The soldiers who died before the secrecy lifted never received the public recognition that the Congressional Gold Medal represented. Their families may have known something of what they did, through confidences shared in private that technically violated the oath. Or they may have known nothing, their fathers and grandfathers having kept even the outline of the secret.
## The 406th: Security as Deception Support
The 406th Engineer Combat Company, the security element of the 23rd, is often the least-discussed component of the unit.
Its 168 men did not inflate rubber tanks or transmit false radio traffic. Their job was to make sure the deception operations could proceed without being interrupted — to establish perimeters, control access, respond to unexpected threats, and handle the physical security problems that arose when a small unit was operating in an exposed forward position pretending to be something much larger.
This work had its own risks. A security perimeter that attracted attention was itself a problem; too visible a presence around the deception area could suggest to German observers that something unusual was happening. The 406th had to be present without being conspicuous, to protect the operation without advertising it.
The unit also performed conventional engineering functions that supported the deception — building and improving the access routes that the deception needed, clearing obstacles, handling the logistical challenges of moving and emplacing the visual deception equipment. The practical work of making a fake army look real required physical construction and modification of the terrain, not just the placement of inflatable vehicles.