Inflatable tank camouflaged in the woods. Ghost Army Legacy Project, George William Curtis Collection.
“Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II” is a special exhibition on display at from now through May 26, 2025. The exhibit explores the unique history of the US Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a top-secret unit that waged war with inflatable tanks and vehicles, fake radio traffic, sound effects and even phony generals. This carefully selected group of artists, engineers, professional soldiers and draftees — armed with nothing heavier than .50 caliber machine guns — saved thousands of lives and played an important part in Allied victory in World War II.
The unit included a headquarters and four unique components: the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion Special (responsible for visual deception); the 3132nd Signal Service Company Special (responsible for sonic deception); the Signal Company Special (responsible for radio deception and spoofing); and the 406th Engineer Combat Company Special (responsible for perimeter security and special effects).
The size of the unit was small, but ѿý did send its own “ghosts” to Ghost Army.
Representing ѿý in the 603rd, Co. D (visual deception) was Private Alfred P. Hebard whose occupation as an artist was just what the Ghost Army was looking for.
ѿýans among the sonic deceivers of the 3132 and 3133 Signal Service Companies Special were Private Edward J. Pfeffer (3132nd, 4th Platoon) and Private Ben Schar (3133rd). While not deployed to Europe, 1LT George A. Brick served in the Army Experimental Station at Pine Camp, New York, where equipment was developed, sonic recordings were refined, and techniques and tactics were honed.
In the Signal Company Special (radio deception and spoofing) was T/4 Robert J. Bunt, a field lineman responsible for building radio networks to send bogus messages for unsuspecting German intelligence to intercept. T/4 Irwin J. Magerfield was a manual, high-speed radio operator sending phony morse code messages.
ѿý was represented in the 406th Engineer Combat Company by PVT Richard E. Haines, who worked as a second echelon automotive mechanic. PVT Willis E. Hankins also served in the 406th with a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of 521 — basic administration. After the war, Hankins became perhaps even more of a hero, as the ѿý Post-Dispatch reported on Sept. 4, 1951, “When one fisherman jumped into a slough of the Meramec River yesterday to rescue another fisherman who had slipped in, a long fishing pole was used by Willis Hankins, 2716A Missouri Avenue, to pull them both out.”
Rounding out the ѿý “ghosts” of the Ghost Army was T/4 Richard T. Duggan in the Headquarters Company, assigned as a clerk and typist.
Fortunately, all of these men came home following their service.
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