Renewed push to award gold medal to World War II Ghost Army
By The Associated Press
A "ghost army" was set up in the UK to fool the Germans during World War II.
BOSTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators are renewing an effort to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Ghost Army of World War II.
The Ghost Army was made up of two U.S. Army units — the 23rd Special Headquarters Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company — charged with the task of creating decoy army divisions.
One more funeral, one less witness to the world’s worst war.
By Angela Charlton, The Associated Press
The 23rd, numbering just 1,100 men, impersonated up to two divisions — the equivalent of 30,000 soldiers — physically, sonically, and radiographically. They were credited with holding a position for eight days, allowing General George S. Patton to direct all fighting forces at German defenses.
The legislative push is being led by Sens. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Susan Collins, a Maine Republican.
Similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House.
Berliners on Sunday celebrated the 70th anniversary of the day the Soviets lifted their blockade strangling West Berlin in the post-World War II years with a big party at the former Tempelhof airport in the German capital.