Armchair Dragoons Forums
The Reference Desk => History and Tall Tales => Topic started by: bayonetbrant on May 26, 2019, 08:10:10 AM
-
https://www.npr.org/2019/05/25/726228078/he-led-a-platoon-of-artists-who-fooled-the-germans-imagination-is-unbelievable (https://www.npr.org/2019/05/25/726228078/he-led-a-platoon-of-artists-who-fooled-the-germans-imagination-is-unbelievable)
Seltzer, then an architectural draftsman, was selected to lead a platoon of men within a unit dubbed the "Ghost Army." Made up mostly of artists, creatives and engineers, the unit would go on to play an instrumental role in securing victory in Europe for the U.S. and its allies.
Their mission was deception. From inflatable tanks, to phony convoys, to scripted conversations in bars intended to spread disinformation, they used any and all possible trick to fool the enemy.
In the Ghost Army, a shadow unit of 1,100 American troops, men were tasked to outwit German forces through three specialized arms — visual, radio and sonic.
At 104 years old, Seltzer sat down with his granddaughter, Sarah Seltzer, for a StoryCorps conversation in January to remember this unusual outfit.
-
Awesome.