year old Gil Seltzer (Still a practicing architect) came to the screening and regaled us with stories from his time in the Ghost Army.

To date, 56 minutes of the film has been roughed out,  taking the unit from its inception through the Battle of Brest in August 1944. Next Steps:  Completing the rough cut, gathering more images, searching for some of the initial sound recordings, and raising money to shoot re-enactment footage for the film.  

If you are interested in making a tax deductible contribution to the film before the end the year, click here.

Ghost Hunting in Europe

mar152008
Ghost Hunting in Europe

Shooting at the WWII Seminary in Luxembourg (now part of the University of Luxembourg) that housed many Ghost Army soldiers in the Fall of 1944.  From here they would sally out to to conduct their operations, and return when the deceptions were done.

We set out from Paris early on a Wednesday morning in February, our tiny Peugot crammed with suitcases and video equipment. Our goal for the week long trip was to retrace some of the steps of the Ghost Army--partly to get a better feel for the story, partly to do a little filming.

Ghost Hunting in Europe
In the Normandy town of Trevieres we visited the church sketched and painted by John Jarvie, Arthur Shilstone and numerous Ghost Army soldiers shortly after their arrival in France.  A bombed out hulk at the end of the war, it wasn't fully restored until 1953.  

Ghost Hunting in Europe
In Verdun, where the Ghost Army spent Christmas of 1944 (after retreating from Luxembourg during the Bulge) we visited the famous World War I cemetery and a World War I fort painted by several GA soldiers.

In Luxembourg we stopped at the building where many Ghost Army soldiers were billeted for several months during the war.

In Trier, Germany, we were able to stand on the very spot that Ned Harris and others used as a vantage point to paint the damaged city in March of 1945. Once in Germany we trekked all the way to the town of Krefeld, right on the Rhine, where the Ghost Army staged their last and most successful deception.

Ghost Hunting in Europe
The last night of our scouting trip we spent in Bastonne.  When we woke up we found it was snowing heavily, reminding us of the heavy winter weather faced by soldiers who took part in the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944.   Spooky.

 

Link to NPR Story

sept252007
NPR aired an eight-minute story tonight on The Ghost Army (the unit, not the film).  

Here's a link!