WWII ‘Ghost Army’ Feted at ‘Only Yesterday’ Private Museum

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) – The “Ghost Army” of World War II fame was officially celebrated in Washington D.C. on March 21^st with the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal.  The first celebration in San Diego of the wonder-working Army unit came on Saturday, July 13, at Chuck and Amy Spielman’s private museum known as “Only Yesterday.” Psychologists Bert Edelstein, son of a Ghost Army member, and Karen Helrich, were the hosts.

The Ghost Army was comprised of 1,100 specially selected men who learned and practiced deception techniques to fool the Germans as to the location of allied forces. While lightly armed, they exposed themselves to great danger. It’s been estimated the Ghost Army saved 30,000 allied lives.  The Congressional Gold Medal honoring their service was only the 185^th awarded since the Revolutionary War in 1776.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower thought their service so valuable he ordered their activities remain secret after the war. After V-E Day Eisenhower sent a letter to each Ghost Army soldier threatening hanging should they reveal the nature of their service.  He was sure the U.S. would make use of their schemes again and did not want the Germans to know how badly they were fooled.  Thus, the existence of the Ghost Army and its operations remained classified and top-secret until 1996.

In 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Edelstein was reviewing his father Philip Edelstein’s army discharge papers and mentioned this to his cousin, who asked to see them.  She Googled “23^rd Headquarters Special Troops” and discovered this was the official name of the Ghost Army.  It was startling to learn that this man, who died in 1965 long before the Ghost Army’s operations were declassified, was a member of the Signal Corps that operated yards from the front line sending and receiving fake messages.  He participated in five major battles including the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of the Rhineland, earning a Silver Service Star.

Edelstein contacted Chicago-based WWII historian Rick Beyer, producer of the PBS Ghost Army documentary narrated by Peter Coyote, and author of a Ghost Army book.  Beyer described his six-year effort to obtain a Congressional Gold Medal for these soldiers, whose remarkable efforts went unheralded due to the secrecy of the operation.  Edelstein joined the Ghost Army Legacy Project and over the next two years sent approximately 1,500 emails and made countless calls to persuade members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to join as co-sponsors of the Ghost Army Congressional Medal Bill. Finally, the two-thirds majority support in each chamber was achieved, and on February 1^st, 2022, President Biden signed the bill authorizing the production of the Congressional Gold Medal.

The 55 celebrants at the Hall of Heroes in the Only Yesterday museum were treated to drinks and heavy hors d’ oeuvres prepared by Chef Billy of Dinner Bell San Diego.  Edelstein and Helrich gave a presentation about the history of the Ghost Army and the Ghost Army Legacy Project.  Docent-led tours moved through the museum showcasing important and historic WWI, WWII, Korean war & Vietnam war documents and memorabilia. It was a meaningful and impactful evening.

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Preceding provided by the San Diego contingent of the Ghost Army Legacy Project