Fun Fact #332 Dear Friend

 Fun Fact #332

Dear Friend

October 2nd 1918 In the Argonne Forest, nine companies of the US 77th battalion were trapped behind German lines. They were running out of Food, ammo and to make matters worse they had even started being shelled by their allies who were trying to clear the Germans so they could search for “The Lost Battalion”.  

Their only hope lay with a handful of pigeons, if they could get just one through then their allies could clear a way to save them. Yet as the pigeons were released, they were all shot down until the last pigeon “Cher Ami” was released. Cher took off and was  shot, but took off again, flying 25 miles to deliver the message. The US Army responded by sending the most veteran unit in the war “The 1st Infantry Division” to liberate them where they clashed with “The Prussian Guards Division” and an entire division of Stormtroopers (Infantry Specialists).  Fighting was fierce but by the end the Battalion was saved and the Prussians lost their most experienced unit in World War 1.  

As for Cher Ami, he went blind from his injuries and was returned with General John J. Pershing personally seeing him off. After his death, Cher would be taxidermized and is now on display at The National Museum of Natural History (run by The Smithsonian). His name meant “dear friend” in French, and he is seen as a hero by both France and The US. 

Map of Argonne by Pearson Scott Foresman

Picture of Cher Ami by the Smithsonian