DUANE SHERRILLEditor

Tullahoma is on its way to celebrating the 250^th birthday of the United States as they have agreed to fund bringing in author Rick Beyer, writer of “The Ghost Army of World War II” which has local links to the city’s role during the war.

“It’s an extraordinary story,” said Community Engagement Officer Lyle Russell of the war of deception that fooled the Nazis into believing United States forces were larger than what they really were. “This book and the documentary are considered to be the gold standard on that story. Because it is Tullahoma-centric we thought it would be a great idea to have Mr. Beyer come down and tell this story.”

The event with the famed writer will be held at South Jackson Performing Arts Center with an optional second night which may be offered to AEDC.

Russell said he did not know what the cost at the door would be but said the event is not meant to be a “profit-making venture” and therefore any cost to the public would be nominal. The board approved the expense unanimously. The agreement with Plate of Peas Productions, Inc., will cost the city $4,290.

Mr. Beyer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, best-selling author, and long-time history enthusiast. He produced and directed the award-winning PBS documentary The Ghost Army, and is the co-author (with Liz Sayles) of The Ghost Army of World War II. He has spent more than twenty years researching and telling the story of the unit and worked hard to have the Ghost Army awarded a Congressional Gold Medal. Beyer has also made documentary films for The History Channel, National Geographic, and others. He is the author of Rivals unto Death: Hamilton and Burr and the popular Greatest Stories Never Told series.

The event in Tullahoma would include a historical lecture program about The Ghost Army and their involvement, training, and work done here at Camp Forrest during the Tennessee Maneuvers, as well as how that work evolved in the European theater during World War II. The program will highlight one of the major contributions that Tullahoma and the surrounding areas played on a global scale. Mr. Beyer also plans to bring one of the inflatable dummy tanks for display and hold a meet-and-greet book signing after the event. This event is expected to have a large draw from areas farther outside of Tullahoma and would be considered a tourism event.

Filmmaker Rick Beyer tells a remarkable story of a top-secret mission that was at once absurd, deadly and amazingly effective.

In 1944, a handpicked group of G.I.s landed in France with truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound effects records and more than a few tricks up their sleeves. They staged a traveling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe, aimed at Hitler’s legions. From Normandy to the Rhine, the 1,100 men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops (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 was top secret, and their story was hushed up for decades after the war’s end.

Each deception required they impersonate a different (and vastly larger) U.S. unit. These masters of deception mounted an ever-changing multimedia show tailored to each deception. The men immersed themselves in their roles, even hanging out at local cafes and spinning their counterfeit stories for spies lurking in the shadows. Painstakingly recorded sounds of armored and infantry units were blasted from sound trucks; radio operators created phony traffic nets; and inflatable tanks, trucks, artillery and even airplanes were imperfectly camouflaged to be just visible to enemy reconnaissance.

The Ghost Army staged more than 20 deception operations in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, often operating dangerously close to the front lines. In the final days of the war they faced their ultimate test: a deception along the Rhine in which thousands of lives depended on their delivering a convincing performance. What they accomplished was kept secret for nearly 50 years. Many of the men 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. Vivid interviews with along with historical perspective from experts, bring to life a story of a secret mission stranger than fiction and dazzling performance art designed to save lives.