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December 1, 2022 The Honorable Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20220 Dear Madam Secretary: The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) held a public meeting on November 15, 2022, during which the CCAC reviewed candidate designs and made recommendations for the obverse and reverse of the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal. With this letter, I present the CCAC’s recommendations. Public Law 117-85, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act, awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company, known collectively as The Ghost Army in recognition of their unique and highly distinguished service in conducting deception operations in Europe during World War II. The Ghost Army, composed of approximately 1,300 soldiers, was unique in the variety of media employed and its ability to portray the size and movement of actual units, often more than 10 times their size. The Ghost Army employed: a) visual deception with an array of inflatable rubber tanks, trucks, artillery, and other vehicles; b) sonic deception, using powerful speakers to simulate the sounds of units moving and operating at night; c) radio deception by creating phony traffic networks and fake messages to fool enemy intelligence officers; and d) special effects, executing theatrics for the benefit of enemy spies, by wearing fake shoulder patches or impersonating generals to make their deceptions more convincing. Today, U.S. Army Special Operations studies and takes inspiration from the wartime activities of these two units. The CCAC was especially appreciative of the beauty and creativity of the seven obverse candidate designs and the nine reverse candidate designs presented by the Mint. After receiving invaluable historical input from liaisons of the Ghost Army Legacy Project, the CCAC recommends unanimously the preferred designs of the Ghost Army Legacy Project -- obverse GA-O-03 and reverse GA-R-05. The CCAC further recommends the addition of the inscription of “Act of Congress 2022” to the obverse design recommendation. Obverse GA-O-03 depicts the four main methods of subterfuge practiced by the Ghost Army. A telegrapher is shown keying a message in Morse code together with a soldier sewing a phony unity patch onto his uniform. In the background, a soldier stands alongside a half-track with a loudspeaker attached to it, and behind a group of soldiers carry an inflatable tank. The inscriptions are “THE GHOST ARMY” and “WORLD WAR II.” Reverse GA-R-05 depicts the emblems of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company and a narrative inscription fills the field, presenting the information like a telegraph transmission, the treatment of the text reinforcing the secretive nature of the Ghost Army’s mission. Established by an Act of Congress, Public Law 108-15 https://www.ccac.gov As emphasized by the Ghost Army Legacy Project liaisons and wholeheartedly embraced by the CCAC, the combination of the recommended obverse and reverse designs serves three purposes. They reflect the four types of deception employed by the Ghost Army, the insignia of the units, not authorized or permitted until after the units were declassified, and the various campaigns of the Ghost Army throughout Europe during World War II. The CCAC is honored to have had the opportunity to review the designs of the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal. This Congressional Gold Medal serves as another opportunity to thank these heroes for their life-saving efforts, especially since expressions of gratitude were not possible for more than 50 years. The significance is even greater now as we have just celebrated Veterans Day. As a fellow Army veteran, from a different era, the Vietnam War, I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to celebrate the heroism of the members of the Ghost Army. I am even more confident that the surviving members of these units and their families will truly appreciate the Congressional Gold Medal, a symbol of appreciation of a grateful nation of their heroism. Sincerely, Lawrence S. Brown, Jr., MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM CCAC Chairperson