1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Steph you missed in History class from how 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: I'm Colly Frying and I'm trace Abe Wilson. And today 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk a little bit about military history, and 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: it's World War two specifically. And even though this particular piece, 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: uh that we're discussing is in fact military history, if 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: there were a history of ingenuity or sleight of hand, 8 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: I think this would probably be one of the big 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: events on that timeline. Uh So we're gonna be talking 10 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: about the US Ghost Army, which was a top secret 11 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:41,480 Speaker 1: group that was assembled to create confusion and mislead access forces. 12 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: And it's a really amazing story that stars ingenuity and 13 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: bravado as sort of the the main elements of the piece. 14 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: And the idea of military deception was of course not 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: new to World War Two. Everyone has heard of like 16 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: the Trojan Horse for example, and deceit is a tactic 17 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: as part of Sun SU's art of war. Almost any 18 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: culture in history that found itself at war with another 19 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: culture use some type of trickery to try to outsmart 20 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: the enemy, because that's sort of a vital part of 21 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: getting the upper hand in a conflict is misleading so 22 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: that you can kind of swoop in with your forces. 23 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: But this group really went to some pretty extraordinary measures 24 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: to achieve their goals, and they did some really fascinating 25 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: and cool things, uh and so, and it was classified 26 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 1: for a long time and then kind of came to light. 27 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: So we are going to talk about it today because 28 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: it is really cool. So to start out at the 29 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: beginning like we normally do that. Twenty third Headquarters Special 30 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: Troops was the one and only deception outfit that the 31 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: US Army had ever authorized. The goal was to corral 32 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: a group of creative thinkers to approach warfare in new ways. 33 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: And this sort of trickery focused effort was inspired by 34 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: the success of Operation Bertram, in which Allied forces used 35 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: dummy tanks and camouflage to trick Romwel's for which is 36 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: into an incorrect assessment of the Allies position and strength 37 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: during the Second Battle of l A l Amain in 38 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: North Africa. And also bolstering this case for a deception 39 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: unit was the U S success in misleading German intelligence 40 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: leading up to the Battle of Tunisia. They realized deception 41 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 1: was working and they thought, let's just have a unit 42 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: that's focused on this. The idea of forming a unit 43 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: dedicated just to this is attributed to Captain Ralph Ingersoll. 44 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: Before the war, he had been a celebrity journalist and 45 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: he had been working with Great Britain on deception techniques 46 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: to mislead the Germans in the time leading up the 47 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: D Day. On Christmas Eve of ninety three, a memo 48 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations War Department 49 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,959 Speaker 1: at Washington, d C officially requested the creation of a 50 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: unit with a mission quote to simulate a core of 51 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: two infantry divisions and one armored divisions and core installations 52 00:02:55,080 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: railhead dumps, etcetera. So, beginning in nineteen forty or more 53 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 1: than one thousand young men were recruited and they were 54 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: often recent art school graduates or ad agency creatives and 55 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: they were handpicked for this assignment. Recruits were sent to 56 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: Camp Forest and Tellahoma, Tennessee to train. Within the three 57 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: were several companies. The two four Signal Company worked on 58 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: radio counter intelligence. Second Signal Service Company, which was actually 59 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: trained at Pine Camp, New York, worked to develop sonic 60 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: deception techniques. The four of six Engineer Combat Company worked 61 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: on the big construction projects and was in charge of security. 62 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: And often you'll hear this effort mentioned, like when people say, oh, 63 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: the Ghost Army they used inflatable tanks to deceive the Germans, 64 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: and that is partially true, but as we mentioned in 65 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: breaking down these different companies within the twenty three, it 66 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: was a whole lot more than that. Yeah, I feel 67 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: like the tanks get the big like kind of bud 68 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: speedy headlines all time, which is understand Well, there's really 69 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: cool video that exists, like where you can see them 70 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: rolling over these inflated tanks and there. I don't know 71 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: that I have ever heard any of the audio recordings, 72 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: and I don't think I've ever seen anyone reference them online. 73 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: So you can see where the tanks get all the attention. 74 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: But I was not all there was. For instance, audio work, 75 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: sometimes referred to as sonic deception, was a huge piece 76 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: of the Ghost Army puzzle. Yeah, they would mount these 77 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: huge speakers to project elaborate soundscapes and radio plays that 78 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: were created by the Second Signal Service Company. And these 79 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: men had recorded tanks and trucks and artillery units and 80 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: they sound engineered them into a number of different soundtracks 81 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 1: and these recordings would include sounds of tanks on the 82 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: move or military construction, and they would even have things 83 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: like vehicle sputtering. And they basically amassed this really amazing 84 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: sound catalog basically every military vehicle that they had access to, 85 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: doing everything those miss jeans could do, so they could 86 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: kind of piece them together and create unique and specific 87 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: radio dramas. Basically, so if you wanted to broadcast a 88 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: battalion of vehicles starting up in the distance and moving closer, 89 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: they could create that with their vast library of recordings, 90 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: complete with idiosyncratic engine noises for specific vehicles and kind 91 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: of mimic that distance too slowly moving forward nearness that 92 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: you would hear if you were in one position with 93 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: an actual troop going by. I like to imagine this 94 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: as an extremely high tech version of following King Arthur 95 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: around banging coconuts together. But it was very high tech 96 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: even for the time. I mean, they were really kind 97 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: of on the advanced edge of technology and how they 98 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: were using sound. Yeah. Well, and it's like these that 99 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: kind of sound work happens in movies and TV and 100 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: things like that all the time. Now, Like that's yeah, 101 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: that's just sort of how it works, so this is 102 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: a different use for that. In addition to the three 103 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: companies created with new recruits, another company was looped into 104 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: the twenty third Headquarters Special Troops, and that was the 105 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: sixth h third Engineer Camouflage Battalion. The men of the 106 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: six h third had been working on camouflage for a 107 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: couple of years already, so they brought their expertise to 108 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: a group already in a fairly polished state. They had 109 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: already managed an impressive accomplishment that by disguising the plant 110 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: in Baltimore where B twenty six bombers were assembled, and 111 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: the event that access forces wished to look for the plant, 112 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: what they would see when they flew over was just 113 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: a regular rural area. And before we get to how 114 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: the twenty third trained and then made their way to Europe. Uh, 115 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: do you want to pause for a moment for a 116 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: word from a sponsor, Yes, I do so. During the 117 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: spring of n the men of the twenty third were training, 118 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: but they were training in skills that seemed in many 119 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 1: ways more appropriate for a touring theater company than for 120 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 1: a group of soldiers. So they built prototype prop vehicles, 121 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: first out of wood and burlap and then out of rubber. 122 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: The rubber versions looked incredibly realistic, but they weighed less 123 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: than a hundred pounds apiece. The men would also train 124 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: with dummy artillery and other prop equipment. They practiced sending 125 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: each other fake radio messages, and they learned just enough 126 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: about other different outfits that they could impersonate them, either 127 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,239 Speaker 1: as individuals or as a group, and men who couldn't 128 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: so had to learn because they were going to have 129 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: to quickly alter their uniforms and switch out patches as 130 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: they sort of performed these presto changeo masquerades. In May, 131 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: the majority of the twenty three boarded the U S. S. 132 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: Henry Gibbons in New York, bound for Great Britain. They 133 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: spent about a month near Stratford on Avon while they trained, 134 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: although by all accounts there was also quite a bit 135 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: of partying. Yeah, this sounds like really a lovely time 136 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: that they had while they were in Britain. Uh. But 137 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: the first wave of men from the twenty third shipped 138 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: out to France just following DD and this was a 139 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: small platoon. It was just fifteen men, and they landed 140 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: at oma Omaha Beach on June fourteenth, so just out 141 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: a week a little more uh, and nurses actually flew 142 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: with them so that they could tend to the wounded 143 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: that we're waiting there on the beach. Going from a 144 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: month in the idyllic British countryside having what was kind 145 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: of a party esque atmosphere into the reality of war 146 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: in France was of course something of a shock. Knowing 147 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: that they were there to draw fire. Some of the 148 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: men thought that the twenty three was really a suicide outfit. Yeah. 149 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: They they had been trained in different sort of arts 150 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: and uh deceptions, but not so much in actual combat, 151 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: so they really did. Some of them really did think 152 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: at that point like, oh, they're just sending us there 153 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: to die and take the heat off the real soldiers. 154 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: But over the course of the next two months, the 155 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: rest of the twenty three joined their fellows in France, 156 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: leading up to their first big mission, which was Operation Elephant. 157 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: About half of the men in the unit were involved 158 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: in Operation Elephant, during which they pretended to be the 159 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: Army's Second Armored Division. The real Second Armored Division was 160 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: on the move while the twenty three kept up the appearances. Yeah, 161 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: and that's sort of a theme of their their missions 162 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: throughout and while this sham did indeed work, nearby German 163 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: troops held their position rather than following the real second 164 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: Armored Division because they did believe they were still there. 165 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: This was also a pretty big learning experience. During this 166 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: particular operation, it was revealed that if the inflatable tanks 167 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: that they three used lost even a small amount of air, 168 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: the cannons would droop and give it the whole thing away. 169 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: They really there are some paintings that you can find 170 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: online and in documentaries where you see sort of this 171 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: droopy cannon barrel, and it really does look comical. It's 172 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:57,719 Speaker 1: an inherently comical image. Yeah, their tanks are not made 173 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: to fire into the ground, so it looked very, very silly. 174 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: And while they were not discovering their theatrics during Operation Elephant, 175 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: it also became apparent that setting up an entire false 176 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: division was going to be better executed in the dark 177 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,959 Speaker 1: of night. They had not waited until really late. They 178 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: used some daylight hours to do it, and they also 179 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:18,959 Speaker 1: realized that they really needed to like tighten up their 180 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: disguise and camouflage game if they wanted to ensure future success. 181 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: The entire twenty three was then tasked with Operation Breast, 182 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: which was named for the nearby French ports city that 183 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: was in August. The Sonic unit was the last to 184 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: arrive in France, so Breast was the first time that 185 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: the twenty three had their full arsenal of tricks at 186 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: their disposal, and the goal was to create the impression 187 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 1: of an existing tank unit having far greater power than 188 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: it actually did, with the hopes that they would trick 189 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: the Germans into a surrender. And so the twenty three 190 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: used a mix of actual tanks and dummies, flash canisters 191 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: to sort of fake tanks firing, and sound mixing to 192 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: create this really convincing illusion of a huge tank division. 193 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: And the main bravado move of this mission came in 194 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: the delivery of some of these soundscapes that they had mixed. 195 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: So late at night, members of the twenty three would 196 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: actually sort of creep forward with their sound equipment. They 197 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: would get within about five yards in the enemy line, 198 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: and they would play sounds of what sounded like officers 199 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: issuing orders and people yelling counter orders, and even like 200 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: fake situations of arguments where there would be accidents that 201 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,719 Speaker 1: were staged and that there would be cursing at these 202 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: imaginary errors. They were all doing this really pretty close 203 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: to enemy lines. Uh. It was pretty to think about 204 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: what that must have been like, sitting there in the 205 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: dark with your speaker playing these things, knowing how very 206 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: close you were. It's so bring to think about. It 207 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: was effective, so effective that it confused friend the units 208 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: positioned about a mile away. And while it didn't get 209 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: the Germans under General Herman B. Von Ramkat to turn tail, 210 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: it did keep them from going anywhere. This was a 211 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: good thing, since that was an estimated thirty eight thousand troops, 212 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: and that was almost double what the Allies had initially estimated. 213 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: If they had not been tricked into holding their line 214 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: against this perceived threat from this puffed up, half fake 215 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: tank battalion, they might have gone on the offensive and 216 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: then really damaged the Allied forces. And throughout the rest 217 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: of four and on into the twenty three, continued to 218 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: run these military masquerade games, and with every mission they 219 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 1: would kind of regroup and refine their playbook and see 220 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,320 Speaker 1: what had worked and what hand and they just got 221 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 1: better and better and better. They learned how to stage 222 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: and set dress their fake camps. More and more authentically. 223 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say, I feel like I said that weird. 224 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: They learned how to stage and set dress their fake 225 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: camps more and more authentically, and they started hand painting 226 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 1: patches to mimic those of existing units, so they if 227 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: they can get a hold of real ones, then they 228 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: would stage fake headquarters to give out fake promotions so 229 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: low ranking men would look like generals and other officers, 230 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: creating the full illusion of real operations. And then late 231 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: at night they would you know, go where they were 232 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: called and inflate their fox vehicles and artillery undercover of darkness, 233 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: so that when dawn came, it would appear as though 234 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: a huge surge of troops had arrived in the area. 235 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: And in addition to providing this false image of battle 236 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: ready army troops where there was really only a line 237 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: of fake vehicles and prerecorded noise, the twenty Third's ability 238 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 1: to seem to appear out of thin air and vanish 239 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: just as quickly actually had a really unnerving effect on 240 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: the enemy, so the German Army started calling them the 241 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: phantom Army. Other tricks included the ongoing burning of fires 242 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: at camps that were deserted in different ways to create 243 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: fake tank tracks. In addition to the inflatable tanks and trucks, 244 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: they also used dummy planes and buildings. They could mix 245 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: fake radio transmissions within with the real ones to confuse 246 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: the enemy, and they mounted fake parachute drops and put 247 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 1: up signs directing Allied vehicles that were never actually coming. 248 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: But this elaborate spectacle also included a whole lot of 249 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: acting on the part of the troops. So knowing that 250 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: any US troops were always being watched by German soldiers 251 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: or spies, or sometimes there were French people working for 252 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: the Germans as informants, the boys of the twenty three 253 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: would really employ all manner of ruses. They would change 254 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: out their unit insignias as we mentioned, on uniforms as 255 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: well as on vehicles. They would do quick stencil work 256 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: to change everything up, and they would make sure that 257 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: they were seen about town wherever they were kind of 258 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: drinking and hanging out. And if they were asked what 259 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: unit they were a part of, they would just make 260 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: up names or reference the unit that they were covering for. 261 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: And some of them even would uh sort of mount 262 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: these these fake little tableau where they would feign drunkenness 263 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: and blab false information in public places. So this sort 264 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: of became this ongoing game of misinformation and subterfuge where 265 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: they were just sort of always acting. This wasn't completely flawless, 266 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: though sometimes there were mistakes and problems. On occasion, a 267 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: dummy tank would be inflated facing the wrong direction. Because 268 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: all of these set up parts are being done at night, 269 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: it was easy enough to lift one and turn it around, 270 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: but if it was already daylight when they realized the problem, 271 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: they were going to have to do it with really 272 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 1: careful timings so as not to be noticed. At one point, 273 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: several vehicles that had been inflated in the night were 274 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: warmed so much the sun came up that the air 275 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: expanding inside them caused them to pop loudly as they 276 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: sprang leaks. And while while this sort of sounds hilarious, 277 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: it was happening during a war. So all of these 278 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: accidents put the men involved at serious risk. And all 279 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: in all, there were twenty one missions mounted by the 280 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: twenty three and before we get to sort of the 281 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: biggest one that they undertook, uh, if you want to 282 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: do a quick word from a sponsor, let's do so. 283 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: The biggest in what is arguably the most successful of 284 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: the twenty third missions was Operation Vierson, and this took 285 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: place near the war's end, relatively speaking, it wasn't right 286 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: at the end, but it was in March, and this 287 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: basically launched a big visible decoy mission to once again 288 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: cover the movements of other troops. While parts of the 289 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: Ninth Army were moving north to quietly cross the Rhine, 290 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: the twenty three was making a big show of pretending 291 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: to be those troops farther south. They masqueraded as the 292 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: ninth and ran practice and training maneuvers for a crossing 293 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: at Beierson and just publicly enough to draw lots of attention. 294 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: And this was really a massive effort. So they set 295 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: up fake medical and engineering facilities. They had trucks and 296 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: sonic crews creating the illusion of convoys moving supplies. At 297 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: one point they were just having trucks loaded up where 298 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 1: they would be driving them back and forth, and they 299 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 1: would put two guys at the very back, so it 300 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: looked like it was full of troops, but in fact 301 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,159 Speaker 1: there are only two guys at the back. They arranged 302 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: everything perfectly so that an aerial reconnaissance taking pictures would 303 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: have no idea that the entire thing was a hoax. 304 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: They one of the reasons that they used artists was 305 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: so they could conceptually visualize, like how things would look 306 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: from multiple angles, even when they didn't have those angles 307 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: available to them, So they really made this whole thing 308 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: beautifully realistic, even though it wasn't back to all a hoax. 309 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,719 Speaker 1: When the real Ninth crossed the rhyme, the Germans were 310 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: taken totally by surprise. Those German troops that could resist 311 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: them were disorganized and unprepared, so US casualties were very few. 312 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: The twenty three received a commendation from the Ninth Army 313 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:57,679 Speaker 1: Commander William Simpson for their effort. A later estimate by 314 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: Simpson placed the number of troops that were saved by 315 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: this deception at ten thousands UH and it ended up 316 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: being the twenty last mission of the war, and in 317 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: September the three was completely shut down. So one of 318 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: the inherent dangers of being in a ghost army designed 319 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,439 Speaker 1: to draw attention is that it also draws fire. So 320 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: it's easy to think of all this pageantry and strategic 321 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: slide of hand is really fun and fascinating, but it 322 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: really put the men involved at great risk. At one 323 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: point they were actually set up in Bastone, and they 324 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: actually missed the start of the Battle of the Bulge 325 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: by about four hours. They had been pulled out around 326 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: midnight of December six, and this is at point and 327 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 1: the fighting started around four am. So had those men 328 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,159 Speaker 1: been trapped there with their phony equipment, they would have 329 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: been in incredibly dire straits and unable to defend themselves. 330 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: During the Battle of the Bulge. The three returned to 331 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 1: Luxembourg's any where they had already spent a lot of time, 332 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: and fired from the rooftops at the incoming Liftwaffe aircraft. 333 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 1: This is the only time they ever really for real 334 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: fired at the enemy. Yeah, it was there one there, 335 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 1: one time that they actually got to perform actual combat activities. Uh. 336 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: And the twenty three after that was very quickly moved 337 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: to Verdunn. So, in part, the Allies wanted to maintain 338 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 1: the secrecy of the Ghost Army, and in another part 339 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: they realized that this blow up dummy artillery was not 340 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 1: going to be any good in a fight, so they 341 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,640 Speaker 1: just wanted to clear them out. And the men ended 342 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: up spending Christmas in Verdune. While the group had been 343 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: extraordinarily lucky throughout their time, their luck finally ran out 344 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: in the spring of n On March twelfth, while impersonating 345 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: the eightieth Infantry, the twenty three drew German artillery fire. 346 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 1: Two of their men were killed in fifteen others were wounded. 347 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 1: This was really their worst day. In spite of having 348 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 1: been an incredibly dangerous areas any times, they kept up 349 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: false appearances all through the war. And one of the 350 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: problems that comes up when UH discussing the twenty three 351 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: and their effectiveness and sort of assessing what they were 352 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: able to achieve lies in the fact that so much 353 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: of their work was secret, and often it fooled Allied 354 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 1: forces as well as the enemy. Like the Allied forces 355 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: didn't even really know what was going on with them 356 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: a lot of the time, they thought they were just 357 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 1: another unit. After the war, most of the men stayed 358 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 1: quiet about the amazing works of deceptive aren't that they 359 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,159 Speaker 1: had been part of. The work was classified, so in 360 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: the event that the US found itself at war again, 361 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: having a ghost army would be a really valuable asset. 362 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: So the military didn't want to tip its hand and 363 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: reveal this resource. But finally in NINETI so almost nineteen 364 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 1: years ago from when we're recording this, the work of 365 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,120 Speaker 1: the twenty three was declassified and the men who had 366 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,640 Speaker 1: only been able to give KG answers to their families 367 00:20:57,640 --> 00:20:59,640 Speaker 1: about what they had done in the war were now 368 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: free speak of their incredible efforts. One of the truly 369 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: significant aspects of the twenty three and the work that 370 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 1: they did is the fact that an entire division of 371 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:14,400 Speaker 1: creative people was successfully managed within the structure of the military. Yeah. 372 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: This is one of those things that people often go like, look, 373 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: these were all artists and they totally were able to 374 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: work together in this this effort. And I don't know 375 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: if that speaks to like their level of commitment or independence. 376 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: You know, It's one of those things that often likes 377 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: to get bandied about, particularly when you're talking about modern business, like, oh, 378 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: it's hard to manage creative people. It's like these guys 379 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,679 Speaker 1: managed and they were doing some scary stuff. Yeah. I 380 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: think it also speaks to the like perpetual mythologizing of 381 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: creative work as some kind of extraordinary thing, when in 382 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: a lot of cases it is work. Yeah, which isn't 383 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: to say that like creative inspiration isn't really fabulous and 384 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 1: cool and unique in many ways. But I just I 385 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: find that to be a really interesting one that we 386 00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:00,040 Speaker 1: do mythologize working with creative types. And I say of 387 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: this as a creative person married to an artist as well, Like, 388 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: but they can it can be anybody can be managed, 389 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,959 Speaker 1: any sort of effort that can be put together. Uh, 390 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 1: it's it's all about, you know, using people's assets. And 391 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: another really incredible legacy is the artwork that a lot 392 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 1: of these men were doing while they were deployed. I'll 393 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: talk a little bit more about that in a minute. Yeah, 394 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: it's really no surprise that a lot of the men 395 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: who were involved in effectively doing art for the army 396 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: went on to careers in the arts. So for example, 397 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: Bill Blast of course went on spuilt a fashion empire. 398 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: He had actually been sketching women's clothing during the war. Yeah, 399 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: there was one interview that I saw with one of 400 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: the other members of the twenty three and he was saying, 401 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: and I don't know if he was serious or not, 402 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: that Bill Blast would read Vote magazine in foxholes, But 403 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 1: I have no idea, but I loved it. Art Kane, 404 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: of course, became a very well known photographer. His photo 405 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 1: entitled A Great Day in a Loan, which was taken 406 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: in nine, featured fifty seven prominent jazz musicians and it's 407 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 1: still considered one of the most important images of jazz history. 408 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:11,640 Speaker 1: And he also took a lot of incredible celebrity portraits, 409 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 1: and he was the photographer for the one and only 410 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 1: DeLorean magazine ad to ever run. Ellsworth Kelly made a 411 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 1: career as a painter and a sculptor and became known 412 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: for use of really bright color and very hard edges. 413 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: Arthur Singer became an illustrator and he really became known 414 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: for his incredibly detailed bird illustrations. So if you have 415 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 1: ever looked at an illustrated birding field guide, odds are 416 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: really good that you've seen as work because it's been 417 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: in everything. Jack Macy went on to design backdrops for 418 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: the State Department. Eventually he designed the kitchen set that 419 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: was used for the Nixon Cruis Chef debate of nineteen 420 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: fifty nine. And there's a really wonderful documentary called The 421 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: Ghost Army that I highly recommend for people that UH 422 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: want to hear accounts from some of the surviving members 423 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: of the twenty third And one of the reasons I 424 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: really loved it too, is that, uh, it being a 425 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 1: visual medium, they're able to show a lot of the 426 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: artwork that these men were doing while they were in 427 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: France and in performing all these amazing maneuvers. And one 428 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:15,199 Speaker 1: of the men said something like, you know, we were 429 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: in all these crazy circumstances, but we could always find 430 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,119 Speaker 1: time or a place to duck away and do a 431 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: quick watercolor. But I think it's just super terming, like 432 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: they just were all artists at heart, even though they 433 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 1: were part of this amazing war effort. And that documentary 434 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: is as of this recording in early fifteen, is available 435 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: on Netflix, and it's a little longer than an hour, uh, 436 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: and you get to see a lot of this really 437 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,399 Speaker 1: amazing art and just interviews with these guys, and it 438 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: deals a little bit more with with them as individuals 439 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: rather than like what we've covered is so much of 440 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: sort of the bigger, kind of broad strokes of the 441 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: whole unit, but this really focuses on some of the 442 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 1: different men and has interviews with them that are really 443 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: quite charming and touching and really really entertaining. Uh. So 444 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,120 Speaker 1: I highly recommend that. And that is the Ghost Army, 445 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,439 Speaker 1: which is just such a The whole thing is so cool, 446 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: and I'm surprised even though it does pop up sometimes 447 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: in like uh, you know list goals online, Uh, people 448 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: don't really know about it. Like it's another one of 449 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:15,919 Speaker 1: those things where I thought, oh, everyone's heard about this, 450 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: We've had a few requests for it. But then when 451 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: I mentioned it to people, they look at me like, 452 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 1: I don't know what you're talking about. And then when 453 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: I say a few things, they get sort of this, 454 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: like agog really what. So clearly this is there's there's 455 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,880 Speaker 1: some gap in in their uh, in the knowledge about 456 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: these guys, and it's they did such amazing things that 457 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,360 Speaker 1: I think everybody should know what their work was. Like. 458 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: Do you also have some listener mail for us? I do. 459 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: I have two pieces, and they're both super fun and 460 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: one is really more of a thank you, but so 461 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,479 Speaker 1: the first one is from a very young listener and 462 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: it is so charming that, uh it made me crazy. Yes, 463 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: so this is from our listener Penny, and she says, 464 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: dear stuff you missed in history class people. I extremely 465 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,239 Speaker 1: love the podcast on the Curse and Mary Celeste. I 466 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 1: think that the crew breathing the whiskey fumes was bad 467 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: for them. What do you think. I run to one 468 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: or two of your podcasts every day, but dad makes 469 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:14,199 Speaker 1: me run. I would rather just listen to your podcast alone. 470 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,919 Speaker 1: We went on vacation to Colorado and listen to your 471 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:19,120 Speaker 1: podcast in the car, but we did not have to run. 472 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,679 Speaker 1: I have a podcast request about the Emperor Penguins of 473 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: and Antarctica, as I am a great fan of penguins 474 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: and my room is stuffed with them, and this is 475 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: from our listener, Penny. She says, ps, I love your 476 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 1: podcast pps. I'm seven years old and homeschooled, and your 477 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,360 Speaker 1: podcasts are a lot of help to me. And then 478 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 1: she drew this amazing picture of penguins and they're holding 479 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 1: little flags, and one of them says Tracy and Holly, 480 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: and I have a kinship with her because I too 481 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 1: love penguins. So I'm gonna figure out a way to 482 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,680 Speaker 1: do something on emperor penguins in Antarctica. Thank you, Penny. 483 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: That was awesome. I've actually been hanging onto this one 484 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 1: for a few months. I just love it so much. 485 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:55,640 Speaker 1: I kind of keep it out at my desk because 486 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,959 Speaker 1: I find it terribly charming. I remember when that one 487 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,240 Speaker 1: came in and we were both delighted. Oh that's so cute. 488 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: And the other one is from and I hope I 489 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: am pronouncing the name right our listener, Nicole, and she 490 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: sent us this amazing parcel and she wrote his postcard, 491 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 1: this is ladies, I thought you might enjoy these planners. 492 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: I make a small run of them each year and 493 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: chose these covers just for you. And this is from 494 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: Nicole at Year of the Calendar dot com. And she 495 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: sent it on the postcard of one of her sheep 496 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: named Uncle honey Bunch, who is a Shetland weather and 497 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: he's adorable. And I love that his name is Uncle 498 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 1: honey Bunch. And also, oh, my goodness, you don't even 499 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: know how you hit the sweet spot with planners for me. 500 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 1: I was so excited when they came that I started. 501 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: I am in tracy about all the lists I was 502 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 1: making in them, Uh, because they're awesome. They're really cool planners. 503 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: They're a little bit sassy. There's a little bit of 504 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: adult language in them, which I love. It just has 505 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: a fun way to lay out the year. It's really 506 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: organized in a really smart and fun way that. Uh, 507 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: I just I adored it. There's so many little extras 508 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: and little how to draw things within it, and oh 509 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: it's magical. I have such a calendar addiction and such 510 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: planner addiction specifically that that was a good one, cy Nicole. 511 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: I cannot thank you enough for that. That was an 512 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: absolute delight to open. And she's she's really not exaggerating, Nicole, 513 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: Like I was not physically present in the office when 514 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 1: these arrived. She texted me a video of paging through it. 515 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 1: So that is how excited Hollywood is about the planners. 516 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: I love them, like all caps love. I love them. 517 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: They're awesome. I also love them. But I am the 518 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: person that has good intentions about planners every year, and 519 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: I will keep up with the planner for about three days. 520 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, No, mine is already gonna starting to look 521 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: dog eared because I drag it everywhere with me. That's awesome. 522 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: And it's good because it's a good size where I 523 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: can tuck in little notes and stuff, and like if 524 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: I do a little sketch of like a costumer or 525 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: something that I want a stitch, I can shove it 526 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: in there. There's some good spaces. It's really cool planner. 527 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it again, all caps love UH. 528 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: You would like to write us an email, you can 529 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 1: do that at History Podcast at house stubworks dot com. 530 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: You can also connect with us on Twitter at mist 531 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: in History or at Facebook dot com slash missed in History. 532 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: Can also find us on Tumblr at mist in History 533 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: dot tumbler dot com, at pinterest dot com slash mist 534 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: in history. And I'm hoping we can find some good 535 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: examples of some of the artwork that we talked about today, 536 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 1: and I know there are photos of some of these 537 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: fake tanks and artillery pieces and stuff that hopefully we'll 538 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: find and put on Pinterest. And you can also visit 539 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: the mist in History spreadshirt store, which is missed in 540 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: History dot spreadshirt dot com, so you can buy missed 541 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: in History goodies to where or towed around. You can 542 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: put your planner in one of those, or you can 543 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: get a phonecase you're covered. You would like to learn 544 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: a little bit more about what we talked about today, 545 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: you can go to our parents sitehouse stuff works type 546 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: of the word camouflage and you'll get how military camouflage works. Well, 547 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: it's some other camouflage articles about how it works in nature. 548 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: You can also visit us at Miston history dot com 549 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: for show notes and archive of all of our episodes 550 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: all kinds of little goodies uh, and if you would 551 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: like to do that, we highly encourage you to visit 552 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: at again, house to works dot com or Mr Hisstory 553 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: dot com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 554 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: Because it has stuff works dot com. M