In October 1918, a surrounded American unit in the Argonne Forest came under fire from its own artillery.
They called it the Lost Battalion.
There was no other way to stop their own guns.
One pigeon was left.
Major Charles W. Whittlesey, commander of the Lost Battalion, wrote a final note and tied it to Cher Ami. The note 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 bird flew straight into German fire.
A bullet or shell fragment hit its breast almost at once.
It fell, then rose again through more shots.
Its right leg was nearly severed.
The capsule hung by a tendon.
How fast did it get there?
The route was 25 miles (40 kilometers). One account says 25 minutes, about as fast as a cheetah in a sprint. Another says an hour and 15 minutes to the loft.
The note showed the exact spot of the trapped men.
On the evening of October 7, the unit was led out.
Almost 70% of the men were killed or wounded.
Only 194 walked out.
The message hung by a tendon.
Without it, their own guns would have kept firing.
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