The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-03-06


American Pigeons In Battle o
Arponne Was Nothing Short .
Marvelous-No Soldier Ever Dies
| More Calamity Than Did Osmun
| FuIi-Biooded Homino Pigeon.
| Some day an army officer who car
| write will sit down and record the
| history Of the part that the hOmins
pigeon played in the winning of the
great war. In the files of the signal
corps of the regular army the records
of these feathered couriers that
| braved shot and shell as well as any
! man have been preserved, says the
New York Times. 1t is a story OF
| an army of winged messengers every
| member Of wAich was loyal. A pigeon
never deserted. 1t may have been
captured or wounded or killed, but,
whatever happened, the records will
show that the bird was headed for
brigade, divisional, corps or general
headquarters, bearing a message that
was always of military Importance.
Osmun arrived In dying condition,
his message dangling from a battered
leg. And the case of Osmun was but
one of many heroic instances.
Today the pigeon division is an Inn
pOrtant unit in every well-organiZed
army and navy. SO far as the Amer
leans were concerned the pigeon was
at the peak of its efficiency In the
Meuse-Argonne struggle.
The work of American pigeons in
the battle of the Argonne was nothing
short of marvellous. The division of
pigeons that operated between the
front line and headquarters in that
battle numbered 442 picked birds, and
of the total some fifty-odd gave their
lives in the performance of their mis-
sions Altogether 4O3 important mes
sages from the trenches, the artillery
stations and the communication units
were delivered to division, corps anal
general headquarters by this brigade
Of feathered couriers.
OF all the pigeons In the Meuse-Ar-
yonne offensive the work Of one bird
stands out pre-eminent. This bird. a
'ull-blooded homing pigeon, was Os-
nun. No soldier ever died more gal
antly.
1t was the afternoon of October 81, |
918. The Argonne fighting was at its |
,eak. At 40 p. N. the commander |
u Tile AIuoTlcdu uultS Ut NTdHu
informed the pigeon unit that he u.s.
n important message for headquu-
ers The official records state that
srand Pre- was then under intense
nachine gun and artillery fire." The
Message delivered to the officer In
barge of the pigeons was addressed
D the commanding officer at Ram
ont, about twenty miles from Grand
re- The weather conditions could
ardly have been worse.
Osmun at 2 :35 p. m. began the
light and IS minutes later landed
'ounded and dying near the Rampont
He had covered the
lstance at a speed of almost mile
minute. When he was picked up
disclosed that his breast
nd been pierced by a machine gun
lllet and the right leg, to which was
-tached the capsule bearing the mes
lge, had been almost shot away. The
essage was still there.
No. 1904 Credit to Army.
Another hero wounded IN action was
red cock known to the records as
o. 1884. This bird was one of the
hampton speeders of the service. He
I'd headquarters at Boucy. In the
tier part of October, 1913, this
geon was entrusted with an impOr-
Mt message for delivery at corps
In a driving rain he
gan the flight. Passing through a
achine gun zone a bullet grazed his
ad, destroying the right eye. The
ork of the homing pigeon is primar-
a matter of almost perfect vision.
ssrite the loss of his eye. No. 4OS4
and within less than an l
ur WIS in the hands of the corps 7
mmander The pigeon lived for I
ar after that and his picture is in l.
9 official records of the War depart S
mt n
Still another American hero was
own as No. 1891. This little aerial p
lrier was a blue homing hen. On n
vember 6, five days before the armf-
ce, the American forces captured F
II 2S7. 1t was necessary promptly
acquaint headquarters of the Third n
my corps. The pigeon set flight e
m the front line. The battle was p
ing at the time and the first part p
machine gun and rifle fire and h
sting shells. AT express speed the @
d headed straight for headquarters 4
e message was delivered and the
ps commander. taking into consid-
ton the changed situation. revised
battle plans accordingly. A pic p'
@ of No 1891 with fire MESSAGE IT
sule made fast 60 her leg is anotil- m
of the photographic treasures of p'
United States army. 81
tory after story might he related at
the hattle work Of The American
~ mic :, tho World xs-1r Trhose