The Pigeon Hero of World War I

The American soldiers were sure they were doomed.

It was October 1918, near the end of World War I. More than 135 countries were part of this brutal war. Battles took place around the world, leaving millions of people dead by the end of the war.

Now, in a dark, rainy forest in France, hundreds of American troops were in trouble. The men were surrounded by enemy German soldiers. Bombs rained from the sky. The Americans needed help. Their only hope was to get a message out to their leaders.

In October 1918, a group of American soldiers were in big trouble. They were trapped in a rainy forest in France. They were fighting in a brutal war called World War I. Bombs were being dropped down on the forest.

The American soldiers needed to get a message to their leaders. But there were no phones or radios at the time. Luckily, there was a hero who had been trained for this exact moment. She was a pigeon named Cher Ami.

The American soldiers were sure they were doomed.

It was October 1918, near the end of World War I. More than 135 countries were part of this brutal war. Battles took place around the world, leaving millions of people dead by the end of the war.

Now, in a dark, rainy forest in France, hundreds of American soldiers were in trouble. The men were surrounded by enemy German soldiers. Bombs rained from the sky. The Americans needed help. They had to get a message out to their leaders.

The American soldiers were doomed.

It was October 1918, not long before the end of World War I. This was a war more brutal than any before in history; it would leave 17 million people dead and pull more than 135 countries, including the United States, into battles around the globe.

Now, in a dark, rainy forest in northeastern France, several hundred American troops were in a fight for their lives. The men were surrounded by enemy German soldiers. Machine guns rattled. Bombs rained from the sky. The Americans needed help. Their only hope was to get an urgent message to their leaders, 25 miles away.

But how? There were no computers in 1918. And there were no cell phones to send text messages or make calls from.

Luckily, there was one brave hero who had been trained for a moment just like this. She took off with the message and raced across the forest.

She was not a soldier. She was not even a human. She was a pigeon. Her name was Cher Ami (share ah-MEE).

But how? There were no computers in 1918. There were no cell phones either. 

Luckily, there was one brave hero who had been trained for this moment. She took off with the message. She raced across the forest.

She was not a soldier. She was not even a human. She was a pigeon. Her name was Cher Ami (share ah-MEE).

But how? There were no walkie-talkies or cell phones in 1918, no computers to send emails. And the army radios weren’t working.

Luckily, there was one brave warrior who had been trained for a moment exactly like this one. She took off with the message on a life-or-death race across the forest.

Her name was Cher Ami, and she was not a soldier. She was not even a human.

She was a pigeon.

Incredible Powers

Long ago, the only way to send a message over a long distance was to send a human runner—or a pigeon. Ship captains used pigeons to send weather reports back to shore. Knights used pigeons to send news back to their kings. Pigeons were even used at the first Olympics, nearly 3,000 years ago. The birds carried the results of chariot races to surrounding cities.

In the 1800s, new inventions like the telephone changed the way people communicated. But sending messages over long distances was still hard in wartime. It was especially difficult during battles. And in World War I, the battles were bigger and bloodier than any the world had seen.

So when it came to sending messages from a battlefield, nothing was as reliable as a pigeon. Cher Ami was one of thousands of pigeons that served with American soldiers during World War I.

What makes pigeons such great messengers? For one thing, pigeons are fast. Some can fly over 60 miles per hour. They are smart too. A pigeon’s brain is only about the size of a wad of bubble gum. But like the tiny chip in an iPhone, a pigeon’s brain is packed with power. For example, pigeons can be trained to recognize letters and words.

Best of all, pigeons have the power of navigation. These birds can find their way back to their home nest no matter how far away it is. No one needs to show them how to get home. They just know.

Incredible Powers

Long ago, there were two ways to send a message over a long distance. You could send a person or a pigeon. Ship captains used pigeons to send messages. So did knights. Nearly 3,000 years ago, pigeons were used at the first Olympics. The birds carried the results of chariot races to other cities.

In the 1800s, the telephone and other new inventions changed how people communicated. But sending messages over long distances was still hard during wars. It was especially difficult during battles. And in World War I, the battles were bigger and bloodier than ever before.

Pigeons were the most reliable way to send a message from a battlefield. Thousands of pigeons served with American soldiers during World War I. Cher Ami was one of them.

What makes pigeons such great messengers? For one thing, pigeons are fast. Some can fly over 60 miles per hour. They are smart too. A pigeon’s brain is small, about the size of a wad of gum. But a pigeon’s brain is like the tiny chip in an iPhone: It’s packed with power. For example, pigeons can be trained to recognize letters and words.

Best of all, pigeons have the power of navigation. These birds can find their way back to their home nest—no matter how far away it is. No one needs to show them how to get home. They just know.

Incredible Powers

Cher Ami (French for “dear friend”) was one of thousands of pigeons that served with American soldiers during World War I. These birds were a breed known as carrier pigeons (or homing pigeons). They had an important job: to carry messages.

Why would the military use pigeons as messengers? For one thing, these pigeons are fast—some can fly up to 60 miles per hour. They are also smart. A pigeon’s brain is no bigger than a wad of bubble gum. But like the tiny chip in an iPhone, that pigeon brain is packed with power. For example, pigeons can be trained to recognize letters and words.

But what truly makes these pigeons ideal for carrying messages is their ability to return to their home nest, no matter how far away it is. Nobody needs to show them how to get home. They just know. These gray birds can travel over seas and mountains, across hundreds of twisting miles. They almost never get lost. It’s this remarkable power of navigation that makes pigeons such good messengers.

If you wanted to use a pigeon as a messenger, you would teach it that its home was on your roof. You could take the bird with you to your friend’s house, keeping it safe in its cage. When you were ready to be picked up, you would write a message and place it in a pinkie-sized metal tube attached to your pigeon’s leg. You’d release your pigeon, it would carry your message back home, and soon someone would come to get you.

Under Attack

Cher Ami and seven other pigeons joined the men of the 77th Infantry Division, led by Charles Whittlesey. Cher Ami’s home nest was at the American army headquarters near Argonne. In peacetime, Argonne was a beautiful forest with towering trees. But World War I had turned the forests of France into battlefields.

In the fall of 1918, Whittlesey led an attack on the Germans in Argonne. On October 3, Whittlesey’s men met a strong German force deep in the forest. The Americans were soon surrounded and under attack.

The men tried to fight back. But they were short on supplies and worn out. Food had run low. It was hard to get water. Every hour, more men were killed or wounded.

Whittlesey sent out pigeons with messages asking for help. But one by one, the pigeons were shot or disappeared.

The next day, American planes appeared in the sky. Whittlesey’s men cheered. They thought the planes were there to help. But the planes weren’t dropping supplies.

They were dropping bombs.

Whittlesey realized the planes didn’t know that he and his men were in this part of the forest. The bombs were meant for the Germans. But instead, they were killing Americans.

Whittlesey frantically wrote a message to his leaders. He gave their location in the woods and said they were under American attack. He wrote: FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, STOP IT.

Under Attack

Pigeons are very reliable. They can travel more than 60 miles per hour. Best of all, they have the power of navigation. These birds can always find their way back to their home nest no matter how far away it is.

The American soldiers in the forest were led by a man named Charles Whittlesey. They were surrounded by enemy German soldiers. They were low on supplies and food. Time was running out.

Then American planes appeared in the sky. The soldiers cheered. But the planes were not there to help. They were dropping bombs.

The pilots of the planes didn’t know that Whittlesey and his men were in this part of the forest. Whittlesey had to tell his leaders that they were bombing American soldiers. He quickly wrote a message: FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, STOP IT.

Under Attack

Cher Ami and seven other pigeons joined the 77th Infantry Division, led by Charles Whittlesey. Cher Ami’s home nest was at the American army headquarters near Argonne. In peacetime, Argonne was a beautiful forest with towering trees. But World War I had turned the forests of France into battlefields.

In the fall of 1918, Whittlesey led an attack on the Germans in Argonne. On October 3, Whittlesey’s men ran into a group of German soldiers. Soon, the Americans were surrounded and under attack.

The men tried to fight back. But they were short on supplies and worn out. Food had run low. It was hard to get water. Every hour, more men were killed or wounded.

Whittlesey sent out pigeons. They had messages asking for help. But one by one, the pigeons were shot or they disappeared.

The next day, American planes appeared in the sky. Whittlesey’s men cheered. They thought the planes were there to help. But the planes weren’t dropping supplies.

They were dropping bombs.

The pilots of the planes didn’t know that American soldiers were in this part of the forest. The bombs were meant for the Germans. But instead, they were killing Americans.

Whittlesey frantically wrote a message to his leaders. He gave his and his men’s location in the woods. He said they were under American attack. He wrote: FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, STOP IT.

Brutal Battles

Long before the days of phones, texts, and FaceTime, the only way to send a message over long distances was to send a human runner—or a pigeon. Ship captains used pigeons to send weather reports back to shore. Knights took pigeons with them into battle and used them to send news back to their kings. At the first Olympics, nearly 3,000 years ago, pigeons carried the results of chariot races to surrounding cities.

In the 1800s, new inventions like the telegraph and the telephone transformed the way humans communicated. But in wartime, getting information across long distances was still difficult, especially during battles.

And in World War I, the battles were bigger and bloodier than the world had ever seen. New weapons unleashed terror and death on a massive scale. Machine guns fired hundreds of bullets per minute. Poison gas caused blistering burns and scorched lungs. Airplanes dropped bombs that caused huge explosions.

Modern technologies had made killing all too easy. But when it came to sending messages from a battlefield, no new invention was as reliable as a pigeon.

Mud, Rats, and Fear

Cher Ami was born in England and trained by one of the country’s most famous pigeon experts. She was brought to France to serve during World War I. Cher Ami’s home nest was at the American army headquarters near a forest called Argonne.

In peacetime, Argonne was a fairy-tale forest of towering trees and babbling brooks. But by the time Cher Ami arrived in France, World War I had been dragging on for four years. The forests and fields of France had been transformed into blood-soaked battlefields, haunted by the ghosts of hundreds of thousands of dead soldiers.

These battles were fought with something called trench warfare. Trenches were deep, narrow ditches that stretched for miles. Soldiers would stay inside the trenches, which offered them some protection from bullets and grenades, until it was time to push forward. Progress was slow—and bloody. Each time the men left their own trench, they faced a storm of gunfire and bombs.

But men didn’t just fight from the trenches. They lived in them—24 hours a day, often for weeks at a time. They coped with knee-deep mud, with the sickening stench of garbage and human waste, with rampant disease, with constant fear. The noise of machine guns and bomb blasts made sleep almost impossible. Soldiers who did manage to fall asleep often awoke to find rats scurrying across their chests.

Cher Ami joined the men of the 77th Infantry Division, part of a large battalion of American soldiers. The man in charge, Major Charles Whittlesey, had been ordered to lead his troops in an attack on the Germans in Argonne. Cher Ami was one of eight pigeons brought on the mission. The birds lived together in a cage. They were cared for by a young soldier from New York. He did his best to keep them safe as the troops moved through the forest.

She Kept Flying

By this time, only two pigeons were left: Cher Ami and one other. The other bird was scared. It flapped away before taking the message.

Now it was up to Cher Ami.

With the message attached, she flew up to a tree branch and perched there, still as a rock. It was as though she needed a moment to gather her courage.

And then she took off, like a tiny feathered missile.

Almost immediately, a bullet hit her in the eye. She fell toward the ground, bleeding. But she didn’t give up. She flapped her wings and rose up again.

Another bullet hit her, this time in her chest.

She Kept Flying

Whittlesey tied the message to Cher Ami’s leg. She took off, like a tiny missile.

Almost at once, a bullet hit her in the eye. She fell, but she kept flying. Another bullet hit her in the leg. But she kept flying.

Twenty minutes later, Cher Ami reached army headquarters. She delivered her message. The bombing stopped. Whittlesey and his men were saved.

Five weeks later, World War I ended. Cher Ami was brought back to America. She was given a medal. She had saved nearly 200 men. The war had caused a lot of death and suffering. But there were also many stories of courage. One of those is the story of Cher Ami, the brave pigeon hero of World War I.  

She Kept Flying

By this time, only two pigeons were left: Cher Ami and one other. The other bird was scared. It flapped away before taking the message.

Now it was up to Cher Ami.

With the message attached, she flew up to a tree branch. She perched there, still as a rock. It was as though she needed a moment to gather her courage.

And then she took off. She flew like a tiny feathered missile.

Almost immediately, a bullet hit her in the eye. She fell toward the ground, bleeding. But she didn’t give up. She flapped her wings and rose up again.

Another bullet hit her, this time in her chest.

Under Attack

Deep in the forest, on October 3, Whittlesey’s men marched into the path of a large German force. The Americans were soon surrounded and under fierce attack.

The men—there were about 550 of them—tried to fight back. But they were low on ammunition, badly outnumbered, and exhausted. After all, many hadn’t had much sleep for weeks. Food had run low. The only way for the men to get a sip of water was to risk crawling through the mud to a stream.

The Germans pummeled the American troops with artillery—blasting them with powerful explosives and grenades and rapid-fire machine guns. With each passing hour, more men were killed or wounded.

Whittlesey kept sending out pigeons carrying desperate requests for help. But one by one, the pigeons were shot or disappeared.

Finally, the next day, American planes appeared overhead. Whittlesey’s men cheered. They believed the planes would drop much-needed food, ammunition, and other supplies. But it wasn’t food and bullets those planes were dropping.

It was bombs.

Whittlesey understood with horror that the Americans didn’t realize that he and his men were in this part of the forest. The bombs were meant for the Germans, but instead, they were killing Whittlesey’s men.

The major frantically scrawled a message announcing their location in the woods and that they were under American attack.

The message ended with a plea: FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, STOP IT.

But she kept flying.

A third bullet hit her right leg and nearly tore it off.

But she kept flying.

Twenty minutes after she’d taken off, Cher Ami made it home to Army headquarters with her message. The bombing was stopped. Soldiers were sent to help Whittlesey and his men.

Doctors worked to save Cher Ami’s life. Her leg could not be saved, but she survived. She was fitted with a tiny wooden leg. News of her amazing journey spread around the world. She was given a medal and sent to America. There, she was greeted as a hero who had saved the lives of nearly 200 men.

World War I ended five weeks after Cher Ami’s last flight. This war caused death and suffering for many people around the world. But there are also many stories of courage. And among these is the story of Cher Ami, the brave pigeon hero of World War I.

But she kept flying.

A third bullet hit her right leg.

But she kept flying.

Twenty minutes later, Cher Ami made it home to army headquarters with her message. The bombing was stopped. Soldiers were sent to help Whittlesey and his men.

Doctors worked to save Cher Ami’s life. Her leg could not be saved, but she survived. Doctors gave her a tiny wooden leg. Cheri Ami was given a medal and sent to America. There, she was greeted as a hero. Cher Ami had saved the lives of nearly 200 men.

World War I ended five weeks after Cher Ami’s last flight. This war caused death and suffering for many people around the world. But there are also many stories of courage. And among these is the story of Cher Ami, the brave pigeon hero of World War I.  

She Kept Flying

By this time, only two pigeons were left: Cher Ami and one other. It was the other pigeon that was pulled from the cage first. But the bird was so terrified that it flapped away before the message could be placed into its tube.

Now it was up to Cher Ami.

Hands reached into the cage and gently lifted her out. When the message was secure, she was set free. She fluttered up to a tree branch and perched there, rock still. It was as though she needed a moment to gather her courage.

And then she took off, like a tiny, feathered missile.

The sky was a storm of bullets and shards of bomb-shattered trees. Almost immediately, a bullet hit her in the eye. She began falling toward the ground, bleeding. But Cher Ami didn’t give up. She flapped her wings and rose skyward again.

Another bullet hit her, this time in her chest.

But she kept flying.

A third bullet struck her right leg and nearly tore it off.

But she kept flying.

Twenty minutes after she’d taken off, Cher Ami—bloodied, half-blind, with her leg hanging by a thread—arrived at headquarters with her message. The bombing was halted and soldiers were sent to rescue Whittlesey and his embattled men.

Meanwhile, medics worked feverishly to save Cher Ami’s life. Her leg had to be amputated, but Cher Ami survived. She was fitted with a tiny wooden leg. News of her miraculous journey spread around the world. She was awarded a medal and sent to America, where she was greeted as a hero who had saved the lives of nearly 200 men.

World War I ended five weeks after the last flight of Cher Ami. This terrible war caused death and suffering for people around the world. But in the midst of this misery emerged stories of great bravery and heroism. Like the story of Cher Ami, the courageous pigeon hero of World War I.