I stumbled across this article the other day and decided I have to blog it. When you’re done checking out the article, check out the rest of the site- lots of crazy stuff.
In May 1963, the US Air Force launched 480 million tiny copper needles that briefly created a ring encircling the entire globe. They called it Project West Ford. The engineers behind the project hoped that it would serve as a prototype for two more permanent rings that would forever guarantee their ability to communicate across the globe.
– From the article, “Earth’s Artificial Ring: Project West Ford“
– Quote I would have liked to see: “Uhhh, Houston… We have 480 million problems.”
Here’s another one, from a different site:
Starting in 1942, the US Army recruited artists, designers, scriptwriters and sound engineers to form an army that didn’t exist. Their top-secret unit, the 23rd Special Troops, was given a unique mission: to create a “travelling road show” that would deceive the Germans in battle after battle across Europe. [...] Between D-Day and the end of the war, they staged more than 20 battlefield deceptions from Normandy to the Rhine. They employed high-tech sound trucks and inflatable tanks; altered their uniforms and vehicle markings; and play-acted as 2-star generals and loose-lipped drunkards.
– From the website, www.GhostArmy.org
I’ve been reading the full Ghost Army article, on and off, for weeks. It’s obviously a compilation of soldiers’ recounted stories, and it’s a bit jumbled, but it’s a fascinating read.
