A new Congressional Gold Medal featuring the designs of BYU illustration professor Justin Kunz was recently unveiled at a ceremony held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Kunz’s work adorns both sides of a new Congressional Gold Medal that was presented to living members of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133 Signal Service Company, known collectively as the “Ghost Army” for their remarkable contributions during World War II.
The Ghost Army, comprised of approximately 1,000 men, used innovative tactics like inflatable tanks, sound effects and radio trickery to mislead German troops on European battlefields during World War II. Their efforts preserved thousands of American lives and helped win the war.
Details regarding the Ghost Army and its tactics were classified for fifty years following the war but are now coming to light after Congress authorized the medal on February 1, 2022.
“It was a great honor to use my artwork to honor these people who haven't had proper recognition, because their mission was secret, and it continued to be secret after World War II for decades,” said Kunz. “It’s wonderful to be able to be part of remembering them and giving the kind of honor that they deserve for their service.”
Kunz’s designs on the medal capture the essence of the Ghost Army’s deceptive tactics. On one side, soldiers engage in the craft of deception – tapping out Morse code and sewing fabricated patches onto uniforms. In the background, a soldier stands beside a half-track equipped with a loudspeaker, while others handle an inflatable tank, symbolizing the Ghost Army’s strategic prowess.
The reverse side features Kunz’s portrayal of the emblems of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133 Signal Service Company, with a memorial inscription listing the locations where they served.
“In honor of the 23rd Headquarter Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company – AKA the Ghost Army – for great courage, ingenuity – in Normandy, Northern France, Central Europe, Ardennes-Alsace, the Rhineland, Po Valley,” it reads.
It isn’t Kunz’s first venture into commemorative designs; his previous work includes designs for the Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame commemorative coins in 2020. As a long-standing member of the United States Mint artistic infusion program, his expertise is well-established. But his contribution holds special significance, marking the first time his designs have been featured on both sides of a Congressional Gold Medal.
Reflecting on his creative process, Kunz emphasized the importance of thorough research and understanding the subject matter before diving into sketches and illustrations. “The creative process really is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration because it takes hours and hours,” said Kunz, who noted he spent hours reading books about the Ghost Army and its members to represent its work in his designs.
“I was honored and thrilled to find out that the representatives of the Ghost Army were so happy with the designs that they recommended both of them,” said Kunz, who noted that the Secretary of Treasury ultimately selected the designs. “It’s always fun to learn about these historical subjects, and I really related to the Ghost Army because so many of them were artists. They were creative people, and they went on to have careers in design and fashion. This is a great example of a real service that creative people performed to save lives during a war.”
