Flags are being flown at half-staff throughout Delaware to honor a veteran who served in the “ghost army” that helped the Allies win World War II.
James “Tommy” Anderson of Dover died Aug. 1 at age 102 after a short bout with skin cancer, as reported in his obituary.
He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his military service, and now Gov. Matt Meyer is honoring him by ordering flags at all state-owned buildings and facilities to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Friday, Aug. 15.
“Tommy Anderson was a quiet hero whose courage helped shape the course of history,” Meyer said in a statement Aug. 13. “From his service in the top-secret Ghost Army in World War II to his decades of contributions here at home, Tommy embodied the very best of the Greatest Generation. His ingenuity and determination saved lives on the battlefield, and his kindness and commitment enriched the community he loved. Lauren and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and all who were inspired by his remarkable life.”
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Anderson’s funeral will be 9:30 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 14, at Trader Funeral Home in Dover, followed by a private graveside burial just for family. In lieu of flowers, a gift to Wesley United Methodist Church in Dover is requested.
What did Tommy Anderson do in the 'ghost army' during World War II?
In 2024 interview with The News Journal and Delaware Online, Anderson said it was difficult to reflect on his experiences as a soldier, even on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that turned the tide of the war on June 6, 1944.
“You want to forget it as much as possible,” Anderson said during that 2024 interview. "If you talk about it too much, you don't sleep at night,” referring to the death and suffering he witnessed.
“We did the best we could to save the most lives,” he said, proudly wearing a hat with the words “World War II Veteran.”
But there was another reason he didn't talk much about his experiences in the war: His mission was top-secret, classified for more than 50 years.
More from interview with Anderson: On 80th anniversary of D-Day, Delaware WWII veteran recalls his mission with 'ghost army'
He wasn't part of the D-Day invasion because his “ghost army” unit was literally inflating the number of Allied forces to distract the Germans.
The unit's job was to use fake inflated tanks, artillery guns, planes, buildings and soldiers to look like the army had more troops and equipment than they actually had and to set up authentic-looking units to try to distract the Germans from the real troops, spreading out the German defenses. They also used fake radio messages and sound effects as part of their tactics.
Anderson's main job in tricking the enemy was driving a bulldozer. Before the war, he worked in construction with George & Lynch in Delaware.
“Because I had experience operating heavy equipment, they gave me a bulldozer to make tracks to make it look like tank tracks," he said.
Working mainly at night, he would drive the bulldozer back and forth to the site where they planned to set up the next inflated force, so that there were authentic-looking tracks leading to the inflated army.
During the day, he helped the artillery units dig small pits for the big guns so the guns wouldn’t slide so far when they kicked back when fired.
“They were glad I was doing that because otherwise, they’d have to dig the pit by hand with shovels,” Anderson said.
However, his commanding officer didn’t like it.
“He’d yell at me and say I had enough to do at night,” Anderson said with a laugh. “He didn’t want me working during the day, too.”
But staying busy was part of Anderson's way of coping with what was happening in the war.
“I always wanted to be doing something, to keep myself going, so you didn't have much time to think about everything, just the job you had to do,” he said.
When Anderson returned to Delaware, he went back to work at George & Lynch and then moved on to Bolan Motors, a now-closed Ford dealership in Dover.
He also worked when needed at Trader Funeral Home, helping with the embalming process until he was 99 years old. He said he wanted to help with paying last respects to people in the community and help them look their best.
Reach reporter Ben Mace at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Flags at half-staff in Delaware to honor WWII 'ghost army' veteran
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