ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The New York State Museum will unveil a new World War II exhibition in September. The traveling exhibit, developed by the National WWII Museum, will showcase the top-secret U.S. Army unit called the Ghost Army.
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Also known as the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, the Ghost Army was an elite tactical deception unit activated by the U.S. military in the beginning of 1944, the final year of World War II. According to the museum, the unit was made up of more than 1,000 soldiers who used inflatable rubber tanks, fabricated radio transmissions, recorded sound effects and staged visual effects to deceive Nazi forces about the location of large American combat units.
Many of the troops reportedly trained at Fort Drum, located in northern New York’s Jefferson County, before being deployed to Europe. The unit included future influential artists Ellsworth Kelly and Art Kane, the museum said.
“The Ghost Army’s story is one of extraordinary ingenuity, courage, and creativity,” said New York State Museum Director Jennifer Saunders. “Because their missions remained classified for decades, their remarkable contributions are still unfamiliar to many Americans.”
Visitors of the exhibition will be able to explore original artifacts from the unit, such as uniforms, equipment and artwork. The exhibit will also include archival photography and displays, a full-size inflatable tank that will demonstrate the army’s signature visual deception techniques, and immersive multimedia environments…