Cher Ami the Pigeon

In the midst of World War 1, on October 3, 1918, American Major Charles Whittlesey and his men of the 77th Division were trapped behind enemy lines. Cut off from communication, they began to take friendly fire. Their only option to communicate back at base was to use the homing pigeons that they had brought with them.  After 7 of their 8 homing pigeons were shot down, he only had 1 left, Cher Ami. Despite getting shot down and sustaining multiple injuries on her trek, Cher Ami was able to cover the 25 miles back to base in less than half an hour. Thanks to Cher Ami’s message, the bombing stopped and the 194 men of the 77th “Lost Battalion” returned safely to American lines.

The French government awarded Cher Ami the Croix de Guerre for bravery. As a reminder of his bravery, Cher Ami’s preserved body is still on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.