John T. Cantrell passed away from a lung ailment at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. He was 66 years of age. He lived in Des Moines his whole life. He married Inez and they had three children. John T. Cantrell was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his role in a top secret troop (The Ghost Army of WWII) designed to confuse and intimidate the Germans during World War II, in 2024. John served as a TEC4 in the U.S. Army.
This Iowan Served in World War II's Ghost Army, Years Later, His Service Is Being Recognized
- article by Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, on February 28, 2024
A Des Moines man is soon to be posthumously recognized for his role in a top secret troop designed to confuse and intimidate the Germans in World War II.
Information about the Ghost Army had been kept secret for more than 50 years until it was declassified in 1996. Now, its 1,100 members will receive a Congressional Gold Medal, Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements by individuals or institutions, thanks to a nonprofit and an Iowa high schooler who lobbied for the honor.
"It's been a long but ultimately rewarding effort to bring attention and much overdue recognition to the Ghost Army," Rick Beyer, president of Chicago-based The Ghost Army Legacy Project, said in a news release. "The story of the Ghost Army is one of courage, creativity, reliance, and honor, and I am proud to have been a part of this effort, along with so many others, to earn the credit and gratitude from the country these soldiers served to protect."
Today, only seven members of the troop are still living, and each is 100 years or older. Three are expected to join the ceremony on March 21 at the U.S. Capital.
One member, John T. Cantrell of Des Moines, will be represented by his sons Timothy and David Cantrell.
What was the World War II Ghost Army, and what did it do?
The first mobile, multimedia, and tactical deception unit in U.S. Army history was launched toward the end of World War II with the goal of fooling the Germans on the battlefields of Europe.
Known as the Ghost Army, it comprised the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company Special and carried out 25 battlefield deceptions in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and Italy.
These deceptions included but were not limited to, inflatable tanks, sound effects, radio manipulation, phony convoys, phantom divisions and make-believe headquarters to reveal where enemy guns were located and deceive German troops.
The troop was made up of artists, engineers, professional soldiers and draftees. According to the National World War II Museum website, artists such as fashion designer Bill Blass, painter Ellsworth Kelly, and photographer Art Kane took part.
According to The Ghost Army Legacy Project website, some soldiers even took on the roles of actors, hanging out at local cafes and spinning their counterfeit stories for spies who might lurk in the shadows.
"Like actors in a repertory theater, they would mount an ever-changing multimedia show tailored to each operation," the website says. " ... 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 so they would be visible to enemy reconnaissance."
The Ghost Army soldiers were sworn to secrecy after service and the existence of the secret troop was held under wraps until 1996, 45 years after the war was won.
Who was John T. Cantrell?
Born in 1923, John Cantrell was born and raised on the east side of Des Moines. Standing at 5 feet 6 inches tall, he was a fresh high school graduate when he was enlisted in the top-secret Ghost Army and served as a radio operator.
After the war, John Cantrell received five battle stars, a badge of participation in battle, including for D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, according to his son David Cantrell. His father never talked about what he had done or what he experienced overseas. Just like every other Ghost Army soldier, he was sworn to secrecy.
"He signed nondisclosure paperwork that he wouldn't talk about what he did," David Cantrell said. "He kept a diary, but the diary was mostly boot camp in Fort Knox, Kentucky, when it wasn't classified, it wasn't secret. And then once he got into the unit, he didn't write anything in his diary."
David Cantrell recalls only two stories from the war his father had shared: one from D-Day and one from the Battle of the Bulge.
"Dad was driving and the landing craft stopped short and they got into deeper water and the truck stalled, still getting occasional shells and enemy aircraft overhead," David Cantrell recalled about his father's experience at D-Day. "The guys are in the back and they're yelling at him, 'Come on, Johnny! Come on, Johnny!' And I thought it was so funny because I'd never heard anybody call my dad Johnny."
He also recalled his father telling the tale of digging a foxhole and staying in it to avoid gunfire and be out of sight from enemy aircraft, surviving the Battle of the Bulge.
It was in that foxhole, David Cantrell said, that his father had said to the Lord, "You get me out of this and I'll, I'll serve you the rest of my life."
And he did survive. After coming back to Des Moines after the war, he became a Sunday School teacher for 20 years and lived in the family house on the east side that his father built in 1911.
It was in that house that John Cantrell kept up with the radio skills he had learned in the war.
"We had a little office in our house where he had his radio and he is called a ham radio operator," David Cantrell said.
To operate his radio, he had a huge antenna that allowed him to talk to people all over the world.
"He talked to a couple of stars, movie stars, that were on ham radio," David Cantrell said. "He talked to ships at sea. He could reach the whole world with this antenna that he had set up in our yard. That was a passion of his until the day he died."
John Cantrell died in 1990, 45 years after World War II was won, due to lung-related complications. Because he died before the Ghost Army and its accomplishments were declassified in 1996, he never was able to revel in the role he played in winning the war.
"He didn't get the credit he deserved," David Cantrell said. "(The Ghost Army) didn't get the recognition. They didn't get the medals. And they never talked about it."
His family found out about their father's secrets after he died when they found the diary he kept in boot camp, as well as letters to and from loved ones. According to David Cantrell, many of the letters his father sent to his mother had parts cut out to keep the Army's secrets intact.
David Cantrell said though his father is reaching an extraordinary award, he was a very ordinary man.
"He was a steady, dependable guy. But he was just a normal man," he said.
What is The Ghost Army Legacy Project?
Founded in 2016 by Beyer, The Ghost Army Legacy Project is a nonprofit with the goal of preserving and honoring the legacy of the Ghost Army.
The project lobbied for seven years to secure a Congressional Gold Medal for the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company. President Joe Biden authorized the medals on Feb. 1, 2022.
Caleb Sinnwell, a student at Nashua-Plainfield High School in northeast Iowa, helped lobby for the Ghost Army to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
In 2021, Sinnwell won the National History Day national competition for his project on the Ghost Army. He joined The Ghost Army Legacy Project to help convince elected officials, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, who co-sponsored the bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal.
"We must never forget the bravery and sacrifice of this incredible group of servicemen," Grassley said in a statement to the Des Moines Register. "I look forward to seeing Congress honor their valiant efforts, including by posthumously recognizing Ghost Army member and Iowan John Cantrell."
The Ghost Army Legacy project also has collaborated with the National World War II Museum on a Ghost Army exhibit that travels around the country. This year, it will travel to Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri.
To learn more about the project or to donate, go to The Ghost Army Legacy Project website at ghostarmy.org.
- Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at [email protected].
John T. Cantrell passed away from a lung ailment at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. He was 66 years of age. He lived in Des Moines his whole life. He married Inez and they had three children. John T. Cantrell was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his role in a top secret troop (The Ghost Army of WWII) designed to confuse and intimidate the Germans during World War II, in 2024. John served as a TEC4 in the U.S. Army.
This Iowan Served in World War II's Ghost Army, Years Later, His Service Is Being Recognized
- article by Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, on February 28, 2024
A Des Moines man is soon to be posthumously recognized for his role in a top secret troop designed to confuse and intimidate the Germans in World War II.
Information about the Ghost Army had been kept secret for more than 50 years until it was declassified in 1996. Now, its 1,100 members will receive a Congressional Gold Medal, Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements by individuals or institutions, thanks to a nonprofit and an Iowa high schooler who lobbied for the honor.
"It's been a long but ultimately rewarding effort to bring attention and much overdue recognition to the Ghost Army," Rick Beyer, president of Chicago-based The Ghost Army Legacy Project, said in a news release. "The story of the Ghost Army is one of courage, creativity, reliance, and honor, and I am proud to have been a part of this effort, along with so many others, to earn the credit and gratitude from the country these soldiers served to protect."
Today, only seven members of the troop are still living, and each is 100 years or older. Three are expected to join the ceremony on March 21 at the U.S. Capital.
One member, John T. Cantrell of Des Moines, will be represented by his sons Timothy and David Cantrell.
What was the World War II Ghost Army, and what did it do?
The first mobile, multimedia, and tactical deception unit in U.S. Army history was launched toward the end of World War II with the goal of fooling the Germans on the battlefields of Europe.
Known as the Ghost Army, it comprised the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company Special and carried out 25 battlefield deceptions in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and Italy.
These deceptions included but were not limited to, inflatable tanks, sound effects, radio manipulation, phony convoys, phantom divisions and make-believe headquarters to reveal where enemy guns were located and deceive German troops.
The troop was made up of artists, engineers, professional soldiers and draftees. According to the National World War II Museum website, artists such as fashion designer Bill Blass, painter Ellsworth Kelly, and photographer Art Kane took part.
According to The Ghost Army Legacy Project website, some soldiers even took on the roles of actors, hanging out at local cafes and spinning their counterfeit stories for spies who might lurk in the shadows.
"Like actors in a repertory theater, they would mount an ever-changing multimedia show tailored to each operation," the website says. " ... 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 so they would be visible to enemy reconnaissance."
The Ghost Army soldiers were sworn to secrecy after service and the existence of the secret troop was held under wraps until 1996, 45 years after the war was won.
Who was John T. Cantrell?
Born in 1923, John Cantrell was born and raised on the east side of Des Moines. Standing at 5 feet 6 inches tall, he was a fresh high school graduate when he was enlisted in the top-secret Ghost Army and served as a radio operator.
After the war, John Cantrell received five battle stars, a badge of participation in battle, including for D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, according to his son David Cantrell. His father never talked about what he had done or what he experienced overseas. Just like every other Ghost Army soldier, he was sworn to secrecy.
"He signed nondisclosure paperwork that he wouldn't talk about what he did," David Cantrell said. "He kept a diary, but the diary was mostly boot camp in Fort Knox, Kentucky, when it wasn't classified, it wasn't secret. And then once he got into the unit, he didn't write anything in his diary."
David Cantrell recalls only two stories from the war his father had shared: one from D-Day and one from the Battle of the Bulge.
"Dad was driving and the landing craft stopped short and they got into deeper water and the truck stalled, still getting occasional shells and enemy aircraft overhead," David Cantrell recalled about his father's experience at D-Day. "The guys are in the back and they're yelling at him, 'Come on, Johnny! Come on, Johnny!' And I thought it was so funny because I'd never heard anybody call my dad Johnny."
He also recalled his father telling the tale of digging a foxhole and staying in it to avoid gunfire and be out of sight from enemy aircraft, surviving the Battle of the Bulge.
It was in that foxhole, David Cantrell said, that his father had said to the Lord, "You get me out of this and I'll, I'll serve you the rest of my life."
And he did survive. After coming back to Des Moines after the war, he became a Sunday School teacher for 20 years and lived in the family house on the east side that his father built in 1911.
It was in that house that John Cantrell kept up with the radio skills he had learned in the war.
"We had a little office in our house where he had his radio and he is called a ham radio operator," David Cantrell said.
To operate his radio, he had a huge antenna that allowed him to talk to people all over the world.
"He talked to a couple of stars, movie stars, that were on ham radio," David Cantrell said. "He talked to ships at sea. He could reach the whole world with this antenna that he had set up in our yard. That was a passion of his until the day he died."
John Cantrell died in 1990, 45 years after World War II was won, due to lung-related complications. Because he died before the Ghost Army and its accomplishments were declassified in 1996, he never was able to revel in the role he played in winning the war.
"He didn't get the credit he deserved," David Cantrell said. "(The Ghost Army) didn't get the recognition. They didn't get the medals. And they never talked about it."
His family found out about their father's secrets after he died when they found the diary he kept in boot camp, as well as letters to and from loved ones. According to David Cantrell, many of the letters his father sent to his mother had parts cut out to keep the Army's secrets intact.
David Cantrell said though his father is reaching an extraordinary award, he was a very ordinary man.
"He was a steady, dependable guy. But he was just a normal man," he said.
What is The Ghost Army Legacy Project?
Founded in 2016 by Beyer, The Ghost Army Legacy Project is a nonprofit with the goal of preserving and honoring the legacy of the Ghost Army.
The project lobbied for seven years to secure a Congressional Gold Medal for the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company. President Joe Biden authorized the medals on Feb. 1, 2022.
Caleb Sinnwell, a student at Nashua-Plainfield High School in northeast Iowa, helped lobby for the Ghost Army to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
In 2021, Sinnwell won the National History Day national competition for his project on the Ghost Army. He joined The Ghost Army Legacy Project to help convince elected officials, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, who co-sponsored the bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal.
"We must never forget the bravery and sacrifice of this incredible group of servicemen," Grassley said in a statement to the Des Moines Register. "I look forward to seeing Congress honor their valiant efforts, including by posthumously recognizing Ghost Army member and Iowan John Cantrell."
The Ghost Army Legacy project also has collaborated with the National World War II Museum on a Ghost Army exhibit that travels around the country. This year, it will travel to Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri.
To learn more about the project or to donate, go to The Ghost Army Legacy Project website at ghostarmy.org.
- Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at [email protected].
