People have used
pigeons to carry message to one another for hundreds of years. In the 12thcentury, the royal palaces of Iraq and Syria included pigeon houses so the
kings could be kept informed of their generals’ victories and defeats on the
battlefield. In fact, pigeons were a common way to send message right up
through World War II.
Many countries, such as the United States, England,
France, Germany, and Italy, in both World War I and World War II, used carries
pigeons. Not only were the birds often the fastest, most reliable way to send
messages, they could also be used to reach soldiers far behind enemy lines,
where radios and field telephone lines were useless. Since they could easily be
released (释放)
from airplanes or ships, every branch of the armed services used the birds. In
World War II, more than 3,000 soldiers and 150 officers were needed to care for
and train the tens of thousands of birds in the U.S. Pigeon Service.
Carrying message
could be a dangerous job. Some pigeons performed with such bravery that they
became famous and were even awarded medals, such as England’s Dicken Medal of
Gallantry. In a few cases, pigeons even became prisoners of war. In 1918
American forces captured a pigeon named Kaiser, which had been trained to fly
special missions for Germany, during battle. He was taken to America, where he
lived to the age of 32. The most famous pigeon of all may have been Cher Ami.
Stationed in France during World War I, he carried twelve important messages
for American forces. On his last mission, though wounded, he carried a message
that saved the lives of 194 American soldiers. For his extraordinary service,
he was awarded the French “Croix de Guerre.”
Today, modern communication
methods can carry information from one place to another hundreds of times
faster than a pigeon could do. However, few people would argue with the fact
that carrier pigeons--- especially those that served in the military --- have
earned their place in history. Stories about brave pigeons such as Cher Ami,
President Wilson, and Colonel’s Lady have the power to inspire us as no fax
machine or high-speed Internet connection could ever do.
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