Ghost Army: WWII's Combat Con Artists Exhibition Opens at NY State Museum

The New York State Museum has unveiled a temporary exhibition called 'Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II', which will run from September 5 to December 27. This traveling exhibit tells the story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a clandestine U.S. Army unit formed on January 20, 1944. Utilizing art, engineering, sound, and showmanship as their tools, over 1,000 personnel, including artists and engineers, created inflatable tanks and fabricated radio signals to mislead enemy forces into thinking that large American units were in different locations. Many soldiers trained at Fort Drum, formerly known as Pine Camp, before heading to Europe. Armed only with .50 caliber machine guns, they relied on ingenuity rather than firepower. The exhibition, presented by the New York State Museum, showcases their vital role in the Allied war effort.