Cher Ami

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Cher Ami (French for "dear friend", in the masculine) was a homing pigeon who had been donated by the pigeon fanciers of Britain for use by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France during World War I and had been trained by American pigeoners. She is most famous for delivering a message from an encircled battalion despite serious injuries during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, October 1918.

Video Cher Ami

World War I service

On October 3, 1918, Major Charles White Whittlesey and more than 194 men were trapped in a small depression on the side of the hill behind enemy lines without food or ammunition. They were also beginning to receive friendly fire from allied troops who did not know their location. Surrounded by the Germans, many were killed and wounded in the first day and by the second day, merely 194Verify source is being considered for deletion.>  men were still alive and not captured. Because his runners were consistently intercepted or killed by the Germans, Whittlesey began dispatching messages by pigeon. The pigeon carrying the first message, "Many wounded. We cannot evacuate." was shot down. A second bird was sent with the message, "Men are suffering. Can support be sent?" That pigeon also was shot down. After another pigeon provided incorrect coordinates to headquarters, resulting in a barrage inadvertently targeting the battalion, "Cher Ami" was dispatched with a note, written on onion paper, in a canister on her left leg,

We are along the road paralell to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heavens sake stop it.

As Cher Ami tried to fly back home, the Germans saw her rising out of the brush and opened fire. After several seconds, she was shot down but managed to take flight again. She arrived back at her loft at division headquarters 25 miles (40 km) to the rear in just 25 minutes, helping to save the lives of the 194 survivors. She had been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, and had a leg hanging only by a tendon.

Cher Ami became the hero of the 77th Infantry Division. Army medics worked to save her life. They were unable to save her leg, so they carved a small wooden one for her. When she recovered enough to travel, the now one-legged bird was put on a boat to the United States, with General John J. Pershing seeing her off.

Maps Cher Ami

Awards

Upon return to the United States, Cher Ami became the mascot of the Department of Service Verify source is being considered for deletion.> . The pigeon was awarded the Croix de Guerre Medal with a palm Oak Leaf Cluster for her heroic service in delivering 12 important messages in Verdun. She died at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, on June 13, 1919 from the wounds she received in battle and was later inducted into the Racing Pigeon Hall of Fame in 1931. She also received a gold medal from the Organized Bodies of American Racing Pigeon Fanciers in recognition of her service during World War I.

The man responsible for training and caring for the pigeon in the signal corps, Enoch Clifford Swain, was given an award for his service.

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Remembered

To American school children of the 1920s and 1930s, Cher Ami was as well known as any human World War I heroes. Cher Ami's body was later mounted by a taxidermist and enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution. It is currently on display with that of Sergeant Stubby in the National Museum of American History's "Price of Freedom" exhibit.

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Sex and color

Originally registered as a Black Check cock, Cher Ami was in fact a Blue Check, and was discovered after death (during taxidermy) to be a hen. She is still erroneously represented as a cock bird at the National Museum of American History and by many other educational and military history information sources.

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Popular culture

Books, Essays, and Short Stories

• Cher Ami by Marion Cothren
• Cher Ami a poem by Harry Webb Farrington
• Finding the Lost Battalion - Beyond the rumors, myths and legends of America's famous WWI Epic by Robert J. Laplander
• Cher Ami a short story by Heather Rounds
• Viva Cuba Pigeon a short story by Susannah Rodríguez Drissi
• The Ruby Notebook by Laura Resau

Film

• The Lost Battalion, a 2001 film featuring the story of Charles White Whittlesey's unit during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
• Cher Ami... ¡y yo!, a 2008 film directed by Miquel Pujol and produced by Accio Studios. Also known as Flying Heroes or The Aviators
• "Batched 2014 Film
• Flying Home, 2015 a romantic drama, starring Jamie Dornan features the story of Cher Ami's heroic feat.

Television

• "White Collar" in Season 3 Episode 11, Cher Ami is mentioned by Caffrey while sending a message by carrier pigeon, referencing the saving of over 200 lives.

Games

• The boardgame Rivet Wars, in its Second Wave expansion, features a hero by the name of Cher Ami who is renowned for his use of homing pigeons.
• The videogame Battlefield 1 features a codex entry which details Cher Ami's role as the savior of the Lost Battalion.

Webseries

• The YouTube webseries, The Great War, talks about Cher Ami during their episode, "Companion in the Trenches-Animals of WWI"

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References

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External links

• Cher Ami on IMDb

Source of article : Wikipedia