In June of 1944 the world was at war. The world’s greatest global conflict was five years deep and the world powers involved were now in a gridlock. On both sides of a small body of water that separates France from the United Kingdom known as The English Channel sat two of the world’s most equipped war machines. The Allied Powers and the Axis Powers were preparing for a critical crescendo on the coast of western Europe. Involved in this conflict on the channel were some of history’s most recognized and celebrated military leaders. The German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. Future United States President, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the famed German field commander, Erwin Rommel, the boisterous English General Bernard Montgomery and the ego driven general named George S. Patton were all present in this scene of the war. All of these military giants served in the same conflict as one of the greatest embodiments of a teammate we will ever find, a man who is never mentioned with the military greats above. A man named Robert G. Finkenaur.
Deep in the ranks of the allied forces is an ordinary officer charged with a unique task. Colonel Robert G. Finkenaur, a 1934 graduate of the United States Military Academy, was an officer who had never actually seen real combat. Finkenaur is not a famed United States commander who is celebrated for his heroics in battle. In fact, the majority of the world has no idea who Finkenaur is or why he was significant in any way to the war effort. He is not in a lineup of famous World War II leaders. There are few periodicals or publications that even mention Finkenaur, yet the man was at the heart of the most critical deception plan in the history of warfare.
Beginning in 1943, needing to defend the entire European west coast, with no real concept of where an Allied invasion might land, Hitler devised a strategy to defend the entire length of the French coast that borders England across the channel. After the Allies would attack the French coast, the Germans would then re-distribute reinforcements on the line where the landings hit. The challenge for the Germans - this strategy left them thin and it relied heavily on being able to quickly respond to the Allied landings after learning where the Allies would hit, or better yet, guess where the Allies would hit. The challenge for the Allies - if their landing spot on the coast was discovered in a timely manner, the Germans would be able to shift their fighting force to defend the landings and they would be unable to breakthrough onto land and into western Europe.
As the Allied powers began their planning for the pivotal battle of the century, the stakes were high. Win this chapter of the war, and the Allies will have gained a foothold into Europe. Lose this battle, and the costs would be devastating. The Allies would suffer heavy casualties and they would be sent back across the English Channel. The need for a strategic plan was paramount. They settled on a plan that was named Operation Fortitude. The plan was crafted by none other than an obscure Colonel named Robert G. Finkenaur.
Robert G. Finkenaur, of St. Louis, Missouri was one of the key architects of Operation Fortitude. The soft-spoken, humble West Point officer from Missouri was a part of deceiving Adolf Hitler himself. His plan hinged on the Allies attempt to make it look like the landings would happen in two places, with the bulk of the landings taking place, north, in Pas de Calais. In reality the real landings would take place in Normandy, led by the famous generals listed above, who are celebrated in the history books. In an effort to shape the perception, the Allies would use fake radio traffic and feed false information to the Germans through double-agents, about fictional army groups that were being coordinated in the area.
Most critical of all for Operation Fortitude, was the appearance of a full fighting force mobilizing across the channel to land in Pas de Calais. In order to make this appearance evident to German spy planes, the Allies would set up a fake army. They used inflatable tanks, airplanes, artillery units, alongside fake ships in the water. To German spy planes, these props appeared to be a massive collection of forces and a real threat to the German lines. The reality - they were inflatable toys that would make for an awesome backyard birthday party.
On the eve of the most historic battles of World War II, the future president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a speech to the front line soldiers that would be etched in history. While Eisenhower was motivating the warriors from the famed 101st Airborne infantry to the south, Finkenaur had been organizing bike pumps to inflate a squadron of fake tanks to the north. In this pivotal moment of this global conflict, General Bernard Montgomery prepared the fighters of the British 21st Army Group, meanwhile Finkenaur had spent weeks organizing rows of inflatable ghost airplanes. All members of the same team, yet while these historic military leaders were in the spotlight of history, Finkenaur was pumping inflatables in obscurity.
As history would prove, Fineknaur’s ghost army would send a strong enough impression to the German lines, causing them to shift reinforcements north to Pas de Calais, as the Germans anticipated this to be the Allied landing spot, leaving Normandy, the real landing spot for the Allied forces not nearly as fortified. The Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and after a full day of fighting, were able to take territory and setup a beachhead in Europe. This allowed for the steady supply lines from England to fuel the Allied forces, a critical turning point in the war, eventually leading to the German surrender thirteen months later. The Germans were so convinced the fighting force they saw via spy planes was looming, that they didn’t shift forces to the south because they were waiting for the fictitious invasion to the north. This delay also proved monumental in the coming months towards the German defeat.
In the end, in the most pivotal battle of the world’s greatest global conflict, the Allies benefited from neatly placed rows of inflatable tanks and airplanes that were caught by spy-planes to deceive the enemy. And the man who supervised the organization, was not a famed General but rather a humble West Point graduate from St. Louis, Missouri, Robert G. Finkenaur.
After the D-Day invasion, Finkenaur would assist the famous General Anthony McAuliffe for the remainder of the war. After World War II, Colonel Finkenaur would hold more key posts in the Korean War, though he would never see combat. He would later assist the famed Chinese general, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in creating the Republic of China Military Academy. He also served in the army unit that launched the first two-stage rocket at White Sands, New Mexico, that would serve as a precursor to more developments that would eventually emerge into the rockets that launched astronauts to the moon. Finkenaur went on to teach at the United States Military academy after retiring from active service in 1959.
Robert G. Finkenaur is the definition of a selfless teammate. Why? Because he was willing to play a support role so that others could deliver large results for the team. A man in splendid obscurity to the general public yet always at the center of pivotal events in service to his country. Never in the same sentences as the great war leaders of the generation, but consistently in critical support roles for other military officers who went on to be celebrated. For a graduate of the prestigious West Point Military Academy, an assignment of a company of inflatables could be humiliating. Instead, he fulfilled his duty and it led to the successful diversion the Allies needed to win the war.
Here are 3 things we can learn from Colonel Robert G. Finkenaur on the art of being a selfless teammate.
1.) Time has a way of determining the significance of our contributions
“How were you involved in the Allied Invasion of Europe?” Finkenaur could respond in one of two ways.
The first answer would be to minimize his involvement. To assume that overseeing the inflatable army made him insignificant in the heroics of the pivotal battle. Finkenaur, like you and I, could have been tempted to think that his role in the invasion didn’t really matter because the spotlight never hit him, he could have been tempted to believe that his contributions were futile.
The second answer to the question would have been the truth. “Where was I? I was at the forefront of the biggest deception plan in human history. I, along with my fellow bike pumpers, deceived one of the most brutal dictators in the history of mankind. Because I did my part willingly, we deceived Adolf Hitler and ultimately, because of this deception, we won the war.”
In the short-term lens, Finkenaur was an insignificant pawn in the war armed with a ghost army and some fake tanks. While other officers, prepared their troops for war, staring down the beaches of Normandy, Finkenaur was in a far off front with an inflatable fighting force. In the long-term lens, the Allies do not win the war without this deception. You simply cannot tell in the short-term lens the significance of our day-to-day contributions. What may seem insignificant to the team or organization in the moment, may prove to have a massive long-term impact on the success of the team. Stay encouraged.
2.) A true teammate has mastered their Ego
Why would a commissioned officer and a graduate of the world’s most prestigious military academy be content with a support role on the biggest military stage in history? Isn’t it the desire of all leaders to be at the forefront of the action? In this meaningful scene in history, wouldn’t any respected military officer scoff at the idea of being away from the center of the conflict? The answer is no. Because, any selfless teammate understands that for the team to win, we all must play our role. It may not be the star role, but if the team achieves the objective, it won’t matter who played what role. Colonel Robert Finkenaur never chased the spotlight. Many people, frustrated with a menial task in support of a teammate may have not put in the level of commitment and detail needed to sell the diversion. Imagine, if Finkenaur, motivated by his hurt ego from being put in charge of this assignment had given half-effort. Imagine the inflatables, half-pumped up, disorganized, and not a great replica of a real fighting force, failing to deceive the German forces. A teammate with an enlarged ego or hurt pride can sabotage the team's plans because they aren’t the key player in the scene. A selfless teammate executes their role with unparalleled excellence. Even if they are not noticed.
3.) The satisfaction is not in the recognition, it is in doing our duty
Robert G. Finkenaur died in 1991 at the age of 82. After serving his country in the prime of his life, Finkenaur went on to live a quiet life as an educator. He was still very active with the USMA class of 1934. He is buried in the West Point Cemetery next to his classmates. The name Robert G. Finkenaur may not be etched in eternity, but generations will revel in the heroics of the D-Day invasion and World War II. Right in the center of the conflict is the greatest embodiment of service to the team we can find. Not a man chasing to make a name for himself. Not a teammate unwilling to play the small role, but instead a man completely devoted to the cause of the team. Etched on his tombstone are the three words that define the United States Military Academy.
Duty, Honor, Country. These three words define the satisfying service of the life of Robert G. Finkenaur. One of the greatest teammates to ever live.
Stay The Course,
JB