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Cher Ami is his name, which in the French language means “Dear Friend”. Well does this little homing pigeon deserve his name, since he proved himself to be a true friend in time of great need. He is only a small blue-gray and white bird, with a wound mark across his breast, and with only one leg. But he won the Distinguished Service Cross by saving the lives of one hundred ninety-four American soldiers in the World War. And this is how he did it.
While our, soldier boys were marching through France to bear America’s part in the World War, thousands of homing pigeons,like little soldiers of the air, were making long, tiresome flights to carry messages for America and her Allies. Thus they were doing their part to help win the war.
With important messages placed inside of small metal tubes which were fastened to one leg, these strong birds flew for miles and miles over land and sea. There was a small army of many thousands of them flying up, up, up, day after day, far above the smoke of battle. Reaching the clear upper air, out of range of the sharp-shooters’ guns, they quickly returned to their homes, which might be far, far away, or just a few miles behind the battle lines.There the messages were read and help sent where it was needed.
Plucky little Cher Ami, the hero of this story, belonged to Pigeon Company No. 1, which contained about one thousand birds. When the famous 77th Division of the American Army was ordered to the front, Cher Ami and a number of other soldier birds were ordered with it. Their big home-coop on wheels moved with the marching soldiers and went into camp with them, about thirty miles back of the battle lines. After a few days Cher Ami and his brother birds were given a little freedom, so that they could learn their-way over the surrounding country. Straight as an arrow they would fly back to their home-coop in the big army camp.
One October day the 77th Division was ordered to advance to a certain point of the enemy’s line. A few soldier birds were carried in baskets by the advancing soldiers. Among them was Cher Ami. The soldiers marched forward in the night, met the enemy, and after eighteen hours’ fighting, reached the place in the Argonne woods to which they had been ordered.
Parts of two battalions, about four hundred eighty soldiers in all,were a little in advance of the main body of troops. They reached a hillside thickly covered with trees, which gave them shelter, and a stream of water offered them cooling drink. Feeling protected by their comrades in the rear, the tired men dropped where they stood,and slept.
But in the morning they found to their surprise that the Germans had surrounded them in the night, and cut them off from the main body of American troops. Knowing that on account of their small number they would not be able to break through the German lines,they protected themselves as best they could from the enemy’s guns,and prepared to hold the hill.
For three days they held the hillside while their comrades in the rear tried to break through to help them. Their food gave out, and they became almost crazed for want of water, for the Germans had cut them off from the hillside stream. But when asked by the Germans to surrender, these gallant men steadfastly refused.They had sent up pigeons, one by one, asking for help, only to see them shot down by the German harp-shooters. At last they were desperate indeed.
As nothing had been heard from them for several days, it was supposed at army headquarters that they had either all been killed,or that they had surrendered to the Germans. So they were given up for lost.
With no food, no water, and little ammunition, their condition seemed hopeless. At this critical moment little Cher Ami was lifted from his basket, a message tube was fastened to his left leg, and he was tossed high in the air.
Crack, crack! went the guns of the German sharp-shooters. Little Cher Ami paused in his flight, and fluttered a moment as if he would fall. “All is lost!” thought the men as they saw the soldier bird waver. But in a moment they watched the plucky little bird steady himself in the air and rise gradually higher and higher until he was lost in the distance.
Like a blue-gray streak he darted through the quiet upper air,and soon dropped down on the roof of his home-coop at army headquarters.
There the watchful sergeant picked him up, a poor wounded soldier bird with a bloody streak across his breast and his left leg shot nearly away. But the message tube was still clinging to the little broken leg.
And so Cher Ami saved what was left of the Lost Battalion,for fresh troops were quickly sent forward. Breaking through the German lines they rescued one hundred ninety-four starving American soldiers. These were all that were left of the four hundred eighty brave men who had advanced to the hill.
For this service plucky little Cher Ami was given the Distinguished Service Cross. He is the only pigeon in the American soldier-bird army that received this honor. But little does he know or care. He hobbles around on one leg, with his bullet scar across his breast, knowing or caring for nothing but home. For after all, it was Cher Ami’s love of home that made him soar above German bullets into cloud-land, and that guided him safely to his own home roof with his precious message.
Surely the love of home is a wonderful thing.
( Edna V. Riddleberger )
allies : those who are fighting on the same sid
coop : a home for birds
plucky : brave and tough
A) Answer the following questions.
1) What did homing pigeons do to help win the war?
2) Why are pigeons called “little soldiers of the air”?
3) How did the pigeons carry messages?
4) How did Cher Ami help to save many American soldiers?
5) Did Cher Ami care abut the reward he received?
B) What’s the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the story.
1) covering for a house -r _ _ _
2) something that moves very quickly -s _ _ _ _ _
3) dying from not having enough food to eat -s _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4) to give up -s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5) small containers -b _ _ _ _ _ _
C) Summary—Write a short summary about the story.