Congressional Honor for Veterans of the Ghost Army

Referencing your March 21, 2012, article “Freddy Fox Goes to War,” I was aware of Freddy Fox ’39 at Princeton through the Princeton University Band, where I was the photographer one year (through my roommate, drum major Bill Jerome ’76), because Freddy supported it — like all things Princeton — with great enthusiasm. I showed the PAW article to my dad, who as a new West Point graduate had commanded the combat engineers of the Ghost Army (one of four field units) and been sworn to silence for 50 years, only talking about it in the late 1990s. He said, “Sure, I’d met with Fred when I reported to headquarters. Great guy.”

Fast forward to March 21, 2024, when the Ghost Army will receive a Congressional Gold Medal for distinguished contributions to the nation in a ceremony at the Capitol. Only 184 such medals have been voted by Congress since the Revolution, and about 10 World War II units have been so honored. Rick Beyer, who wrote the PAW article, led the charge to recognize the Ghost Army’s contribution to victory in the European theater. I’ll be at the ceremony representing my dad — and Freddy.

Editor’s note: The U.S. Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka the Ghost Army, used inflatable tanks, sound effects, false radio communications, and other stagecraft to deceive German troops in the months following the D-Day invasion. This issue went to press before the March 21 ceremony at the Capitol.