During World War I, these birds, mostly pigeons, were used to carry messages to and from the front line. Often, they would be shot down by enemy soldiers who already had the bird's sender suppressed. One battalion of the 77th division owes their lives to one of these birds, Cher Ami, a blue check.
On October 3, 1918, more than 500 American soldiers were trapped behind enemy lines with no way of escaping on their own. They even began to receive friendly fire from troops who were unaware of their position. Whitney dispatched three pigeons. The first two were shot down almost immediately after they took flight. However, a third, Cher Ami, was able to take flight and deliver her message 25 miles away in 65 minutes even after losing an eye, a leg, and being shot through the breast.
The message that she relayed read, "We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven's sake, stop it." The men were eventually rescued. Cher Ami lived a bit longer but soon died of her injuries.
