Harper student and WWII veteran to receive Congressional Gold Medal in Washington

On March 21, lifelong learner and World War II hero Bernie Bluestein will be in Washington, D.C. to receive the nation’s highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, from the U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden. A long road led to this remarkable moment.

More than 100 years ago, Bluestein was born in Cleveland. Almost 80 years ago, he helped deceive the Nazis amid European battlefields by serving in the highly classified Ghost Army. About 35 years ago, the father of two and grandfather of three retired from his career as an industrial designer and began taking art classes at Harper College. Nearly 20 years ago, the U.S. government declassified the Ghost Army’s work. Eight years ago, the Ghost Army Legacy Project was formed to advocate for these veterans to gain greater recognition. Two years ago, Bluestein and his fellow Ghost Army veterans learned they had been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

And now, after so many years, a man who used his artistic creativity to help defeat the Nazi armies will be honored alongside a handful of other surviving members of the Ghost Army.

“It’s still hard to believe this is happening,” said Bluestein while taking a break from his work in Harper’s sculpture studio, which now bears his name. “I do want the chance to thank a lot of people, including the president and congress and Rick Beyer – none of this would have ever happened without him.”

A historian, author and documentarian, Beyer co-founded the Ghost Army Legacy Project and helped lobby congress for years on behalf of the veterans to secure this honor. He made a PBS documentary and co-wrote a book about the Ghost Army, describing how the units employed inflatable tanks, speakers blasting sound effects and other forms of subterfuge to confuse the enemy about the movements of allied forces. It all worked spectacularly well.

“We never thought of it being an astounding thing. But now, it becomes it an astounding thing,” Bluestein said after first learning the news about the Congressional Gold Medal. “We sacrificed by putting ourselves next to inflatable tanks and saying, ‘Hey, shoot at us!’ We saved 30,000 lives, I think the estimate is.”

Harper hosted a 2022 ceremony to honor Bluestein’s service and his many contributions to Harper. Back then, there were nine surviving Ghost Army veterans (out of approximately 1,100 who served). Now, there are seven.

Bluestein isn’t sure how many will make the trip to Washington, but he’s excited to see his old pal Seymour Nussenbaum, who lives in New Jersey. The two men, who served in the same camouflage unit, talk on the phone every week. They haven’t seen each other since they traveled to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans when it hosted a Ghost Army exhibit in 2020.

“I’m trying to get him to try Zoom, but he’s not so sure, so we’re both looking forward to this,” Bluestein said.

Bernie Bluestein received an honorary Associate in Arts degree from Dr. Avis Proctor, Harper College president, in 2023. Bluestein, 100, has been taking art courses at Harper for 35 years.

Bluestein’s son Keith will accompany him on the four-day trip. In addition to the official ceremony on March 21, he said his time in Washington will include other celebrations, events and special tours of the Pentagon and Smithsonian institutions. True to his lifelong interest, Bluestein’s eyes lit up when he talked about the Smithsonian’s art museums and sculpture garden. He spoke glowingly about his 35 years as a Harper art student (with an honorary degree to boot).

“Oh, it’s kept me alive,” said Bluestein, who comes to campus to work on projects most Tuesdays. He rolls his wheelchair down a hallway decorated with many of his sculptures to a studio named in his honor. “I listen to the discussions. I’m always learning something.”

He remains humble and grateful about receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, although he’s naturally a little nervous about all the attention.

“I’m not an audience person. I don’t make presentations,” Bluestein said. “It’s a little scary, but I’m ready. We’ve been waiting a long time for it.”