Page 35 - Cornice Grade 8

Photography with a short story

The Hero Pigeon

l Shreebisha Sthapit l

Source : https://api.army.mil/e2/c/images/2021/08/27/
9cc530f5/size1.jpg

How can a small bird like a pigeon save the lives intercepted by Germans. Cher Ami dispatched
of over 100 soldiers? Would you believe me if I messages for the French troop when they were
told you that the pigeon won the Croix De Guerre surrounded by Germans. He was sent off with
award? What if I showed you a photograph of the a note written in onion paper on his right leg.
‘hero pigeon’? Photographs are a bridge to our While conveying the message, the German sol-
past. It’s a time capsule that preserves stashes of diers open fire upon him but he was able to reach
information from the present to remember in division headquarters twenty five miles within
the future. All pictures have a backstory; it’s a just twenty-five minutes. He was found severe-
fraction of time immortalised by a camera flash. ly wounded, a bullet through his chest, blinded
Every photograph conveys a narrative; this is and losing one leg. He passed away on 13 July
why historical pictures are such prized posses- 1919 due to battle injuries. Today, Cher Ami is
sions. They provide us with a glimpse of the past attributed for saving the lives of a hundred and
and tell us a story about the history of our own ninety-four men of the French fleet known as
world. the “Lost Battalion” in October 1918 in Argonne
forest. The 77th infantry division is indebted to
When you look at the photograph below, it’s his contributions. This is a picture of his remains
most likely you can see a one-legged pigeon on preserved in the Smithsonian National Museum.
a stand. However, the picture carries so much In 1981, he was added to the pigeon hall of fame.
more than what just meets the eye. Cher Ami is In November of 2019, Cher Ami won the Ani-
known as “the carrier pigeon” or “the hero pi- mals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery. He also
geon.” Cher Ami was a male homing pigeon who won other great awards such as Croix De Guerre
served the allies in World War I in 1918. In the Medal with Oakleaf cluster for delivering other
war, a fleet of five hundred and fifty men was cor- twelve major messages in Verdun. There are
nered on a side of the hill near enemy lines with- many heroes of the past whose hymns go un-
out food, projectiles or any sort of ammunition. sung and unrecognised, but at least there is pho-
Major Whittelsey was forced to convey mes- tographic evidence of their existence which tells
sages through pigeons since their runners were of their noble actions.