Event

The Ghost Army

A special screening of the PBS film, THE GHOST ARMY, will take place on Monday, Memorial Day, May 27 at 5 PM at the Nyack Center. This screening is in conjunction with the Ghost Army art exhibit at the Edward Hopper House Art Center in Nyack, NY. War, deception and art come together in this new documentary, which follows the astonishing true story of American G.I.s who tricked the enemy with rubber tanks, sound effects, and carefully crafted illusions during the Second World War. Many of these G.I.s would go on to have illustrious careers in art, design and fashion .

In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of G.I.s landed in France to conduct a special mission. Armed with truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound effects records, and more than a few tricks up their sleeves, their job was to create a traveling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe, with the German Army as their audience. From Normandy to the Rhine, the 1100 men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the Ghost Army, conjured up phony convoys, phantom divisions, and make-believe headquarters to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war's end.

Many of the men chosen to carry out these deceptions were young artists recruited from art schools across the country. In their spare time, they painted and sketched their way across Europe, creating a unique and moving visual record of their war. Some would go on to become famous, including fashion designer Bill Blass, painter Ellsworth Kelly and photographer Art Kane.

Exhibit co-curators Liz Sayles and Rick Beyer (who also wrote and directed the film) will attend the screening, as will Rockland County Ghost Army veterans Ned Harris and Bill Sayles.

The film will be followed by a Q&A.