The Lost Battalion's Cher Ami-- Part 1: A Very Famous Pigeon

Back on October 6, I mentioned this pigeon saving the men of the Lost Battalion at one point.

From Wikipedia.

Cher Ami is French for "dear friend" in the masculine. who had been donated by pigeon fanciers in Britain to the U.S. Army Signal Corps for use in France.  She is most famous for delivering a message from an encircled battalion despite receiving serious injuries during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918.

On Oct. 3, Major Whittlesey and his battalion (later known as "The Lost Battalion") were trapped and surrounded by German troops.  He sent runners out to alert Allies of his predicament, but every one of them was captured.  Then, he started calling for help via pigeons which he had along with him.

The first two pigeons were shot down and the third got through, but had the wrong coordinates of the battalion which caused the Allies to open a bombardment on them.

This is when Cher Ami flew her famous mission.

--Cooter