John Walker Army Survey
In 1968, the US Army used pension records to send out surveys to 9,000 veterans of the Spanish American War. So began the Army's Veteran Survey Project. This survey was filled out by John Walker, who was a Lieutenant in the 3132, the sonic deception arm of the Ghost Army. There is no date on the survey, but Walker was already a colonel in the Army Reserve when he filled it out, suggesting some time in the 70s or 80s. Walker is generally laconic in his replies,but there are some gems in here. Asked about his leave-taking from home, he repies: "I had an understanding mother." He has some pithy comments about leadership, enemy troops, and the Ghost Army's extended frontline service. John Walker died in 2010 at age 90.
Gilbert Seltzer Q&A
In 2018, Ghost Army veteran GIl Seltzer, who was 103 at the time, received an autograph request from someone named Sam Smith that was acompanied by a list of questions. (Many surviving Ghost Army veterans report receiving autograph requests from all over the world.) Seltzer, who served as a Lt. in the Headquarters Company of the 603rd Camouflage Engineers began to set down anwers, and soon found himself caught up in the task. "I had no intention of spendng so much time and energy answering your questions," he wrote at the end of his four-age response. "However I found that I was dragging up many memories that had become somewhat distant and vague, So let us say that the effort was as much for me as for you."