Cher Ami

Cher Ami
The stuffed body of Cher Ami on display at the Smithsonian Institution
Died	June 13, 1919 Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
Place of display	Smithsonian Institution
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1918
Unit	77th Division
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Croix de Guerre
Other work	Department of Service mascot

Cher Ami (French for "dear friend", in the masculine) was a homing pigeon who had been donated by the pigeon fanciers of Britain for use by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France during World War I and had been trained by American pigeoneers. She helped save about 200 men, even though she was greatly injured. The battalion she helped save was the Lost Battalion of the 77th Division in the Battle of the Argonne, October 1918.

On October 3, 1918, Major Charles White Whittlesey and more than 500 men were trapped in a small depression on the side of the hill behind enemy lines without food or ammunition. They were also beginning to receive friendly fire from allied troops who did not know their location. Surrounded by the Germans, many were killed and wounded in the first day and by the second day, just over 190 men were still alive. Whittlesey dispatched messages by pigeon. The pigeon carrying the first message, "Many wounded. We cannot evacuate." was shot down. A second bird was sent with the message, "Men are suffering. Can support be sent?" That pigeon also was shot down. Only one homing pigeon was left: "Cher Ami". She was dispatched with a note in a canister on her left leg,

We are along the road paralell (sic) to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heavens sake stop it.

As Cher Ami tried to fly back home, the Germans saw her rising out of the brush and opened fire. For several moments, Cher Ami flew with bullets zipping through the air all around her. Cher Ami was eventually shot down but managed to take flight again. She arrived back at her loft at division headquarters 25 miles (40 km) to the rear in just 25 minutes, helping to save the lives of the 194 survivors. In this last mission, Cher Ami delivered the message despite having been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, covered in blood and with a leg hanging only by a tendon.