 Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our honored guests veterans from the 23rd headquarters special troops and 31 33rd signal service company. Mr. Bernie Bluestine, Mr. John Christman and Mr. Seymour Neusenbaum Accompanied by speaker Mike Johnson leader Mitch McConnell leader Hakeem Jeffries Senator Suzanne Collins senator Edward Markey Representative and Custer former representative Chris Stewart Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tanya Bradsheer Secretary of the Army Christine Wormith Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown Jr Chief of Staff to the Army General Randy George and president of the ghost army legacy project. Mr. Rick Beyer Ladies and gentlemen the honorable Mike Johnson speaker of the United States House of Representatives Thank you all so much. We are so proud to welcome you here to the Capitol It is so good to see you all this morning, and I want to just Thank so much the many important folks who are here gathering my colleagues in Congress and of course Secretary Wormith and General Brown and General George and Mr. Rick Beyer who you'll hear a lot about in a little while our Friends and family and and of course the veterans of the ghost army. We are so delighted to have you gentlemen here The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor that this body can bestow upon any group or individual and today pursuant to S 1404 we are here to award that medal to the 23rd headquarters special troops and the 31 33rd signal services company Otherwise known as the ghost army. Could you have a round of applause for that? Give you a little historical context here Although I know most of the members of this audience already know this but these previously classified units were Instrumental and helping American troops achieve key victories in Germany and Italy during World War two These soldiers included technicians and artists from around the country and they use their talents to deceive and divert the Nazis They used inflatable tanks artillery and planes to confuse our enemy and protect our fellow entrymen Some of them landed on D-Day Some of them paid the ultimate price But because of the courageous work of this group it is estimated that 15 to 30,000 lives were saved. Thanks for that Wanted to share just one quick example of that in March 1945 under the direction of general Eisenhower 1,100 members of the 23rd special troops using sound engineering fake radio transmissions and even phony airfields Made the Nazi forces think there was a group 30 times their size playing in an attack 10 miles to the south and Vaisal along the Rhine River their illusion Successfully diverted the Germans and allowed the 30th and 79th divisions of the 9th army to cross the Rhine River from there Americans and British and the British changed are charged into the interior of Germany and within two months the 3rd Reich had surrendered Today we have the privilege of honoring three of those men in the 23rd who helped with that critical historic mission Private Bernie Bluestine private John Christman and private Seymour Neusenbaum are here with us in person I brought along a little little visual aid. I wanted to show you here in my hand I hold the armies now Declassified report detailing the contributions of the ghost army. This would be recommended reading if you can get your hands on it But it's normally housed at Fort Leavenworth. It was published 30 years After the end of World War two and here's an operative line on page 51. It sort of summarizes what this was all about Rarely, if ever has there existed a group of such few men Which had so great an influence on the outcome of a major military campaign. That's really something really something We're so honored by your presence here today And I'm truly honored to officiate this gold medal ceremony and to celebrate these incredible Brave American heroes who serve as a model for all the rest of us I know there are a lot of people who've been involved in this process and Rick Bayer You'll you'll hear a little bit more about representatives steward and custer Senators Colin and Markey I want to thank you all for your extraordinary work and your advocacy on behalf of these great veterans Who certainly deserve this honor. Thank you so much for being here Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of the colors by the United States Army Color Guard from the third United States Infantry Regiment the Old Guard and the performance of our national anthem by the United States Army Band Pershing zone brass quintet and the retiring of the colors Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the invocation delivered by Reverend Donald Fox son of ghost army veteran Fred Fox Oh, God, we give you thanks here in this historic hall We borrow words from the traditional Jewish prayer and we we thank you for bringing us to this day Here we are assembled around the Statue of freedom Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses native Americans inventors leaders in peace in war and in civil rights We thank you God that the men of the ghost army are being recognized as soldiers who made a huge Contribution to winning World War two in Europe Without hardly ever firing a gun We thank you for the way that these one thousand one hundred individuals with their creative courage represent the best in our nation One God one nation under God indivisible We pause in holy wonder and humor as we wonder as we remember How they gained their place in history? by fooling By tricking their brother enemies the Germans that's Jacob tricked Esau We're grateful for how the soldiers of the ghost army saved lives and changed lives as one wrote in his memoirs Frightened men and women can become heroes and heroines by the grace of God There is hope for the world when soldiers leave their storybooks and climb out of their jeeps fires have to be put out and Men Even dead men treated as human beings Amen in the name of our paradoxical faith in you our Lord God of hosts and Our God of peace Please be seated Ladies and gentlemen the honorable Chris steward former United States representative from the second district of Utah What an honor to be with you today. What a beautiful event a beautiful occasion Some of you are saying who is this guy? He looks kind of familiar I left Congress several months ago because of the health of my wife And I want you to know mr. Speaker and others There's not been a single morning that I woke up and thought man. I wish I was back in Congress But we're grateful for you for your leadership General Brown you'll appreciate this. We were both Air Force pilots plus or minus one second, right? I will not take more than my time today To the speaker and the other leaders all I want you to know from a different perspective now I Understand that the American people are praying for you for our Air Force leaders and for others They're praying for our nation and I hope you feel the strength of those prayers because it's sincere because it is a Troubled time in our nation's history right now But we're here to honor these three heroes These are my father's Air Force wings. He was a pilot in World War two as well It's deep in our family's DNA as I served and many of our others have is my brothers and our children now When I started this effort as along with other leaders there were eight surviving members of the ghost army One from Utah who passed away recently at 103 We were hoping to have this commemoration before he passed away We were not able to do that but Stanley Nance is remembered. In fact, it's his granddaughter that got me involved with this I was walking through the capital in Utah once and there was this cute little 14-year-old girl here there and she had done a school project on Sorry, that's my wife. I should tell her that I can't take this right now She done a school project on her grandfather who was one of the ghost army And I got to know her and I got to know Stanley her Grandfather and we became a strong advocate. She this young girl would come out here More than once or twice and I think she was responsible herself for getting more than 30 co-sponsors of this effort a Good example of young people doing something good She would be here today except for she's serving an LDS mission and could not but her parents David and Michelle are here And we welcome them when you look at these soldiers and You look in their faces and you see their eyes, you know that our bodies get old But our souls do not our spirits do not get old in their hearts. They are young men They are still the same brave young men who were willing to sacrifice anything to serve their country And as I've already been said here They were responsible for saving tens of thousands of lives and by the way They weren't just blowing up artificial tanks or building artificial runways many of them were covert operations behind enemy lines As they would plant themselves and have conversations in Hotels or in cafes to again to deceive the enemy as they would have over here these conversations It was an incredible Psychological operation and one of the most successful counterintelligence operations in human history To all of those who have been involved with this Thank you to those of you we honor and who deserve to be honored and to your families who have sacrificed as well We should recognize the spouses who were involved with that sacrifice It is an honor to honor you. God bless you. Thank you for your effort. God bless the United States of America Ladies and gentlemen the honorable and Custer United States representative from the second district of New Hampshire Good morning. What an extraordinary morning to celebrate America and freedom and democracy It's such an honor to be with you, especially with our veterans. Thank you We're recognizing veterans from the 23rd headquarters special troops and the 31 33rd signal service company or as we have come to know them the ghost army And I should start by thanking my college classmate historian Rick Beyer Who did the extraordinary work to bring this story to life wrote the book worked on the PBS special and Came to me to say could we get these gentlemen the honor that they deserve with a congressional gold medal And I said sure how hard could that be? And it turns out it took seven years and thank you to your colleague your Constituent 14 year old from Utah. Thank you to all of the families and the advocates who are with us today We did it and I really appreciate the effort that it took during World War two as the Nazis marched through Europe this Extraordinary top secret group was given an assignment Deceive the Germans and create an opportunity for the Allied forces to turn the tide of the war This required innovation creativity artistic talent and a very special kind of courage using inflatable tanks and sonic deception they used Sound of thousands of troops trucks and tanks and jeeps When there were only dozens of troops and it worked they deceived the Germans The ghost army made it appear as though Americans had thousands of troops Gathered on the Moselle River and in other parts of the theater these secret soldiers were innovators and they played a Decisive role in turning the tide and winning the war and thanks to their ingenuity and boldness The ghost army as you have heard and will hear over and over Save tens of thousands of lives. I Cannot help but think of my own father Malcolm McClain a World War two fighter pilot similar to Chris's family he Flew over D-Day He flew 73 missions and he was shot down in the Battle of the Bulge in the very same theater Where our veterans here today? We're fighting for freedom and fighting for their lives He served for six months at the end of the war in a German POWW camp Getting down to 120 pounds and when he came home He did not talk about the war and I know from the family of Mickey McCain From the ghost army who are with me today from Keen, New Hampshire and many of you who are my age at This event today. Our fathers did not talk about the war But with the ghost army they particularly didn't talk about the war because it was secret and one of my favorite lines Was one gentleman who only would tell his family. I blew up tanks Without saying they were unplayed of all tanks As you've heard only seven members of the ghost army are still alive And I want to take a moment as others have to recognize private Bernie Bluestain Seymour Nussin private Seymour Nussinbaum and private John Christman and to thank their family members for getting them here today Seymour and Bernie are 100 years old and Served in the 603rd camouflage engineers the visual deception wing they were friends during the war and Reunited at a ghost army event after 75 years apart. I wish my father could have made You he would be 100 this year as well John Christman who is 99 years old served in the 406th combat engineers the security and heavy Equipment wing and as I just learned before this ceremony John can still recall Guarding the sonic trucks as they drew enemy fire Thank you for your courage To these brave ghost army veterans and all the loved ones gathered here today Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice. It's appropriate that we should be here with the Statue of freedom and Thank you our country and our world would not be the same without your bravery God bless you and your families. God bless this incredible country. Thank you Ladies and gentlemen the Honorable Edward Markey United States senator from Massachusetts I'm immensely proud to speak today about those who served in the US Army's 23rd special headquarters troops and the 31 30 third signal service company To many these soldiers are better known as the ghost army and after a decade of legislative effort Since their contributions were Declassified we are here to award these troops the congressional gold medal. They earned it They deserve it. It is a day that will always be remembered in the halls of Congress I thank my colleagues for their steadfast partnership and getting this legislation passed senator Collins Congresswoman Custer Congressman Stewart and the leaders in both chambers who supported our efforts of leader McConnell leader Schumer speaker Johnson leader Hakeem Jeffers and Congresswoman Catherine Clark. Thank you for your leadership and Rick bryer. Thank you for all of your great work I know I joined everyone here today to applaud the veterans of the ghost army for their valiant efforts during World War two we can never repay them for their invaluable Contributions to the allied victory and thank you to the surviving vets For being with us here today as you've heard and we'll hear from others today The ghost armies tactics were meant to be invisible But today their Contributions will no longer remain unseen in the shadows These brave soldiers embody the bravery the skilled the courage found in American heroes They use their exceptional creativity and resourcefulness on the battlefields of Europe to create complex Illusions and impersonated other allied units to deceive military leaders of the Nazi Germany leadership and other access nations to achieve this they the soldiers used inflatable tanks fake radio transmissions sound trucks and stage intricate and cinematic battlefield situations that misled the army about the composition and Disposition and strength of American forces are raid against them Enemy forces were convinced that they were the ones at a tactical Disadvantage the ghost army Deceptions led the enemy to adjust their battle plans and without their heroism and estimated 15 to 30,000 American soldiers Would not have made it home from World War two The soldiers recruited for the ghost army were not only men of muscle, but they were also men of the mind They were creative Original thinkers who used engineering art Architecture and advertising to wage battle with the enemy their weapons were unconventional But their patriotism was Unquestionable and after the wall was one veterans of the ghost army returned home and use their undeniable talents to contribute to their communities and our country as public servants authors and engineers One of those veterans was my friend The late Jack McGlynn of Medford, Massachusetts His family is here today Mayor Mike McGlynn his son Sheila McGlynn Jack McGlynn junior Diane McGlynn Dick McGlynn Paula McGlynn Karen McGlynn Bernadette McGlynn Kevin McGlynn and like all the other families here today just so proud of what their Family members did during World War two Jack served as a sergeant in 3132nd Signal Company Special and was one of those soldiers who worked on innovative industry changing technology that allowed the battlefield deceptions to be successful and after returning from the war Jack served as the mayor of Medford as his son would follow him He also served as a state representative and I got to serve with him in the Massachusetts state legislature this great man and Although Jack passed away in 2016 the first year I introduced the ghost army congressional gold medal legislation I'm happy to report that Medford's elementary school is now named after Jack and he gave us another great local leader as I said His son and I'm proud that he and his family are here today and they Absolutely so proud of their father when when his son Michael asked his father in 1996 after all this information was declassified dad Why didn't you tell us and his father said to him? Because I'd be betraying my family and my country and all those people I served said his father a member of the greatest generation that's who these men were And continue to be so my colleagues and I introduced the legislation To recognize and honor the ghost army with colleagues from both sides of the aisle and from both chambers And that same bipartisanship is here today. It's no small feat to get all these congressional leaders in this room together Smiling and in agreements. It's like it's like a political Haley Comet But the heroes of the ghost army and their families are used to defying their surroundings for the sake of making history So we come together in celebration today Not just simply for the ghost army, but also to keep alive the memory of all of our veterans and the families of those who are gone So that the generations that come will know about all of these extraordinary American soldiers Congratulations to the families Ladies and gentlemen the honorable Susan Collins United States Senator from Maine Thank you What an extraordinary honor it is to participate in this Congressional gold medal ceremony for the soldiers of the ghost army Today we finally Will give long overdue Recognition to these Extraordinary soldiers for their brave and resourceful service during World War two and Isn't it wonderful that three of them are here with us today? more than a thousand soldiers from the 23rd headquartered special troops and the 31 33rd signal service company Volunteered for a perilous mission to outwit and Confound the forces of Nazi Germany Among these soldiers was private first-class Gardner stone of Poland, Maine I'm delighted that his daughter Carol Allen Her husband Clarence and their son Craig are among the families with us today for this much-deserved and Long overdue Recognition I Also want to recognize just as Andrew Mead of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and his wife Kelly Who have also traveled to Washington to join us? I want to give full credit to justice me. He was the one who first contacted me and Educated me about the ghost army. I'm so grateful that he did His father was just a sophomore at the University of Maine When he enlisted in the army at the recruiting center in Bangor, Maine He was a member of the signal service company and was deployed to Italy in early 1995 Also with us here today is Melinda Skelton McKinney from Windham, Maine Who honors her father? William Skelton service in the ghost army William served as the captain in the camouflage Engineers unit he received the bronze star for meritorious service for five battle engagements These veterans were among the handpicked soldiers who volunteered for the ghost army's remarkable Assignment on the front lines in Europe using visual deceptions like inflatable tanks aircraft and artillery Loudspeakers and fake radio transmissions this unit out Maneuvered and deceived the Nazis at great Personal risk these soldiers successfully diverted enemy resources and as we have heard today Saved tens of thousands of American lives the courage and Ingenuity of these top secret units were pivotal across the European theater in World War II and Like any cutler my father also was a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge where he was wounded twice and Secured two purple hearts the Ingenuity and Contributions of the ghost army were classified for decades without its members receiving the recognition that they deserved it was not until 1996 that their heroic actions were Declassified and the American public began to learn the full scope of their Contributions to achieving our allied victory I Was so proud to co-sponsor in the Senate with senator Markey the bipartisan bicameral legislation to honor these unsung heroes with Congress's highest civilian award and today Finally today Congress will be so this long awaited honor on these deserving veterans May God bless these heroes and their families and may God bless the United States of America, thank you Ladies and gentlemen performing the song American Patrol is the United States Army band Pershing's own brass quintet I Ladies and gentlemen the honorable Hakeem Jefferies Democratic leader of the United States House of Representatives Speaker Johnson leader McConnell to representative customer representative Stewart senator Markey senator Collins members of Congress the Joint Chiefs of Staff veterans of the 23rd headquarters special troops of course acknowledging the 31 33rd signal service company Families of the ghost army and all those assemble Good morning, and thank you all for your presence here today It's a high honor and a distinct privilege to offer my heartfelt and deepest respect On behalf of House Democrats to the ghost army of World War two as they are presented with the Congressional gold medal Congress's highest honor During World War two Winston Churchill once observed that in wartime Truth is so precious That she should always be attended by a bodyguard of deception We gather today to pay homage and To honor the legacy of a group of covert creative and courageous American war heroes who guarded truth and our precious troops with righteous deception the members of the ghost army were artists architects actors Radio broadcasters fashion designers engineers lawyers and more But above all else. They were great Patriots They were daring determined and devoted The ghost army duped the Nazis saved tens of thousands of lives and helped America Secure a decisive victory in World War two to make sure that freedom prevailed over fascism Yet their story was of course a classified secret For half a century and many ghost army patriots took that secret to their grave Today's ceremony therefore in this Congressional gold medal Reaffirms our commitment to remembrance and reverence as we honor all of these patriots Including Bernie Bluesting John Christman and Seymour Nussinbaum Who happens to be from Brooklyn? Somehow some way Brooklyn is always in the house. It's an honor to be in your presence Because there is no higher Responsibility and no greater moral obligation that we have as public servants Than to be there at all times for the brave men and women who have been there for us in uniform We salute the ingenuity of their spirit Creative brilliance and the bravery they displayed in risking their lives to confuse and deceive the Nazis on the battlefield President Eisenhower once reflected When talking about World War two That every war is Going to astonish you in the way it occurred and in the way It is carried out heroes and patriots We thank and honor the members of the ghost army for their unique service To our nation as well as for their commitment to saving lives defending democracy and Standing up for freedom in the face of tyranny the ingenuity and valor of the ghost army has astonished a Grateful nation Congratulations on this well-deserved honor May God bless all of you and may God continue to bless the United States of America Ladies and gentlemen the honorable Mitch McConnell Republican leader of the United States Senate. It'd be tough to find a story The better captors the extraordinary breath of our nation's wartime experience Than the legend of the ghost army The story of commitment and resolve bravery and devotion and remarkable talent and ingenuity The crucible of the second world war demanded that best America had to offer on every single front But the ghost army May have been the only place in history where you could find a demolition specialist like Jack Christmas a counterfeit patch designer like Bernie Bluestine and Seymour News and bomb all working toward the same goal Fooling the enemy It's the only place where a kid from a hometown of Louisville like Georgia tool Could find himself at the center of some of the war's most sensitive hot tech breakthroughs The sonic deception a Mission that I'm proud to say was forged in Kentucky at Fort Knox Our nation has been slow to recognize these men's Incredible achievements and of course that was partly by design They weren't just helping win a world war Whether they knew it or not they were developing top-secret ways to help preserve a hard-won piece through the Cold War but today Today the veil of secrecy is gone And when I read incredible stories like Jack's Bernie's or Seymours, I think about my own father's path across Europe in the spring of 1945 as an foot soldier in Patton's Army. I Think about how he made it home to my mom and me after two-thirds of his company Was wiped out and I think about how these stories or intertwined How as one ghost army veteran put it sparing one mother or One new bride the agony of putting a gold star in their front window was what his unit was all about So to Seymour Bernie and Jack And to your comrades not with us today a Grateful nation knows how you answered the call in Each time of need America will never forget your service and I'm so very proud to join in honoring you today Ladies and gentlemen the honorable Mike Johnson speaker of the United States House of Representatives What a great event. This has been thank you Leader McConnell and all of my friends and colleagues here Today we honor those who passed and those who have survived to tell this great tale of the ghost army Privates Bluestine Christmas nuisance bomb. It's a true privilege to meet you all and from the bottom of our hearts all the applause today is well Earned well deserved and we thank you for serving our country as you have Sunsuit taught that all warfare all warfare is deception and in the final years of the war this group applied that principle to force The Nazis to divert resources away from the real threat when our when our troops were near This group made the enemy believe they were far away and when we were small They made the enemy believe we were much larger and it has been as has been noted here a total of 1,100 men in the 23rd served in Germany in France and 200 men and 31 33rd They served in Italy they gave their talents and their lives to defeat the Nazis and preserve freedom around the world And for that we are forever grateful Hakeem I wanted to raise you your your Brooklyn. I'll see your Brooklyn and raise you a Louisiana. Okay, and Mitch and you can get Louisvillian. Okay, I Just one more story to highlight and I wish don't you all wish we had time to highlight Every one of the individuals who served so valiantly, but I want to tell you about Jim Jim Stighe He was born in 1922. He was the middle of Middle child of five children. He grew up on a farm rural Louisiana and while he was enrolled in art school Jim registered for the draft and he went on to serve in the armies 23rd in the special troops as a part of his covert unit He helped make fake tire marks and he he pumped pre-recorded audio across enemy lines through camouflage speakers When he wasn't making inflatable artillery Jim made portraits of his fellow soldiers and even of Russian refugees that his unit cared for He and his fellow artists soldiers would even put on art shows in their tents little humanity on the battlefield Sadly, we know history tells us in the story records that many of those that Jim painted did not even live to see the end of the war They they serve as reminders of the heavy cost of freedom and the devastating effects of tyranny But over the course of the war the Nazis regularly stole great masterpieces in an attempt as you know to consolidate Power and crush the human spirit, but here's the thing Just as the enemies of freedom were stealing and destroying the world's great works of art Men like Jim Stighe were using their God-given talents creating new works of art to defeat our enemies and uplift the spirits of their fellow soldiers After his time in the military Jim moved to New Orleans where he became the city's most influential printmaker He spent four decades teaching at Tulane University and mentored countless Louisiana art students Those who knew Jim remember him as a problem solver He used his creative talents for the good of his fellow soldiers and for the good of our country and for the good of all his students and his fellow man and While Jim has already passed his family is here his wife Francis They're with us today up from New Orleans is a great privilege to welcome you all here. Would you raise your hands where I think they're Somewhere there. Here. We are Thank you Take that Brooklyn. I'm just saying I'm just saying Before I close I would like to also honor Rick Byer you've heard his name many times today if you don't know Rick You should he began working on this project 19 years ago and he's been working on getting the gold medal for nine years Rick you're about to hit your 20 year mark on this project and it ought to come with a pension my friend It's it's taken a long long time in 2005 Rick was introduced to a woman who was the niece of a member of the ghost army and her story sparked his interest and launched him on This journey of telling the stories of these brave men and because of Rick the ghost army has been recognized with websites and documentaries and books and museum exhibits and multiple monuments in Europe and now Finally with the congressional gold medal on behalf of everyone here Thank you for all that you've done to honor these men and their families Rick We owe you a great debt of gratitude. It hasn't even aged you. You must have started when you were 10 years old Amazing at this point I would like to invite finally so that we can all honor them appropriately the three veterans to the stage to accept this Medal on behalf of all members of the ghost army and feel free to applaud as I call their names first Mr. Bernie Bluestine Second, Mr. Seymour Newsenbaum Finally, Mr. John Christman and if I could have join us here to the front mr. Rick Byer Leader McConnell leader McConnell leader Jeffries senator Collins and Markey Representative is Maloy Custer and Stewart secretary warmeth general Brown and general George Could you join us on the stage or in the front for the photo? Yeah Maybe on stage so we can get everybody yet Ladies and gentlemen, mr. Bernie Bluestine veteran 603rd camouflage engineers 23rd headquarters special troops That's all of you know, I'm not a speaker and I Came over not to make a speech, but they just Personally, thank a few people that deserve my highest regards and thanks The number one goes to to Rick Byers Rick Byer Started this whole thing it wasn't for Rick. I wouldn't be up here along with my comrades here He took the initiative when the Information was released from the government and immediately decided to Notarize us a little bit and let the world know that we did exist and That was quite an undertaking he did quite a successful job Took a lot of hard work with a lot of hard-working people Campus in Congress and getting the proper vote and getting the president to sign it. I would also like to personally thank Gary Sinu see for Personally sponsoring my trip here Was very generous of him and his foundation and I want to personally thank him for that I want to thank everybody in my life that I've contacted many of you You've all contributed to my Existence and to my being who I am And I'm very proud and happy to be here to receive this honor Thank you Ladies and gentlemen, mr. Rick Byer president of the ghost army legacy project Thank you very much. I did not serve in the ghost army just to be clear on that so Here for you guys It has been 80 years since the ghost army landed in France 19 years since I came to this story nine years that I've been working on The gold medal. This is a day that has been a long time coming But it has been well worth the wait, right? I want to thank our four sponsors who all have already spoken senators Ed Markey and Susan Collins Representatives Chris Stewart and Annie Custer. I saved Annie for last Because she is special She and her aide will Pizano who's also here with his dad today. Where where are you will? Where are you stand up? Will Pizano They have been involved from the start and he was the first to introduce this legislation and so she started the ball rolling I also want to thank the 370 Representatives and senators who signed on to this bill mr. Speaker I know that you know how hard it is to get stuff done in Congress Am I right? Here was a bill that had no big money and a powerful interest behind it and yet 370 representatives and senators signed on as co-sponsors simply because it was a good idea Yes, and I want to thank I want to thank the people who lobbied for this bill many of them are in this room You fought for this in person by phone by email by zoom You worked for hard for years to make this happen and you deserve our deepest gratitude and Then yes, yes, please and then there are the veterans Bernie Bluestine John Christman Seymour Nussinbaum who are here with us today There are other veterans who are watching from home today Thank you, and there are all those who are no longer with us When the ghost army soldiers were landing at Omaha Beach when they were setting up inflatables in the rain Near the front line in breast when they were freezing in the snows outside of Bastogne or drawing fire on the gothic line in Italy They would have been shocked by the idea that 80 years later a Grateful nation would honor them in this way Because no soldier who served in this unit considered himself a hero I have talked to many veterans of the ghost army and each told me that the real heroes were the Infantry men and the tankers who bore the brunt of the fighting But it has always struck me that the ghost army's deception mission demanded a special kind of courage To project strength when you have none To purposely draw enemy fire to keep it from falling on others a dangerous business Not for the faint of heart. I Note the presence in our audience today of many us army officers from the rank of sergeant all the way up to the army Chief of Staff general Randy George Particularly well represented. I should also mention the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is here General Brown particularly well represented are the US Army's psi up forces What the ghost army accomplished is not simply trapped in the past it remains an important inspiration to the army today in January 1944 private Harold doll of the 603rd camouflage Engineers wrote home from Camp Forest, Tennessee After learning for the first time about the deception mission they would be carrying out I can't tell you who else is with us nor what we will do when we start to do it on Monday But it promises to be very interesting and And frankly it looks like we are at last going to play a real part in the war effort Lieutenant Gil Seltzer described it more succinctly. We all came to the conclusion that this was a suicide outfit But they had a job to do so they put themselves in harm's way wielding imagination bravado and creativity In order that other soldiers might be able to fight and live four men died Carrying out these missions But most of them came home and then kept quiet about it for decades and don't you think that's remarkable In yeah In July 1945 after taking part in Operation Veersen that you've heard about the deception carried out for the crossing of the Rhine River Harold doll was now a seasoned veteran. He'd been there for a year already. He wrote home again He said General Simpson sent us a commendation giving us a major credit for the success of the crossing We understand he also recommended us for a presidential citation. We are mighty proud of that little deal The presidential unit citation never happened likely because of secrecy But the get it today the 1,300 men of the ghost army are finally getting their due On behalf of the veterans Bernie Bluestine Seymour Nussinbaum and John Crispin who are here today on behalf of private Harold doll and Lieutenant Gil Seltzer Whose families are here today on behalf of other veterans watching from home On behalf of all their fellow soldiers their children and grandchildren On behalf of the men whose lives they saved and their children and their grandchildren I thank Congress and the president and everyone who helped make this happen for Recognizing and honoring the laudable wartime service of the ghost army. Thank you so much Ladies and gentlemen the Honorable Christine E. Wormith secretary of the army It's a privilege to be here today With my battle buddy the chief of staff of the army general Randy George To say a few words on behalf of the men and women serving in today's army Who carry forward the legacy of the units that we're honoring today as a whole bunch of speakers has said this Recognition is long overdue the actions of the ghost army help change the course of the war for thousands of American and allied troops and Contributed to the liberation of the continent from a terrible evil So we owe the three of you and all of the soldiers of the ghost army a great debt of gratitude for your service We teach our army planners that the cornerstone of what we now call military deception operations Is the story and the ghost army were master storytellers Many of the tank the techniques that you all pioneered can still be found on the battlefield today and even though technology has changed quite a bit since 1944 our modern techniques build on a lot of what the ghost army did and we are still learning from your legacy Our experience observing the war in Ukraine has shown us that even with an increasingly transparent battlefield Military deception can still have a significant impact on military operations And like so many soldiers serving today the ghost army did not seek out credit for all that it had done Their dedication in fact to preserving the secrecy of the unit long after the war is a testament to their loyalty and commitment to the nation and It probably didn't hurt that as mr. Crispin told me when they came home from the war General Eisenhower sent all of the soldiers in the ghost army a letter Fanking them for what they had done, but he had a PS. He said if you tell anyone I'll see that you hang So that might have helped But I know we're all pleased that we can now recognize the three of you and the 1100 other members of the ghost army Your story continues to inspire Thousands of men and women in our army today and Americans all across the country Thank you for serving the nation and leading the way as masters of your craft congratulations Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the benediction delivered by chaplain major Aaron Stucker Rizovsky 338th Medical Brigade United States Army Reserve Good morning and blessings. I Invite you to pray according to your faith tradition or deeply held beliefs as I pray in mind Avino Shiba Shemayim our beloved God in heaven and safer Shoft team the book of judges We read of your divinely appointed servant the judge Gideon who with a small physically and mentally tough rigorously selected elite band of 300 warriors used a combination of audacity skill daring and deception to sew confusion fear and most importantly defeat Into the hearts of the massive Midianite army Thousands of years later to elite and likewise small groups the 23rd headquarters special troops and 31 33rd signal service company the ghost army again used to these attributes of audacity skill daring and deception To throw the evil that was Hitler and his Nazi armies into utter disarray their efforts saved untold allied lives helped liberate a continent and the unspeakable horror that was the Holocaust and brought about the end of the second world war bluntly these soldiers helped save the world and humanity itself Your beloved warrior servant and psalmist David wrote off. Nahalat Shafri ally Yay, I have a goodly heritage Our American heritage is the ghost army and our freedom our liberty is their gift and legacy to us again and again You remind us. Oh God Zahor Zahor remember Remember as We depart from the capital of our great nation and this sacred ceremony today Let us all remember remember The men and women who advocated tirelessly For these heroes to receive the Congressional gold medal The members of the House of Representatives and Senate who used to their offices to make sure that this recognition would come to pass And finally And most importantly The soldiers themselves of the ghost army May we never forget all that they did for us May their story be told in this and every succeeding generation May it be told in our cities and towns In our schools and places of worship to our friends and neighbors and to our families May their righteous deeds and heroic memory live with us and a grateful nation forever and ever May God bless the ghost army the US Army and the United States of America and let us say Amen Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's ceremony. Thank you for attending and enjoy the rest of your day