Campaign Overview

Bipartisan legislation has been re-introduced  in 2017 to award a Congressional Gold Medal to The Ghost Army. Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me) and Sen. Angus King (D-ME) have introduced S 1256, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act. On the House side, Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Peter King (R-NY) introduced companion legislation, HR 2701. The legislation encompasses both the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, and the 3133 Signal Company Special, which practiced sonic deception in Italy.
​
Picture
“The men recruited for the Ghost Army were men of muscle, but also men of the mind. They were creative, original thinkers that used engineering, art, architecture and advertising to wage battle with the enemy. Their weapons were unconventional but their patriotism was unquestionable.”
-Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Ghost Army Congressional briefing, July 18, 2017

Picture
"I am proud of this Ghost Army legislation, and I hope to see it move forward and pass so that these fine Americans can receive the recognition they have long deserved. God bless the members of the Ghost Army."
-Senator John Kennedy, (R-LA),  speech on the Senate Floor, June 6, 2017

Deserving Honor
Fewer than 30 of the citizen-soldiers who served in this unit are left. Seventy years after the war’s end it is time to recognize the incredible and largely overlooked accomplishments of this select group of soldiers. In recent years the Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded to other under-recognized 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.

Letters of Support
There has been an outpouring of support from people across the country for this effort.  Here are some of our letters of support.  Helen Patton, grand-daughter of famed WWII General George S. Patton Jr, is one of those supporting the effort, pointing to the numerous operations the Ghost Army conducted on Patton's behalf.  She writes: "The Ghost Army will live in our hearts and minds forever. May Congress pass this legislation and honor these heroes at last while the remaining handful are still with us. For to quotePatton himself, it is time to 'Give credit where credit is due.'"

What can I do? 
All Congressional Gold Medal legislation must be sponsored by two-thirds of the House and Senate before it can be considered. So we need co-sponsors. Here's what you can do:
Sample Email
House of Representatives
Dear Representative (Name)
As a constituent, I am writing to request that you co-sponsor H.R. 2701, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY), would provide long-overdue recognition to a group of veterans who played a courageous and crucial role in securing Allied victory in World War II. Similar legislation has also been introduced in the Senate.
​
On the battlefields of Europe in 1944-45, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, also known as the “Ghost Army,” risked their lives to draw fire away from American troops. They had no heavy weapons, but employed ingenious tactical deceptions to fool the enemy. Recruited from art schools, ad agencies, and elsewhere, they used inflatable decoy tanks and artillery, fake radio transmissions and sound effects to conceal Allied troop movements from the Germans. In Italy, the 3133 Signal Company carried out sonic deceptions that assisted in the American assault on the Gustave Line. 

The Ghost Army’s activities were classified until recently, meaning that their heroic actions went largely unrecognized. H.R. 2701 would collectively award them a Congressional Gold Medal in celebration of their bravery and creativity, as well as their contributions to the Allied victory.
For more information, you can visit www.ghostarmy.org. Many representatives in both parties have already co-sponsored this bill. Won't you join them? We need 290 House co-sponsors before it can be taken up in committee.

Thank you for your consideration,

(Your name)
Senate
Dear Senator (Name),
As a constituent, I am writing to request that you co-sponsor S. 1256, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), would provide long-overdue recognition to a group of veterans who played a courageous and crucial role in securing Allied victory in World War II. A similar bill has been introduced in the house by Rep. Annie Kuster (D_NH) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

On the battlefields of Europe in 1944-45, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, also known as the “Ghost Army,” risked their lives to draw fire away from American troops. They had no heavy weapons, but employed ingenious tactical deceptions to fool the enemy. Recruited from art schools, ad agencies, and elsewhere, they used inflatable decoy tanks and artillery, fake radio transmissions and sound effects to conceal Allied troop movements from the Germans. In Italy, the 3133 Signal Company carried out sonic deceptions that assisted in the American assault on the Gustave Line. 

The Ghost Army’s activities were classified until recently, meaning that their heroic actions went largely unrecognized. S. 1256 would collectively award them a Congressional Gold Medal in celebration of their bravery and creativity, as well as their contributions to the Allied victory.
For more information, you can visit www.ghostarmy.org. More than 30 representatives in both parties have already co-sponsored this bill. Won't you join them? We need 66 Senate co-sponsors before it can be taken up in committee.
​
Thank you for your consideration, 

(Your name)