Ghost Army Lecture/Presentation at the Museum Reveals the Amazing Story of the Secret WWII Unit That Duped Hitler’s Army

Join in for an important lecture on The Ghost Army, presented by bestselling author and long-time history enthusiast, Rick Beyer. War, deception, and art come together in Rick Beyer’s book The Ghost Army, the astonishing true story of American G.I.s — many of whom would go on to have illustrious careers in art, design, and fashion — who tricked the enemy with rubber tanks, sound effects, and carefully crafted illusions during the Second World War. The Ghost Army tells a remarkable story of a top-secret mission that was at once absurd, deadly and amazingly effective.
In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of G.I.s landed in France to conduct a special mission. Armed with truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound effects records, and more than a few tricks up their sleeves, their job was to create a traveling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe, with the German Army as their audience. From Normandy to the Rhine, the 1100 men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the Ghost Army, conjured up phony convoys, phantom divisions, and make-believe headquarters to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war’s end.
The Ghost Army Lecture/Presentation will be held on Sunday, July 16, at 2:00 p.m. in the Barn Theatre on the grounds of the Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum. Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for guests. Tickets are available on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghost-army-lecture-presentation-tickets-654357640317?aff =oddtdtcreator or by calling the Museum office at 810-622-9946.
“A riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way—ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously.” ~ Tom Brokaw
Also at the Museum on the same day is the Troop Train Open House, a FREE event, being held from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Event schedule:
1:00 p.m. – Opening preview of our 1942 U.S. Army Troop Train Car, with flag raising and echo taps
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Visit and tour the Troop Train to inspect the renovation work that’s been done thus far
1:15 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.- Spam burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, and other authentic period food from the 1940s for sale by Kelly Joy from Farmer’s Kitchen
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Ghost Army Lecture/Presentation by Rick Beyer in Barn Theater – $10 for members / $15 for guests
3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.- Live swing music by the Blue Water New Horizons Band, bring your dancing shoes!
Rick Beyer (Writer/Producer/Director) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, a bestselling author, and a long-time history enthusiast. His credits include Expedition Apocalypse, filmed in Siberia for National Geographic Channel; The Wright Challenge (winner of a Parents’ Choice Award), Secrets of Jamestown, Revolution in Boston and The Patent Files for The History Channel; and The Emancipation Proclamation (featuring President Bill Clinton) for the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibit “Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life.” He is also the author of the popular Greatest Stories Never Told series of history books published by Harper Collins, which have been described by the Chicago Tribune as “an old fashioned sweetshop full of tasty morsels.” He began his career as a radio and TV journalist in Chicago and Boston, and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
The Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum is located at 228 S. Ridge St (M-25) in Port Sanilac. For For more information visit www.sanilac countymuseum.org or on Facebook at “Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum”, or call the office at 810-622-9946.