President Biden signed S. 1404, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act, into law Tuesday. In a statement, the White House explained that the bill “provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the ‘Ghost Army,’ in recognition of their unique and highly distinguished service in conducting deception operations in Europe during World War II.” The Congressional Gold Medal is Congress’s highest honor.

Legislators like Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), and Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02) worked with organizations like the Ghost Army Legacy Project (GALP) to support the law.

The Ghost Army consisted of the 3133rd Signal Service Company and the 23rd Special Headquarters Troops and operated during the summer of 1944.

According to GALP, the units used “truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound effects records, and more than a few tricks” to deceive German troops as to the “strength and location” of American forces. Through their creativity, the 1,023 men of the Ghost Army impersonated about 30,000 troops. The ranks included artists like fashion designer Bill Blass, painter Ellsworth Kelly, and photographer Art Kane. 

Records of the Ghost Army were officially classified until the 1990s. Rick Beyer, President of GALP, said he was “thrilled these deserving, brave and intrepid warriors of deception have at last been awarded this high honor.”

Any Congressional Gold Medal legislation must be cosponsored by 290 representatives and 67 senators. Previous recipients of the medal include Mother Teresa, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and the Tuskegee Airmen.