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Posted on 03/06/2005 7:51:24 AM PST by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 Carrier Pigeons Probably the most famous of all the carrier pigeons was one named Cher Ami, two French words meaning "Dear Friend". Cher Ami several months on the front lines during the Fall of 1918. He flew 12 important missions to deliver messages. Perhaps the most important was the message he carried on October 4, 1918. Mr. Charles Whittlesey was a lawyer in New York, but when the United States called for soldiers to help France regain its freedom, Whittlesey joined the Army and went to Europe to help. He was made the commander of a battalion of soldiers in the 77th Infantry Division, known as "The Liberty Division" because most of the men came from New York and wore a bright blue patch on their shoulders that had on it the STATUE OF LIBERTY. On October 3, 1918 Major Whittlesey and more than 500 men were trapped in a small depression on the side of the hill. Surrounded by enemy soldiers, many were killed and wounded in the first day. By the second day only a little more than 200 men were still alive or unwounded. Major Whittlesey sent out several pigeons to tell his commanders where he was, and how bad the trap was. The next afternoon he had only one pigeon left, Cher Ami. During the afternoon the American Artillery tried to send some protection by firing hundreds of big artillery rounds into the ravine where the Germans surrounded Major Whittlesey and his men. Unfortunately, the American commanders didn't know exactly where the American soldiers were, and started dropping the big shells right on top of them. It was a horrible situation that might have resulted in Major Whittlesey and all his men getting killed--by their own army.  Major Whittlesey called for his last pigeon, Cher Ami. He wrote a quick and simple note, telling the men who directed the artillery guns where the Americans were located and asking them to stop. The note that was put in the canister on Cher Ami's left leg simply said: "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." As Cher Ami tried to fly back home, the Germans saw him rising out of the brush and opened fire. For several minutes, bullets zipped through the air all around him. For a minute it looked like the little pigeon was going to fall, that he wasn't going to make it. The doomed American infantrymen were crushed, their last home was plummeting to earth against a very heavy attack from German bullets. Somehow Cher Ami managed to spread his wings and start climbing again, higher and higher beyond the range of the enemy guns. The little bird flew 25 miles in only 25 minutes to deliver his message. The shelling stopped, and more than 200 American lives were saved...all because the little bird would never quit trying. On his last mission, Cher Ami was badly wounded. When he finally reached his coop, he could fly no longer, and the soldier that answered the sound of the bell found the little bird laying on his back, covered in blood. He had been blinded in one eye, and a bullet had hit his breastbone, making a hole the size of a quarter. From that awful hole, hanging by just a few tendons, was the almost severed leg of the brave little bird. Attached to that leg was a silver canister, with the all-important message. Once again, Cher Ami wouldn't quit until he had finished his job.  Cher Ami became the hero of the 77th Infantry Division, and the medics worked long and hard to patch him up. When the French soldiers that the Americans were fighting to help learned they story of Cher Ami's bravery and determination, they gave him one of their own country's great honors. Cher Ami, the brave carrier pigeon was presented a medal called the French Croix de guerre with a palm leaf. Though the dedicated medics saved Cher Ami's life, they couldn't save his leg. The men of the Division were careful to take care of the little bird that had saved 200 of their friends, and even carved a small wooden leg for him. When Cher Ami was well enough to travel, the little one-legged hero was put on a boat to the United States. The commander of all of the United States Army, the great General John J. Pershing, personally saw Cher Ami off as he departed France.  Back in the United States the story of Cher Ami was told again and again. The little bird was in the newspapers, magazines, and it seemed that everyone knew his name. He became one of the most famous heroes of World War I.      |
If I've said it before, I'll say it again. I don't know where I would find such inspirational military stories except here in the Foxhole.
What a heroic little bird . . . sniff . . .
Well I'm off to Fellowship and then some much needed yard work on a glorious sunny (finally!) day. I'll check in later . . . have another successful GOII day.
Iris~
Wonderful exchange between you and Phildragoo last night . . . if you ever stop posting here I'll flame you. ;^)
I think the tail is wrong for a Jenny. I have looked at it in a slightly larger version and if I had to guess I would say it is a Vickers Vimy. It looks like it has a box kite type tail.
Good luck with the store today :-)
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Whew! Did I just save my life? ;^)
Hi miss Feather.
Birthdates which occurred on March 06:
1405 Johan II King of Castille
1475 Michelangelo Buonarroti painter/sculptor/architect (David, Pièta)
1619 Cyrano de Bergerac dramatist (A Voyage to the Moon)
1787 Joseph von Fraunhofer Germany, physicist (studied Sun's spectrum)
1791 Anna Claypoole Peale painted miniatures
1806 Elizabeth Barrett Browning poet (Sonnets from the Portuguese)
1812 Aaron Lufkin Dennison father of American watchmaking
1820 Horatio Gouverneur Wright Major General (Union volunteers)
1831 Philip Henry Sheridan Albany NY, Major General (Union Army)
1835 Charles Ewing Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1883
1885 Ring Lardner US, writer (You Know Me Al)
1893 [Walter] Furry Lewis father of the blues
1898 Jay C Flippen Little Rock AR, actor (Ensign O'Toole, Jet Pilot, Killing, Thunder Bay)
1900 Robert "Lefty" Grove baseball pitcher (300 game winner)
1906 Lou Costello Paterson NJ, comedian/actor (Abbott & Costello)
1923 Ed McMahon Detroit MI, TV host (Johnny Carson Show, Star Search)
1924 William H Webster US, judge/head FBI/CIA
1926 Alan Greenspan economist/Presidential advisor (Federal Reserve Board)
1927 Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr Shawnee OK, USAF/astronaut (Mercury 9, Gemini 5)
1927 William J Bell Chicago IL, soap opera creator (Young & Restless)
1929 Ho Dam North Korean Secretary of State (1970-83)
1929 Thomas S Foley (Representative-Democrat-WA, 1965-94)/majority whip/Speaker of House
1937 Valentina V Tereshkova-Nikolayev 1st woman in space (Vostok 6)
1939 Christopher Bond (Senator-R-MO)
1940 Willie Stargell outfielder/1st baseman (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1971 National League homerun leader)
1944 Mary Wilson Detroit MI, vocalist (Supremes-Where Did Our Love Go)
1945 Rob Reiner Bronx NY, actor/director (All in the Family, Stand By Me)
1946 David Jon Gilmour Cambridgeshire England, rock guitarist (Pink Floyd-The Wall)
1959 Tom Arnold Ottuwa IA, comedian (Roseanne, True Lies)
1964 Cher Butler Garland TX, playmate (August, 1985)
1968 Marty Morgan Minneapolis MN, 180½ lbs greco-roman wrestler (Olympics-96)
1972 Shaquille O'Neal Newark NJ, NBA center (Magic, Lakers, Olympics-gold-96)
My WAG is a Martinsyde G.102
You are most kind. Talking about the Katyn thread? A good man put that one up.
Actually, I was an enlisted US Navy swab, but, during my Viet Nam days, where I was most of the time most of the guys who had paychecks signed by the Secretary of the Navy wore Marine covers. Well, so did I. In the water then in the mud sort of existence, I guess. I was pretty rear echelon really. Pretty darn lucky, too. Several miracles, actually. So, here I am!!
L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.
by Tara Gray
Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr. (Colonel, USAF, Ret.), was born on March 6, 1927, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to parents Leroy Gordon Cooper, Sr. (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) and Hattie Lee (Herd) Cooper. He attended primary and secondary schools in Shawnee, and Murray, Kentucky, where he graduated from high school in 1945.1 The Army and Navy flying schools were not taking any candidates the year he graduated from high school so he decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. He left for Parris Island as soon as he graduated. World War II ended, however, before he could get into combat. He was assigned then to the Naval Academy Preparatory School and was an alternate for an appointment to Annapolis. The man who was the primary appointee made the grade so Cooper was reassigned in the Marines on guard duty in Washington, D.C. He was serving with the Presidential Honor Guard in Washington when he was released from duty along with other Marine reservists. After his discharge from the Marine Corps, he went to Hawaii to live with his parents. His father was assigned to Hickham Field at the time. He started attending the University of Hawaii, and there he met his first wife, the former Trudy B. Olson of Seattle, Washington. She was quite active in flying, the only Mercury wife to have a pilot's license. They were married on August 29, 1947, in Honolulu and lived there for two more years while he continued his studies at the University.2
Somehow "The Right Stuff" glossed right over the part about his wife being a pilot as well.
Good! And hear you'll stay . . . kind sir.
And if I haven't said it before it merits repeating, thank you for your service to our country.
Hi Darksheare.
Hello!
Been a typical day in my world.
(Weird, but that's normal.)
Fokker D.II
This is wonderful, thanks for posting it.
It's wonderful to hear from you. Please tell soldierette we think of her and hope she is safe. I can understand the want for some pretty smelling things. I had a couple young ladies in my group on the USS Tarawa that always appreciated some scented body lotion.
Tell soldierette to take care and stay in touch, let us know if we can do anything for her and her fellow troops.
LOL. I swear I thought the same thing while reading this!
Yeah, however, it is the song we thought of. LOL.
Hugs sw and duckie. We've been so busy we're running a little late on pings.
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