Margaret Stelmacher, “Pigeons, the Birds of War”
Mentor: Nigel Rothfels, History

War heroes are often thought of as soldiers that risked their lives, scientists that created new weapons, or dogs that kept their humans safe in battle. Rarely do the words war hero and pigeon associate with one another. Messenger birds have been long used throughout history as a form of communication; however, in more recent decades pigeons have been perceived as dirty or “rats with wings.” The importance of messenger pigeons and their contributions to war have been hidden throughout history. Pigeons played a crucial role during both the first and second world wars and have been relevant in war history since Ancient Rome. Newspaper articles bring to light the unknown stories of bravery many pigeons have endured. The pigeons lost legs, had bullet wounds or even died trying to complete their missions. The use of pigeons to carry messages may be considered an old technology, but it took on a practical role while the front lines and trenches of soldiers were in combat. The training of these pigeons was left only to experts and was rigorous for both the trainers and the birds. Even though these birds have proved to be significant factors throughout history, their stories have often been looked over. This paper describes the history of messenger pigeons, their importance during wartimes, the training carrier pigeons went through, and an argument for their needed recognition while focusing on the story of a pigeon named Cher Ami.