The current exhibit at Hopper House in Nyack features the work of the artists of the Ghost Army. There are thousands of stories of heroism, self-sacrifice, and inventiveness that have been revealed about the men and women who fought during World War II. The Ghost Army is a unique tale. In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of GI’s landed in France. Their job was to create a “traveling road show of deception.” Using sound effects, inflatables, phony convoys, and other tricks, they were able to fool the Germany army into thinking that the Allies had more men and armaments than actually existed. The activities of this group was kept secret until the 1990s. At that time the government released detail accounts of what these men had created.
Last year the Historical Society of Rockland County mounted an exhibit which depicted their exploits. The current Hopper House show features the art work of many of the men of the Ghost Army. Many of the members of the group had been commercial artists before the work. During their down time, these men drew and painted what they saw. These works feature battle fields, mundane activities, and beautiful scenes in France, Belgium, and Germany. This exhibit is curated by Rockland resident Elizabeth Sayles, an artist in her own right, whose father was a member of the Ghost Army.
Another component of this story is a documentary that was produced by Rick Beyer. I saw a preliminary cut of this film last year at fund raiser. Beyer has done justice to this group of soldiers who used their talent and creativity as their wartime contribution. The documentary will air on PBS in the near future.
Beyer and Sayles have also put together a photo book called “Artists of Deception: The Ghost Army of World War II.