Six Words: Ideology, Violation, Advantage, Curriculum, Pigeon, Resident
Cher Ami is probably the most famous pigeon that ever lived. The battle of Meuse-Argonne in northeastern France in Fall 1918 lasted for over a month near the end of World War 1. In October of that year, a group of 500 Americans, now known as the Lost Battalion, were surrounded by Germans. As the American forces tried to shell the Germans, they were shelling the Lost Battalion as well. Cher Ami, despite being wounded three times, carried a message to the American side about the location of the Lost Battalion so that they would stop shelling them. In the curriculum of American school children of the 1920’s and 30’s, Cher Ami was well known as an American hero.
The battle of Meuse-Argonne was part of the battle against the German ideology of the time – that Germany was superior to other countries and that it had the need and the right to violate other countries’ rights and to control their residents. The German government, to maintain their advantage among their own population, used propaganda to foster national unity and support for their actions, emphasizing the perceived threats from other nations and portraying Germany as a victim.
Do we need a Cher Ami today?