Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28
WAR HERO PIGEONS
NO LONGER ACTIVE
Battle Scared Birds Live
"Life of Riley" at Fort
Monmouth, N. J.
sneciaI nisnatch tn rhe Star.

Der ZO.-Splke, MOcker ana HnengOlQ
went into huddle in the corner of the
pen that was marked Hero Loft"
Rheingold, an enemy alien, and prob
ably the last prisoner of war of the
great war, stared dispassionately toward
Molly Pitcher, and then glanced up
Pigeon low toward the Hostess House,
three lofts away.
The unwavering eyes of his buddies
followed him; Mocker had only one eye,
but that was functioning in agile
fashion. He has been in Washington
this week for the Army show.
The Excitement" we asked the
sergeant of the Signal Corps.
when do we eat?" he replied
IaconicaIly, adding that the ever-hungry
carrier pigeons of the United States
Army, whose home town is Little Silver,
N. j., never lost their faith that some
one in civilian clothes might sneak in
a few morsels before or after mess time.
These babies" he continued, "are
the works, They are punk carrier
pigeons now. but they have been pen
stoned. They saw more of the war than
Pershing did. Spike brought back 81
messages under fire, Mocker had his eye
snapped out with shrapnel, and this
Dutchman was brought in by the in
fantry after they had taken the trenches
here, you Dutchman."
Tag Bears Prussian Seal.
He picked up a grooming notified
pigeon. fondled it affectionately and
showed the tag on its leg that had
"125 I" and the Prussian seal.
lone of the best" he admitted
July II, 1917, Gen. Pershing cabled
the War Department suggesting the
immediate establishment of a carrier
pigeon section to be allied to the Signal
Corps. He had found that the Brit
ish, French, and particularly the Ger
mans, had we'll trained birds which
could do valuable service in the pinches.
After the war the Army mustered to-
geGher all service men" with wings and
started breeding them. The nucleus
were the survivors of 800 birds preA
scented to the Army by British pigeon
fanciers.
At Fort Monmouth, Tom Ross. a
Scotchman who has handled birds
since his boyhood was placed in charge
of the new Signal Corps venture. He
has today 500 birds in his lofts, with
tered throughout this country and its
island possessions
Teaching Night Flying.
Birds whose parents have proved sue
ceSSful at night flying, an experiment
which has been successful, are put on
the duty roster before they can ny.
They are never allowed out during the
day, but at 18 days are taken out on
the landing board just at dusk, per-
mitted to look at the surrounding coun-
try and then forced through the trap
into the loft for feeding.
This continued several davc after
which they are taught to fly. After
three weeks they are able to take the
air satisfactorily, and are released from
coops at dusk some 200 yards from
home-and chow.
The training Is continued q week, the
distance being increased slightly with
each flight, though the flight is made
later every day. At the end of this
period training flights are made nightly,
the distance being increased an eighth
of a mile, until a mile Is made with
consistent regularity. Quarter-mile
steps bring the birds to perfection at
miles, and from that time on a half
mile increase follows, until the maxi
mum is reached.
The average for a polished night
flyer is miles at Monmouth, although
several have maintained "a record of 16
miles in the darkness. Atmospheric
conditions 3necC them, however, ana q
brick east wind, which troubles homing
pigeons the world over, may discourage
the flyer.
Thrown With Force.
BY chance the present method of
taking off," which means all the diff
ference between success and failure,
was discovered. Any pigeon released in
the ordinary, quiet manner after night
fall will call it day and go to sleep
beside the trainer. These night birds,
therefore, are thrown into the air with
considerable force-enough, certainly,
to awaken them thoroughly and arouse
the desire for chow
Once they have started, they will not
stop, but no amount of persuasion or
threats of extra duty will prevail upon
the sleepy pigeon who is out of reach.
This holds true with the day as we'll
as the night birds. although the former,
on long flights, some of which require
stops for the night, can live "off the
country" to some extent. But their
food is SO unusual it is hard to find
away from camp.
"old Arthur" 17-year-old war vet