WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCAX) – More than 80 years after the start of World War II, some participants in a well-kept secret are finally getting recognition thanks to a lawmaker in our region.
The Ghost Army was a top-secret unit tasked with fooling the Nazis and keeping enemy forces away from American troops. Using sound effects, inflatable equipment, and radio tricks, two units are credited with saving an estimated 30,000 allied lives.
Despite their heroism, the tactics were so effective that the US kept the ghost army a secret, meaning they were never recognized.
Now, New Hampshire representative Annie Kuster is helping to award them with the Congressional Gold Medal.
“These secret soldiers were innovators and they played a decisive role in turning the tide and winning the war. And thanks to their ingenuity, as we have heard, they saved tens of thousands of lives,” said Rep. Kuster.
Kuster brought the McKane family from Keene, New Hampshire with her to D.C.
Their father Irving “Mickey” McKane was a member of the ghost army.