An exciting collection of letters written by Ghost Army soldier Theodore “Ted” Katz is now available on the Ghost Army Legacy Project website. The collection consists of 94 letters to Katz’s fiance Helen, written from the beginning of his training in 1943 to the end of his service in 1945. The letters are accompanied by photos of and drawings by Katz, sourced from the Katz collection. His son, Richard Katz generously donated the letters and images, which are now part of the Ghost Army collection at the National WWII Musem.
GALP researcher/web maven Donna Albin transcribed the letters, selected the ones to feature out of nearly 400 in the collection, and created the web page.
Ted Katz was an artist who joined the Ghost Army in 1943. After his service, he worked as an art director in multiple advertising agencies in Syracuse, New York. He also played piano in jazz and swing groups. He passed away April 23, 1991.
Katz’s playful exchanges with his fiance, haunting descriptions of war-torn Europe, and remarkable sketches of his surroundings and fellow GIs help bring to life the daily experiences of one soldier in the Ghost Army. His writing offers an empathetic, lively, and detailed account of the realities of war. As his troop moved through the devastated countryside of France in the summer of 1944, he wrote, “Any structure without scars is unusual…And as long as there is a window left, it is always occupied by the everpresent pot of geraniums.”
“We are excited to be able to offer another personal perspective on the Ghost Army story,” said Rick Beyer, president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project. “Along with the letters of Harold Dahl, the diary of Bob Tompkins, and the scrapbooks of Seymour Nussenbaum, Katz’s letters help us really be able to see the life these soldiers lived. They bring us right into the mud, the mess hall, his tent, and on one occasion, a service in a bombed-out synagogue. All with humor and charm abounding.”
GALP researcher/web maven Donna Albin transcribed the letters, selected the ones to feature out of nearly 400 in the collection, and created the web page.
Ted Katz was an artist who joined the Ghost Army in 1943. After his service, he worked as an art director in multiple advertising agencies in Syracuse, New York. He also played piano in jazz and swing groups. He passed away April 23, 1991.
Katz’s playful exchanges with his fiance, haunting descriptions of war-torn Europe, and remarkable sketches of his surroundings and fellow GIs help bring to life the daily experiences of one soldier in the Ghost Army. His writing offers an empathetic, lively, and detailed account of the realities of war. As his troop moved through the devastated countryside of France in the summer of 1944, he wrote, “Any structure without scars is unusual…And as long as there is a window left, it is always occupied by the everpresent pot of geraniums.”
“We are excited to be able to offer another personal perspective on the Ghost Army story,” said Rick Beyer, president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project. “Along with the letters of Harold Dahl, the diary of Bob Tompkins, and the scrapbooks of Seymour Nussenbaum, Katz’s letters help us really be able to see the life these soldiers lived. They bring us right into the mud, the mess hall, his tent, and on one occasion, a service in a bombed-out synagogue. All with humor and charm abounding.”
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