William Shemin’s heroic effort during World War I is a profound testament to valor, resilience, and the enduring American spirit. His heroism was undeniably documented by those who fought alongside him, yet the recognition he deserved was delayed for nearly a century by the systemic prejudice of an era that resisted embracing its Jewish soldiers.

Despite not receiving the Medal of Honor in 1919, Bill Shemin (1896-1973) remained fully devoted to the United States. He saw America through the eyes of his parents, who fled the brutal pogroms of Russia to find refuge and opportunity on American shores. To Shemin, military service was not just a duty, but a proud repayment to the nation that had welcomed his family.

He moved through the rest of his life with a quiet nobility, instilling a deep sense of hard work and patriotism in his children and grandchildren—several of whom followed him into military service.

Justice Served

His legacy eventually became a catalyst for justice. One of his daughters fought tirelessly for his record to be reconsidered for the honor he deserved. Eventually, the William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act was passed by Congress in 2011. This landmark legislation ensured that military accomplishments of those who were discriminated against would be met with an open mind. This allowed Jewish veterans of the past to receive the honors they rightfully earned. It also brought about the review of other minorities. 

On June 2, 2015, William Shemin was honored posthumously with the Medal of Honor—the highest military honor in the country.

In addition, Harlem Hellfighter Henry Johnson, a Distinguished Service Cross recipient in World War I, received a well-deserved Medal of Honor in the same White House ceremony at which William Shemin was honored. The Shemin family has generously shared stories of Henry Johnson’s military experiences when Bill Shemin’s story has been being told.

William Shemin’s story was brought to my attention by a staff member at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History where they have an exhibit about him. They also have an excellent online exhibit about Shemin’s life and military career. Click here for the online Shemin exhibit: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.

Shemin’s Early Life

William Shemin’s parents came from Orsha (modern-day Belarus) in Russia.  The government of Tsar Alexander III urged attacks against the Jewish people. Because of the violence, families like the Shemins fled if they could.

When the Shemins arrived in America, they began life on the lower East Side where Bill was born. With the start of a family, the parents moved to Bayonne, New Jersey.

The suburban environment was a great place for raising children. Bill loved being outdoors and became a great athlete. When he was 15, he was recruited to play for the Bayonne Sea Lions, a semi-professional baseball team. He loved playing ball and appreciated that it was a job for which he was paid.

Forestry School

While he was still in high school, Shemin became aware of a new program that interested him. Syracuse University started a forest ranger school that was to be located in Wanakena, New York, in the heart of the Adirondacks. (The school would eventually become the New York State College of Forestry—the first ever in the country.) 

Shemin applied and was accepted to the school. When he arrived, the students were put to work building classrooms for the program. They literally helped build the school and its curriculum from the ground up. 

Shemin graduated in 1914 and worked for a few years as a ranger. The physical and mental toughness required for the job likely gave Bill Shemin the background for surviving and leading his men on the Vesle River in France.

World War I

When the United States ultimately entered World War I, Bill Shemin was still too young to enlist in the military.  At that time, the required age for military enlistment was 21. But Bill was determined to serve.

In a video interview, his daughter Elsie Shemin-Roth says that her father told his parents that if they didn’t support his enlistment, he would leave and never come home. With that, his father agreed to go with him to assure the enlisting officer that his son was eligible, having just turned 21.

With that, Bill Shemin joined the Army and was sent to basic training in Camp Greene, North Carolina. He was assigned to be a rifleman in Company G, 47^th Infantry Regiment, 4^thDivision (“the Ivy Division,”) with the American Expeditionary Forces in France.

At the time the Ivy Division arrived in France, the fighting was fierce. The Allied forces successfully pushed the Germans away from the Marne River, but by August 7, the Germans paused to dig in and fight. They were on bluffs above the north bank of the Vesle River. The town of Bazoches (by then in ruins) was just below.

The Germans knew the Allies would have to cross the river to attack them, so they maintained their position and hid machine gun nests within the ruins of Bazoches.  From the bluffs, they could disperse mustard gas into the valley with less risk to themselves. This dispersal worsened the situation for the Allies as this meant that troops could not fight without cumbersome gas masks.

Crossing the River

The order for the 47^th Infantry came down the line. They were to get across the river and take Bazoches. As the troops approached the river with the intent to cross it, they were pinned down along a wheat field that ran to the riverbank. During the daytime, soldiers crawled to avoid being seen, but the German machine guns fired relentlessly in a grazing motion, and sharpshooters excelled at picking out any sign of movement. 

The Ivy Division had no time to dig trenches, so the soldiers created “scrapes.” Each man had a tool that looked like a gardening trowel. They moved forward when they could. Then lying flat on the ground, they dug as quickly as possible.  Dirt that was removed was piled on the side of the scrape facing the river to help make each man less visible. The hope was to create something 6-12 inches deep. When the machine gun fire began again, they lay face down, hoping that they would not be hit.  They longed for the time and opportunity to dig foxholes but the best they could usually do was to dig scrapes.

They Persevered

Their goal continued to be to traverse the wheat field (about 150 yards—a football field and a half) to the riverbank and then to cross the river to take out the guns on the other side. Small groups were sent forward looking for the best route. (Not everyone could swim so the area needed to be clear enough that soldier could help soldier as they crossed.)

But the scouting  groups kept being shot down. Several times, Bill Shemin sprang up from his scrape and ran toward the river (and the German guns) to pull men back. One of the three men he saved during these days was Jim Pritchard who remained a lifelong family friend. Pritchard always told his own clan that if there hadn’t been a brave and heroic Bill Shemin, there would not have been any Pritchard descendants at all.

Shemin in Charge

By this time, German sharpshooters had picked off Company G’s officers. It was easy for the Germans to see the glint of their medals, and by this time, Company G was reduced to noncommissioned officers like Bill Shemin who was left to lead the rest of the platoon in a desperate swim across the river to the north side.

Eventually the Ivy Division got the platoon across the river. The Germans were well hidden within the rubble of Bazoches.  The Americans fought with valor, but the pressure was too great.  Bill Shemin saw that his group was greatly diminished in number, and the German onslaught was too powerful. He navigated the men back where they could secure themselves on the side of the Vesle River that they recently left.

Shemin was shot during the fighting in Bazoches, but he refused to stop. A machine-gun bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind his left ear. His body was also riddled with shrapnel, but he kept going until he finally lost consciousness on the original riverbank where they started. His men got him to a location where an ambulance could take him to a field hospital.  

Hospitalization

Shemin spent the next few months in the hospital recovering.  When he was discharged, he still had shrapnel lodged in his back, and the hearing in his left ear was gone. He was offered an honorable discharge to return home, but Bill Shemin wouldn’t consider it. He wanted to return to his unit.

By this time, the Ivy Division had been sent to the Moselle River Valley in western Germany where they were charged with maintaining order. Shemin was reunited with them, and he was given administrative chores to accommodate his injuries. The men knew well Shemin’s exemplary record, and they respected him.

The “Almost Assignment”

In 1919, Europe was shattered by the war, but John J. Pershing, General of the Armies of the United States, was intent on maintaining order and showing that Europe could recover.  As he traveled through the war-ravaged territory, he requested an honor guard be formed (the “bravest of the brave”). He specified that the force should consist of soldiers who had been decorated with a high-level medal for valor.  This work involved precision drilling and standing as a symbol of American victory.

Shemin was the right height, and his Silver Star had been upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. He was a perfect candidate, and his unit put him forward for the honor. 

But when Pershing’s advance man reviewed the personnel records, the officer noted that Shemin was Jewish. Despite his heroics at the Vesle River and the bullet hole in his helmet resulting in lifelong injuries, Shemin was removed from the honor guard. The advance man wanted an “All American” image for the guard. 

Shemin was disappointed, but stayed focused on his military assignment with his men.

His Men Knew

His unit felt differently. Those with whom Shemin served remembered all he had done for them during the war. They knew he deserved the Medal of Honor.

To be considered for the highest military honor in the country, eyewitness accounts were needed as well as testimony from company officers. It was not hard to get men who served with Bill Shemin to speak up.

They knew they had been saved because this 19-year-old  soldier not only executed three rescues (bringing men back from open territory) but he stepped forward to command the platoon—first getting them across the Vesle River, and then spearheading a retreat when the German fighting became more than their surviving group could withstand.  His men wanted to ensure that the story of the “Jewish kid who saved the platoon” wasn’t lost to history.

Despite their efforts, Shemin was not awarded the Medal of Honor at that time. But thanks to those men, all the necessary documents were collected and were available when his daughter finally brought attention to the matter almost one hundred years later.

Back Home

Bill Shemin returned home and was determined to move forward with his life, despite a limp, shrapnel in his back, hearing loss, and what we now know as PTSD.

By this time, Syracuse University had expanded the forest ranger school and had a full-scale College of Forestry. Bill Shemin did not have a college degree, so he enrolled in the forestry program and was an asset to the school. He played varsity football and then lacrosse, graduating in 1923.

He married Bertha Schiffer and they raised three children: daughters Elsie and Ina and son Emmanuel.

His love of growing things continued, so he soon opened his own greenhouse and nursery in the Bronx. The name he chose referred back to his military service with the Fourth Division: Ivy Floral and Landscape (IV or Ivy).   Shemin’s business was very successful, and he became one of the main nurseries from which the parks in New York City purchased their plantings.

In addition to work and family, Shemin also dedicated his time to issues regarding his religion and the military. He was involved with both the Legion of Valor and the Jewish War Veterans. Many men needed assistance finding health care and employment, and Shemin was happy to help. He also stood strongly for Jewish rights.

The Impact of Elsie Shemin-Roth’s Mission

Like many soldiers who fought in World War I or II, Shemin had little interest in talking about his war experience. His daughter, Elsie Shemin-Roth, was always curious. She gained more information when fellow soldier Jim Pritchard, one of the men Bill Shemin carried to safety, came to visit. Pritchard was open about the fact that Shemin was denied the Medal of Honor because of his faith.

In a Legacy Video about her father, Elsie, who became a registered nurse and volunteered for overseas service during the Gulf War, describes how furious she was…and how puzzled she was that her father bore no anger.  But he told her: “War is not about medals. I love my country. I love my men. That’s all that counts.”

The Jewish WWI Veterans Act

In 2002, Elsie Shemin-Roth, saw that Congress had passed legislation that veterans of WWII, Korean, War, and Vietnam would be considered for honors posthumously if the family and friends could show that they were denied because of religion or race.

To Elsie, this was a no-brainer. Why not push for an amendment to the law that included World War I veterans?  She began working through friends, organizations, and her representatives from her Congressional district in Missouri, to push for an expansion of the law.

In 2011, with the passage of the William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act (part of the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act), the Pentagon was compelled to go back and look at all Jewish veterans who received the Distinguished Service Cross or Navy Cross.

Fortunately, her father saved documentation from his war service, so he had the required testimonials from three officers and three enlisted men as well as reports from review boards of the era. 

Medal of Honor Awarded

On June 2, 2015, nearly a century after his acts of valor, Sergeant William Shemin was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in a ceremony held in the East Room of the White House. President Barack Obama presented the nation’s highest military decoration to Shemin’s daughters, Elsie Shemin-Roth and Ina Bass, finally correcting a historical oversight rooted in the prejudices of the early 20th century.

Medal of Honor Citation

Sergeant William Shemin distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with G Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy on the Vesle River, near Bazoches, France from August 7 to August 9, 1918. Sergeant Shemin, upon three different occasions, left cover and crossed an open space of 150 yards, repeatedly exposing himself to heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, to rescue wounded. After officers and senior noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Sergeant Shemin took command of the platoon and displayed great initiative under fire until wounded on August 9. Sergeant Shemin’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, with G Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, and the United States Army.

Amazing Accomplishment

The ceremony served as a powerful conclusion to Elsie’s fifteen-year crusade, ensuring her father’s legacy was officially etched into the highest level of American military history.

Also honored at the same White House ceremony was Henry Johnson, the Harlem Hellfighter who fought valiantly in France during World War I but was also overlooked. (The Shemin family graciously includes recognition of Henry Johnson at events when William Shemin is being honored,)

Among President Barack Obama’s remarks in the East Wing that day were these: “It’s never too late to say thank you.” 

The story of William Shemin remains important in 2025 because it serves as a powerful reminder of historical injustice and the ongoing need for equality and recognition within American society and its institutions.

Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918) is remembered as a patriot, a family man, a veteran, and a well-known poet. His poetry was so widely-read that when he was killed in World War I, it was front-page news across the nation.

Kilmer, a writer and editor, wrote his poem, “Trees,” in 1913. It was published in Poetry magazine that year. Its simplicity and sentiment became well-loved by the public, and the poem was published in many newspapers across the nation.

Today the memory of Kilmer has faded, but this year (2025) he was selected by the nonprofit, Operation Restore Decency, as a veteran to honor on Veterans Day. (Each year the organization selects a particular veteran to remember to personalize the sacrifice all veterans make in preserving peace and freedom for Americans.)

Kilmer’s Early Life

Alfred Joyce Kilmer was born in 1886 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His father was a physician and worked as an analytical chemist for Johnson and Johnson Company.

Kilmer was the youngest of four children. He was named for two Episcopal priests at the Episcopal parish in New Brunswick. However, Kilmer disliked the name Alfred, and he comfortably took to being called Joyce.

The children attended Rutgers College Grammar School. Throughout his education, he was particularly drawn to working on school newspapers.  

When he graduated from high school, Kilmer accept a scholarship to Rutgers College. Harry J. Cargas, who wrote a biography of Joyce Kilmer, writes that Kilmer always struggled with math. In college, the Rutgers administration wanted him to repeat a year because of his math grade. His mother was adamant that Kilmer not be held back. She helped him transfer to Columbia University where the math requirement was less onerous at that time.

After graduation from Columbia in 1908, he married his college sweetheart, Aline Murray (1888-1941). They eventually had five children.

First Job

Joyce Kilmer’s first job was teaching Latin at Morristown High School in New Jersey. His dream was to be a writer, so nights and weekends, he wrote and submitted essays, poems, and book reviews to various publications.

In 1910, the Kilmers decided that living in New York City would offer him better career opportunities. They found an apartment on 184^th Street that was large enough to hold the family.

Once settled in New York City, Kilmer applied to several trade publications and landed a job at one of them. He could support his family and gain experience in publishing while still having time to submit articles to other publications.

By 1912, Kilmer was a special writer for The New York Times Review of Books and The New York Times Sunday Magazine. While it was not a staff job, he was in the office so much that editors assigned him a desk.

But the family needed more space at home. I n 1912, he and Aline moved to a house in Mahwah, New Jersey.   That year their daughter Rose was born and shortly after birth she was stricken with infantile paralysis, an illness with no cure at that time.

The Joyces felt helpless and turned to the church for comfort. Joyce Kilmer converted to Catholicism at this time. This would later influence his career as he obtained a strong following among Catholics.

Publication of “Trees”

In August of 1913, Joyce Kilmer’s poem, “Trees,” was published in Poetry magazine. Something about the verse caught the zeitgeist. People loved the simplicity and the sentiment of it. Newspapers purchased the rights to the poem, and it was read by many Americans.  Kilmer was soon invited to lecture across the country, primarily to Catholic audiences.  

The following year a book, Trees and Other Poems, was published. Soon three more poetry collections of Kilmer’s were published. He continued writing as well as traveling on the lecture circuit, though he tried to be home as much as possible because of Rose and the other children.

World War I

World War I, also called the Great War, began in 1914. The war began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria while he was visiting Serbia. Austria blamed Serbia for the attack.  

On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers quickly collapsed. Countries in Europe were picking sides. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany. World War I had begun.

The United States resisted entering into a conflict on the other side of the ocean. Then on May 7, 1915, Germany torpedoed the passenger ship, The Lusitania. Almost 1200 passengers were killed, including 128 Americans. Though the news was tragic and unsettling, President Woodrow Wilson obtained a pledge from Germany that no more civilian ships would be attacked.

But the country was changing. Joyce Kilmer was commissioned to write a poem about the sinking of the passenger ship. He anthropomorphizes the Lusitania but it works:

The White Ships and the Red

The pale green waves about her
Were swiftly, strangely dyed,
By the great scarlet stream that flowed
From out her wounded side.
And all her decks were scarlet
And all her shattered crew.
She sank among the white ghost ships
And stained them through and through.
…
“I went not forth to battle,
I carried friendly men,
The children played about my decks,
The women sang — and then —
And then — the sun blushed scarlet
And Heaven hid its face,
The world that God created
Became a shameful place!

This poem is credited with beginning to turn the tide as to whether or not the United States should enter World War I. 

Pledge Forgotten

By 1917, Germany had done away with any pledges to not torpedo other ships in the Atlantic. Soon merchant ships were being hit. In addition, the Zimmermann telegram was discovered. The telegram indicated that Germany and Mexico might work together to undertake war against the U.S. In light of these new events, the American sentiment about the war changed.

On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany. 

Kilmer Enlists

Only a few days after this declaration, Joyce Kilmer enlisted. As a 31-year-old family man, he was not required to join up, but Kilmer was a patriot and saw military service as an important duty.

Initially, he was part of the New York National Guard. In August the Guard unit was assigned to the 165^th Infantry Regiment (the “Fighting 69^th).  

Kilmer’s basic training was in Camp Mills in Garden City, Long Island. To avoid unnecessary time away from the family, he and Aline rented a home in Larchmont, New York. Aline was pregnant again, and Rose’s health continued to deteriorate. While the travel between Long Island and Larchmont was not easy, Kilmer could still get home now and then. 

Just before he was sent overseas, Rose died. Son Christopher was born shortly after. 

Fighting in France

The “Fighting 69^th” arrived in France and served as part of the 42^nd Infantry Division that became known as the “Rainbow Division.” (It was called the Rainbow Division because it was made up of National Guard units from 26 states.)

In March of 1918, the U.S. troops were under French command near Baccarat, France. They needed to learn about the geography of the area and gain experience in trench warfare. It was a rough beginning.

On March 7, 1918, a German shell caused the collapse of one of the dugouts in the wooded area known as the Rouge Bouquet. In the aftermath, almost two dozen members of the Fighting 69^th died.

Kilmer was aghast at what he witnessed. Within a few days he penned his poem, “Rouge Bouquet.”

In a wood they call the Rouge Bouquet

There is a new-made grave to-day,

Build by never a spade nor pick

Yet covered with earth ten meters thick.

There lie many fighting men,

    Dead in their youthful prime,

Never to laugh nor love again

    Nor taste the Summertime.

For Death came flying through the air

And stopped his flight at the dugout stair,

Touched his prey and left them there,

    Clay to clay.

He hid their bodies stealthily

In the soil of the land they fought to free

    And fled away.

The poem concludes:

From the wood called Rouge Bouquet,

A delicate cloud of bugle notes

    That softly say:

“Farewell!

Farewell!

Comrades true, born anew, peace to you!

And your memory shine like the morning-star.

Brave and dear,

Shield us here.

Farewell!”

The poem was first published in Stars and Stripes, August 16, 1918. (Kilmer did not live to know of its publication.) It is now a tradition to read the poem at funeral services for fallen members of the regiment.

Tragic End for Kilmer

In April 1918, Kilmer was transferred to the military intelligence section of his regiment to work under Major “Wild Bill” Donovan. When Donovan’s adjutant was killed, Kilmer was selected to move up temporarily to aid Donovan. 

By the end of July, the fighting in the Second Battle of the Marne was fierce. Major Donovan needed someone to go on reconnaissance with him for the locations of the German machine gun nests that were wreaking havoc on the regiment. 

On July 30, Kilmer was called upon to accompany Major Donovan as they went out to explore where the Germans were positioned. Kilmer and Donovan left together, but each went a slightly different direction.

Donovan returned to headquarters but no one heard from Kilmer. When it seemed safe, another soldier left the trenches. He soon found Kilmer’s body. He was killed by a single gunshot. Military records place his death on the battlefield near the Ourcq River that fed into the village of Seringes-et-Nesles in northern France. 

Kilmer was buried in a cemetery near where he fell in the Ois-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial. For his valor, he later was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Republic.

In the United States, a cenotaph was erected to his memory on the Kilmer family plot in Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick, New Jersey.

Due to Joyce Kilmer’s prominence, a memorial mass was celebrated at St.  Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on October 14, 1918.  Other honors were to follow over time.

Many Honors Followed

People across the country thought well of Joyce Kilmer. His poetry and his honorable service to the country moved them.  On July 31 1931, a tree was dedicated in Joyce Kilmer’s memory along Literary Walk in Central Park.  The ceremony was held under the auspices of the Catholic Writers Guild, and Reverend Francis B. Duffy, chaplain of the Rainbow Division in which Kilmer Served, spoke at the memorial service.

Also in the early 1930s, the North Carolina Veterans of Foreign Wars unit aspired to establish a place of respite for its members. They finally selected a section of forest about 100 miles west of Asheville, N.C., in the Nantahala National Forest. The beautiful secluded area features old growth where hikers can enjoy poplar, hemlock, red and white oak, basswood, beech and sycamore.  It was officially dedicated in 1936, and today, the 3,800-acre Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is now a part of the 17,000-acre Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness, adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Because Joyce Kilmer was so loved, there are still more memorials to him. You can find schools, parks, and even a highway rest stop (in New Jersey) named in memory of Joyce Kilmer.

What Tree Inspired “Trees?”

When people hear or read the poem, “Trees,” they often wonder what tree or trees Joyce Kilmer was inspired by when he wrote his poem.  Residents near Notre Dame and Rutgers, as well as people in Swansea, New Hampshire, and Larchmont, New York, have all considered that their trees might have been the inspiration. 

Alex Michelini, founder of the Joyce Kilmer Society of Mahwah, felt compelled to explore this issue. He and his wife traveled the country, visiting memorials to Kilmer and investigating any place that had archival information related to the poet. Ultimately, Michelini found relevant archival papers about Kilmer at Georgetown University.

Michelini knew that Kilmer always dated the notebooks in which he wrote his poems. When the Georgetown library brought forward a 1913 notebook with “Trees” in it, Michelini knew he found what he needed.

The poem was dated February 2, 1913, a time when the Kilmers had little ones and lived in the house in Mahwah, New Jersey. It became clear that the likely trees in question could be viewed from the upper story windows.  Michelini’s hunch was further supported when he located a letter written by Aline that described how the poem came to be written. Aline verified this story.

Kilmer and Poetry

Much has been written about the worth of Joyce Kilmer’s poetry. Was it any good? Many have made fun of the poems and their rhyming simplicity and common subjects. At Columbia University, there has long been an Alfred Joyce Kilmer Bad Poetry Contest. But is this fair?

Kilmer was born in 1886, at a time when simple poetry was appreciated as both popular entertainment as well as moral instruction. Many churches celebrated poetry, and schools often required students to memorize poems as we a way to learn to read, to focus on concepts, and for students to master the art of oral presentation. The fact that the subject matter in his poems is about simple things makes them all the more accessible.

The lovely aspect of a Kilmer poem was the succinct, if sometimes sentimental, presentation of a difficult theme. Look back at his poem about the tragedy of The Lusitania. By anthropomorphizing the ship, he moves the reader into the scene of the tragedy and explains the innocence of those who were killed. Not many writers can deliver a gut punch in a piece that takes just a couple of minutes to read.

Like all things, the concepts and theories behind what makes good poetry changes over time. After Kilmer, writers like Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot came forward with free verse on deeper subject matter, and newspapers no longer wanted or needed to publish simple verse.

But for his time, Joyce Kilmer was a hero. He helped people grapple with issues ranging from the simple to the complex. And when the U.S. entered the war, Kilmer, the patriot and family man, was right there to do his duty. 

****

2025

Joyce Kilmer was brought to my attention this autumn (2025) when LTC (retired) Debjeet Sarkar, M.D., and his organization, Operation Restore Decency publicized their Veterans Day event in Central Park.

Sarkar arranged for the Kilmer plaque at the foot of the tree along Literary Walk in Central Park to be refinished. He planned to hold a ceremony to rededicate it in Kilmer’s memory. Alex Michelini, founder of the Joyce Kilmer Society spoke about Kilmer’s life. Navy Veteran Stephen DeLuca, SJD, representing Taps for Veterans, played the Star Spangled Banner and Taps.  

It was a moving and truly special way to recognize Veterans Day with other like-minded people.

The 250^th anniversary of America’s independence—our Semiquincentennial– is just a few months away.

The celebrations are intended to begin on July 4, marking the 250^th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). But excitement throughout the country is building.

There will be events that come before July 4, 2026, as well as long after. The intent is to celebrate the remarkable founding of the country and to honor the contributions of all Americans who have participated in creating the country we now enjoy. Many events will also examine our future.

But What About the Confounding Name?

If you haven’t a clue about the complicated term for the celebration—the Semiquincentennial instead of simply calling it 250—here is the breakdown:  The word is built from Latin and is dissected this way: Semi– (half) + Quinque- (five) + Centum (hundred) + -ennial (relating to years)  Put together, it literally means “half of five hundred,” or 250 years.

Stories Told Throughout the Country

While the federal government is crafting the events they want to highlight, they will not be the only voice heard. Celebrations will come from thousands of places–decentralized local, state, and non-governmental initiatives that have important stories to tell.  

Nearly every state and territory has established its own commission (e.g., America 250 NC, America 250 CT). Many of these state bodies have explicitly adopted themes of inclusivity. Many of the events will reckon with the past, and tell a more complete narrative that incorporates local histories of women, Native Americans, and African Americans. They do so because that’s the only way to tell their area’s story in an appropriate way.

By listening to the stories that will be told across the country over many months, Americans will find a complete documentation of how our country was built—and how we can do better.

Where to Start

While many of the celebrations will emanate from the eastern seaboard—Boston, New York, Washington, and Virginia—there will be many places in your own region where you can go to learn local stories. And of course, websites from museums and various government entities will let you time travel from home.

For many, however, the lure of a trip to Boston or Philadelphia will be strong.  If you make it to Philadelphia, then you can’t go wrong with a visit to the Museum of the American Revolution, a relatively new (2017) addition to Philadelphia’s incredible offerings. 

The Museum of the American Revolution

A visit to the museum promises many treats. The exhibit halls are informative and visitors glide easily from room to room. They stand beneath the replica of the Liberty Tree, a touchstone where colonists gathered to debate British policy and how the residents should react.

The galleries explain the harrowing road to independence, including stories from diverse perspectives, including women and Native Americans. Throughout there are significant artifacts on display.

Most exciting and dramatic is the presentation of George Washington’s Headquarters Tent. The tent is presented in a dedicated theater where its story is told. The film explores Washington’s leadership and the tent’s role as his mobile office where he strategized, wrote dispatches, and made pivotal decisions throughout much of the war. As the story builds, so does the excitement about seeing the actual tent. When the curtain rises, the low lights reveal the beauty of the actual tent. It is truly awe-inspiring.

Museum Has a Very American Story

While the opening of the Museum in Philadelphia did not occur until 2017, the idea for the museum began more than 100 years before this. In the early 1900s, an Episcopal priest, Reverend W. Herbert Burk (1867-1933), became enthralled by the story of Valley Forge. It was just 25 miles from where his own church was located in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Valley Forge, of course, was not a battlefield, but it played a significant role during the Revolutionary War.  This was the location where George Washington decided he and his troops could best survive the winter of 1777-1778. Unfortunately for all, the cold weather that year was particularly harsh. Most soldiers had inadequate clothing, there was sickness, and it was difficult to keep the men fed. The soldiers suffered terribly.

Because of Father Burk’s interest in Valley Forge, he visited the area whenever he could. In 1903, he gave a sermon to his congregation to commemorate Washington’s birthday. Reverend Burk introduced the idea that an Episcopal chapel should be built in Valley Forge in memory of George Wahington.

His suggestion was well received. Others in the congregation began to help out. Slowly, donations were given in nickels and dimes. As the small donations came in, construction began and the walls were built a “few feet at a time.”

Father Burk and others also began acquiring Washington-related artifacts, which was relatively easy given the Valley Forge location.

As the project went on, Burk established the Valley Forge Museum of American History and suggested a small display area be added to the chapel. 

Interesting Inquiry

As Burk continued to collect items, he received an intriguing inquiry.  Would he be interested in acquiring George Washington’s headquarters tent that was used at Valley Forge?

The tent was in the possession of Mary Custis Lee (1835-1918), great granddaughter of Martha Washington and daughter of Robert E. Lee.

Custis Lee was in the process of finding homes where her family’s inherited artifacts would be appreciated. Though she had higher bidders for the tent, Custis Lee favored Father Burk’s project at Valley Forge. She felt the tent belonged in the museum created to honor the Valley Forge encampment.

In 1909, she sold the main section of the tent to Reverend Burk for $5,000 to raise funds for Confederate widows.

But Where Had the Tent Been?

After the Revolutionary War, the tent was preserved by the descendants of Martha Washington, primarily the Custis and later the Lee families, at Mount Vernon and then later Arlington House. (Arlington House was built by George Washington Parke Custis 1781-1857).

During the Civil War, Union forces seized Arlington House, and the tent and other family belongings were confiscated. The tent and other items were stored at the U.S. Patent Office in Washington, D.C. (The home itself was claimed by Union soldiers and became Arlington National Cemetery.) 

In 1901 by order of President William McKinley, Washington’s artifacts were returned to the Custis-Lee family who had originally inherited them.  George Washington Parke Custis Lee was the rightful heir. However, Lee had no children, so his sister, Mary Custis Lee, took responsibility and determined the future of the relics.

When Burke took possession of the tent, he made it the centerpiece of the American history museum in the display area of the Washington Memorial Chapel. By this time, Burk established a Valley Forge Historical Society oversee the collection.

In 2000, the administrators of the historical society knew it needed to prepare to grow bigger. It created a nonprofit organization, the Museum of the American Revolution, to expand on ways to tell the story of the nation’s founding.

Plans Made for a Valley Forge Center

The original intent of the nonprofit was to build a museum in the Valley Forge National Historical Park. Planning started in 1999, but as so often happens, zoning and economic issues caused delays. Then a funder, H.F. Gerry Lenfest (1930-2018) joined the Board of Directors (becoming chairman) and pushed the project forward.

Lenfest bought 78 acres of property in Valley Forge. He felt that like Gettysburg, the area could offer a tourism and hospitality hub (a hotel, restaurants, a conference center, and of course a larger museum).  But residents objected to the commercial encroachment upon the area, and they battled successfully to keep the mixed-use project out of their community.

Lenfest had excellent contacts. He got in touch with then-governor Edward G. Rendell, and together they created a new plan. Lenfest exchanged the 78 acres he purchased in Valley Forge for less than an acre of property at Third and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. This was actually prime territory for visitors to the city. The location is in the heart of historic Philadelphia, steps away from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

Excavation

One of the bonuses of the new site was that the city has stringent zoning and deed restrictions. An archaeological survey was required. The dig occurred over several months in 2014, and they found 82,000 artifacts that date to Philadelphia’s founding. These were wonderful additions to the collection.

The museum opened on April 19, 2017. The date was carefully chosen as it was the 242^nd anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Now, the museum is well-prepared to tell our country’s story on the occasion of the 250^th.

If You Can’t Get to Philadelphia…

Like most educational museums, the Museum of the American Revolution has an interesting and informative website. It tells a great deal about what visitors will see on their visit. It also provides photos and information about many of the objects on display.

But there is an added bonus to the site. Museum staff has assembled an extensive reading list that can be filtered based on age and interest of the reader (from children to scholarly adults).  In addition, the site includes short but helpful excerpts so that readers will get the sense of what each book is about.

Also included with the book lists are links to photos of items in the museum. This increases a reader’s knowledge about a particular topic. 

It’s a lovely way to “read into” the Semiquincentennial!

Remember foldable paper road maps?

For some of us, the thought of foldable highway maps conjures memories of family road trips where the words, “Let’s stop for a map,” were spoken whenever the family drove into unfamiliar territory.  Parents studied the map for route guidance and then passed the map to those of us in the back seat who yearned for something new to look at during long drives.

Early Drivers Didn’t Need Maps

When people first began driving, there was little need for route guidance. Automobiles were very simple, and people primarily drove around the towns and countryside they knew well. 

But by 1915, the U.S. had more than two million cars, and motorists were beginning to drive from town to town. Maps were needed but they weren’t easy to come by as mapmaking required a great deal of time-consuming and tedious work.

Bicycle Maps Came First

The bicycle craze of the late 19^th century put lots of Americans on the road. As riders ventured farther away from their home bases, bicycle maps came in handy. But most of the information wasn’t transferable to maps for automobiles.

Cyclists could navigate narrow passageways or alleys, and if necessary, riders could carry their bikes across shallow streams. Automobiles could only travel on bigger roads and while they could drive through small rivulets of water, they needed to be careful not to get stuck in mud. Tires on cars made in the early part of the century did not give traction. 

And since there was no master plan for roadways, mapmakers had to create maps on an as-needed basis.

Road Markers Were Also Rare

Often, the best way to navigate was to stop frequently and ask a local resident for directions. Because road markers were rare, a local person’s guidance would likely be punctuated with information about making turns on the street “where the café is” or after “crossing the bridge in the middle of town.”

Many roads had no names at all, and in some parts of the country, roads changed names as they continued into a new county. For that reason, guidance was complicated.

Company-Sponsored Route Guides

Eventually companies like car manufacturers and travel associations began creating “route guides” with advertising placed prominently throughout.  

For a person to make a guide required that they have an automobile with a reliable odometer. Distances needed to be accurate. At least two people needed to be in the car traveling the route. The driver noted landmarks and specific mileages while the passenger carefully wrote down the directions. Andrew McNally II, son of a founder of Rand McNally & Co. created the Rand McNally Chicago to Milwaukee Photo-Auto Guide of 1909 on his honeymoon with the aid of his new bride.

With these early guides, the directions were often similar to what a local person would tell a driver. “After 2.7 miles, make a right turn at the café with the red roof.” (If the café burned down, the guidance became unclear or confusing.) Better guides documented the more complex turns with photographs.

Because it was clear that guideposts were needed, some guidebook makers began erecting their own signs along popular routes. 

Solutions Begin

By the 1920s, there were more roads, more markers, more cars, and more confusion.

Wisconsin was the first state to come up with a solution. In 1920 they established a method for numbering their roads. Soon other states began to follow their lead. By the end of the 1920s, almost 76,000 miles of U.S. roads had been given a number designation.  Odd numbers were used for north-south roads; even numbers were selected for roads running east and west.    

Maps as Promotional Tools

During the 1910s, gasoline companies began opening service stations so drivers could buy gasoline. The Gulf Refining Company established one of the nation’s  first drive-in gasoline service stations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  (Up until this time, drivers purchased gasoline in five-gallon containers. (See “When Gasoline-Powered Cars Were First Used, Where Did They Get Gasoline?”) 

Advertising man William Akin suggested an idea for promoting these businesses. He told Gulf to buy and give away local maps for each area where they had stations.  By 1920, Gulf was giving away 16 million maps of the eastern U.S.  Soon other gas companies followed. 

But as the years went by, the availability of free road maps at gas stations declined. Drivers were generally commuting on a well-known route and didn’t need a map. And because of the oil embargoes in the 1970s, oil companies cut back on promotional items. A free map was no longer going to inspire consumer loyalty.

Maps continued to be made available at gas stations and bookstores, but they had to be paid for. 

Today we rarely think to take a map with us. Though identifying a location on a map is enormously helpful in getting us oriented, today most people are perfectly comfortable simply following the GPS technology.    

A Different Map: Lowell Thomas War Map

During World War II, Americans were desperate for more information about the war, about the troops, and about where their loved ones might be. As a result, maps of the areas where the fighting was taking place were created and distributed in the same manner as road maps. 

Sunoco was the sponsor of a newscast hosted by Lowell Thomas (1892-1981), so he became the “face” of the Sunoco war map published in 1942.  The maps unfolded to reveal four full-color maps on two sides of a 20 x 26-inch sheet. 

Over time the war maps spawned offshoots. In 1944 Sunoco distributed an “air lanes map” with pictures and descriptions of American, British, Russian, German, and Japanese airplanes.

Lowell Thomas was the perfect guide for Americans following the war. He was a pioneer in journalism and was among the first to report from the battlefield during World War I, and he was the first to enter Germany after the war to gather eyewitness accounts. His Sunoco-sponsored program began on NBC in 1930 but soon switched to CBS. Prior to 1947, he was an employee of Sunoco, not NBC or CBS.  Until 1952 he was also the voice of Movietone News until 1952. 

Fast Facts about Early Roads

• The first pedestrian safety island was created in San Francisco in 1907.
• The first road to have a painted midline dividing the lanes was a road in Michigan, and the line was painted in 1911.
• The first electric traffic signal was used in Cleveland in 1914. See “Garrett Morgan: Successful Inventor of Safety Hood/Traffic Signal.”
• The first “no left turn” sign was put up on a busy street in Buffalo in 1916.
• The first school safety patrol program began in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1920.

No homing pigeon ever enlisted in any war, but they were used by the military on both sides of the conflicts during World Wars I and II.

Once in place, they did their jobs well and reliably, and in the process, they saved thousands of human lives. Many of the birds were killed on the battlefields.

Any soldier who participated in war deserves recognition, and the same is true for homing pigeons. That said, there were several remarkable birds who stand out for special recognition.

Cher Ami: Best Known

Cher Ami (“Dear Friend”) is the best known of the heroic homing pigeons. He was a black feather cock whose story has been told in articles and books because of the dozens of vital messages he carried during key battles.

He was born in France and was donated to the U.S. Signal Corps. His first assignment was on the front lines, carrying at least a dozen key messages. However, his fame endures for saving what is known as the “Lost Battalion.”

This occurrence took place during the massive Hundred Day Offensive near the Meuse-Argonne.  The 77^th Division consisted of nine different companies of the AEF and they were fighting in the Argonne Forest.

Their commander, Major Charles W. Whittlesey of the 308^th Infantry Regiment, led more than 500 men in an attack that finally broke through the German line.

The commander thought the unit was well protected from behind, but during the night, the enemy surrounded them. At dawn, Major Whittlesey realized they were trapped. They were running low on food and ammunition, and the other Allies did not know where they were.

Whittesley knew his options were few. Several message-runners had been killed trying to carry out information on foot. The officers turned to the homing pigeons they had with them. The first message sent was: “Many wounded. We cannot evacuate.”

The second message read: “Men are suffering. Can support be sent?”

There was no response from the command center. Whittesley and his men decided to hold firm for as long as they could, despite their dire situation.

For five days and nights, they withstood German gunfire and grenades.

By this time, Allied Forces had a better understanding of where the fighting was taking place. They attempted to direct artillery onto the German positions to help save the battalion, but they had no way to pinpoint where their own men were. Before long, they unknowingly started shelling Major Whittlesey and his men.

Last Pigeon Available

Major Whittlesey had only one more homing pigeon—Cher Ami. Though notes were usually released with two birds, Whittlesey did not have that option and had to rely on Cher Ami. He wrote a note saying:

“We are along the road paralell [sic] 276.4. Our artillery is dropping barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake stop it.”    (October 4, 1918)

The note was inserted into the tube on Cher Ami’s leg, and the bird was released. The men saw that Cher Ami was hit almost immediately, but the bird fluttered back up after initially descending. They hoped against hope that he was on his way. 

Shortly, the assault by the American stopped. Cher Ami must have arrived. The Allies redirected their fire. Within five more days, the Germans finally retreated north.

When the Lost Battalion appeared, there were only 194 men, but each of them was incredibly grateful to Cher Ami.

As for Cher Ami, his right leg was shot off and he was blinded in the left eye. Medics immediately attended to the shot he suffered through his breast, and his life was saved.

He was awarded the famous French Croix de Guerre with an Oak Leaf Cluster for his heroic service.

General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expedition Force noted: “There isn’t anything the United States can do that is too much for this bird.” Pershing ordered Cher Ami to be sent to the United States after the war. He lived in retirement at Fort Monmouth until his death in June of 1919.

Homing Pigeon Named President Wilson

The pigeon known as President Wilson served in World War I. He was born in France, and his first assignment was with the newly formed Tank Corps.

The tanks with which he served were the most forward-serving tanks (326 and 327) under Col. George S. Patton in the St. Mihiel Offensive. President Wilson carried with him numerous messages about the locations of enemy machine gun nests.

He was soon moved to an infantry unit that was fighting in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. On October 5, 1918, his unit came under heavy attack. They needed artillery support. There were no open lines of communication, so President Wilson was dispatched to notify headquarters. Enemy soldiers saw him fly out, and he was immediately fired upon.

His service record notes that “this game little soldier came through fire and fog” though one of his legs was shot off and his breast was pierced by a bullet. But he flew 25 miles to the command post in 25 minutes, and artillery support was launched, shielding Allied troops from German fire and saving thousands of American troops.

Surviving his wounds, President Wilson retired to the U.S. Army Signal Corps Breeding and Training Center in Fort Monmouth, new Jersey. He lived until 1929, at which point he was mounted and put on display at Fort Monmouth.

Eventually he was donated to the Smithsonian. In 2008, the Smithsonian returned him to the U.S. Army, and he is now thought to be on exhibit at the Pentagon, just outside the office of the Chief of Staff of the Army.

G.I. Joe: Hero from World War II

G.I. Joe was a pigeon born in March of 1943 in Algiers, North Africa. Because he was to be part of the U.S. Pigeon Service, he was taken to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Pigeon handlers were experimenting with two-way homing pigeons. Joe was to be part of this training.

Homing pigeons are known for their strong one-way returns–reliably flying from almost anywhere to their home loft. Though the military used them extensively in both World Wars I and II, pigeon handlers were hoping that two-way flights could be perfected, making the pigeons more valuable.  

As it happened, Joe was called into service before that training was completed. He was taken to Italy where the Allies were fighting.  His heroic moment required a single one-way flight which saved the citizens in the village of Calvi Vecchia in southern Italy.  

Calvi Vecchia had been taken over by the Germans but in October 1943, the Allies, led by the 169^th London Infantry Brigade, won back the village. They knew a bombing raid was planned, so they needed to alert headquarters that the village was now in Allied hands.

Pigeon handlers took G.I. Joe and wrote out a message. The pigeon was soon off, flying 20 miles in 20 minutes.

G.I. Joe’s arrival in time to halt the planes and over 100 soldiers and the entire citizenry were saved.

For his efforts, G.I. Joe was awarded the Dickin Medal for gallantry at the Tower of London. His citation reads “the most outstanding flight made by a United States Army homing pigeon in World War II.” 

After World War II, Joe returned to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, where he lived at the US Army’s Churchill Loft.  He died at the age of 18 (1961) at the Detroit Zoological Gardens. He is now mounted and on display at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Note: The Dicken Medal is a bronze medal awarded by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) to recognize animals for bravery and devotion to duty in war or conflict. The award is generally given to animals of the United Kingdom.

For a comprehensive story about homing pigeons used during World War I and World War II, click here.

Homing pigeons saved thousands of lives during both World Wars.  Despite amazing technological progress in warfare during the early 20^th century, there were times when the military needed to rely on other methods of communication. An estimated 500,000 homing pigeons were used in the first World War. It was an old “technology” for new warfare.

Sometimes the front line moved forward faster than the Signal Corps could string new wiring for telephones or telegraphs. At other points lines were severed, cutting off communication.  Messengers on foot, on horseback or traveling by motorcycle were open targets and were frequently injured or killed.

Homing pigeons were fast and reliable. They seemed to appear out of nowhere, and that helped them get through. Pigeons could also work despite bombardments, dust, smoke, fog, and bad weather.  But they were not totally trouble-free. The military needed soldiers who understood pigeon care and could assure that the pigeons were in good health for arduous flights through dangerous territory. The birds were sometime needed to fly 300-600 miles.

The key to pigeon use was getting them where they needed to be. Homing pigeons are a one-way communication system. The birds can be dropped off in many locations, but they only fly one direction—-home. That said, birds can imprint on a pigeon loft different from the one where it was born. The military tried to breed pigeons near where they would be needed, but often, they had to teach the pigeons to return to a new home.

Where Were Pigeons Used?

Pigeons served in every military branch. Tanks dispatched pigeons to relay locations of hidden machine gun nests. Pilots launched the birds midair to quickly transmit reconnaissance information. Ships and sea planes that traveled relatively close to shore carried pigeons. If there were radio failures or emergencies, the pigeons were released so the crews could be found.

During World War I, some reconnaissance was conducted via hot air balloon. Rather than trying to string a telegraph wire up to a balloon, it was easy and efficient to take pigeons. When a message needed to be sent, it was attached to the pigeon and the bird was released. After leaving the balloon, pigeons generally circled once to get oriented and then flew directly for its loft.

How the Pigeon Story Began

Homing pigeons have been used throughout world history. As far back as the Greeks, pigeons were used to carry messages as well as for the sport of pigeon racing.

Pigeon use expanded as the Ottoman Empire grew and stretched across vast territory during the 14^th century.  Pigeon fanciers developed a “pigeon relay.”

Towers were built at intervals of about every 30-40 miles with pigeon lofts atop each tower. Sentinels were on continuous watch. When a pigeon arrived, the message was taken off the bird and transferred to another bird to carry the message on the next leg of the flight. This process was repeated across the territory.

Reuters News Service

Even with the telegraph available, Reuters News Service, a prominent news agency, opted to use pigeons for transmitting the latest news and stock prices between Germany and Belgium in 1850. They determined that birds were faster than the railway and more reliable than the newly developed telegraph. Reuters maintained at least 45 working pigeons in the company lofts.

Siege of Paris

At few times in history were pigeons more important than in the Siege of Paris (September 1870-January 1871).  Napoleon was under the impression that the French Army was more powerful than the Prussian military. When he declared war on Prussia in July of 1870, he was quickly surprised.

The Prussian Army was unified and well-trained, and they quickly moved forward to surround Paris. They cut telegraph lines and closed all paths into and out of the city.

Parisians soon saw that the only way to communicate was via homing pigeon. They needed to get their pigeons out of Paris so that the French military could send back news to those under siege.

Small hot air balloons with baskets containing 2-3 pigeons were employed to send out pigeons and information. Those on the outside retrieved the pigeons and sent them back with messages.

Though the Parisians could receive news, the Prussians effectively blocked the food supply. The French eventually had no choice but to surrender. The people were starving.

The Source of Birds in World War I

The homing pigeon is a feral pigeon, descended from the Rock Dove (Columba livia). The Rock Dove weighs about 1 pound, and they are powerful fliers. These birds can fly 12-15 hours per day, covering 500-700 miles. The average speed of the motivated flier can range from 30-60 mph. In a sprint, some homing pigeons have been timed traveling 90 mph.

The wild Rock Dove has an inherent homing instinct, which is the basis for the abilities of its descendants. (City pigeons are also feral pigeons but the homing instinct has not been reinforced by breeding.)

In Europe in the late 19^th and early 20^th century, pigeon racing using homing pigeons was a popular hobby. Once the military realized they might need fliers, they contacted hobbyists. Belgian citizens were particularly involved in the sport, so they quickly began working with the military to build needed lofts for the birds and to increase breeding.

How Do Pigeons Navigate?

For birds that are bred for racing or message-carrying, scientists have developed several theories for the “instinct of orientation.” They recognize that these birds have an instinctive ability to know where to go, but scientists note that they also have heightened perception of atmospheric pressure as well as excellent sight. Pigeons seem to see in color and can focus telescopically.

The more recent understanding of homing pigeons comes from zoologist William T. Keeton (1933-1980). He worked with pigeons over a period of years and discovered that they have tiny magnetic particles in their beaks. Their sense of the earth’s magnetic field tells them where they are and shows them where they need to be.

Scientists say that as pigeons get closer to home, they switch from “compass” navigation to visual navigation. They have excellent memories.  Since their vision is good, they can use visual cues. They sometimes take a slightly longer route because it is a path that is familiar to them. 

The United States Makes Pigeon Preparation

One of the contributions the U.S. made even before they entered the war was commissioning mobile pigeon lofts for the Allies. They contacted D.M. Sechler Carriage Company in Ohio, to build mobile pigeon lofts that could be shipped overseas.  The intent was to have lofts that could be moved along with the fighting.

Next, the U.S. Signal Corps needed to find men who could work with pigeons. The ideal candidates were American pigeon racers. The sport was not as poplar as in Europe, but there were pigeon clubs in the U.S.

The need for birds was so great that the military purchased birds from American breeders, but they knew they needed to establish breeding lofts in Europe so that the birds would acclimate more quickly.

The first U.S. Pigeon Service eventually included 50 mobile lofts, nine officers, 324 soldiers, and 6000 pigeons.

How Are the Birds Trained?

The process of training homing pigeons is consistent. Young birds are given time to acclimate to the pigeon loft that will be their home base. Once they are suitably settled, they are sent out for short flights. Most pigeon handlers have whistles or calls they can use to help educate the birds as to how to come home.

As the birds become familiar with the sights, sounds and atmosphere of their area, the pigeon handlers take the birds farther and farther away. They may start with a release that is just two miles away. Over time the distance is extended until the birds are sufficiently trained.  

Occasionally birds become disoriented or pause for a time, but unless they are killed, almost all birds find their way home.

Traveling by Basket

Homing pigeons are accustomed to traveling by basket, so the military got to work at creating ways to carry them into the field.  Small baskets were appropriate for many situations (tanks and ships, for example), but soldiers in the infantry and bicycle messengers were given backpacks fitted with bird  baskets.

Because dogs were often part of message systems, special harnesses were crafted. Two baskets were attached firmly to each side of the harness. When seen from afar, the dogs appeared to have wings. These dogs often needed canine gas masks to get through war zones. Once outfitted with the mask and the baskets, the dogs could have been mistaken for flying monsters as they dashed through a battlefield.

Pigeons traveling with spies were the only birds that didn’t need baskets. These birds were used to being tucked under a coat or inside clothing.  When the spy carrying the pigeon was ready to send a message, he wrote the note, inserted it into the pigeon’s leg tube and released their bird.

Pigeon handlers were taught not to coop birds up for too long. If the bird was enclosed for up to 48 hours, they were not in good shape for flight.

Soldiers were also told not to feed the birds too close to flight time. They needed to be hungry enough to go home right away but not so hungry that they stopped for a snack.

Bird Threats and Enemies

Enemy armies were well aware of how important the pigeons were. If pigeons were in active use, the military knew that there were would be enemy gunfire. Because snipers on both sides of any fight were quite good at what they did, two pigeons were always sent carrying the same message. If one pigeon was killed, the other bird might escape with the information. 

In addition to gunfire, birds of prey were a danger. Some were birds that were simply out in the wild, but opposing military also brought in hawks and Peregrine falcons as part of the defense arsenal.

But there was a catch. Birds of prey were clueless when it came to identifying pigeon allegiances. The German army also used homing pigeons, so if their own birds were being sent out with messages, they had to hold off on releasing the birds of prey.

How the Messages Were Carried

Messenger dogs had collars that could hold messages, but pigeons were free of encumbrance. While there were some variations, most messages were carried in small aluminum tubes attached to a bird’s leg. The tube was closed at both ends to keep rain or water from seeping in.

Occasionally messages were tied to a tail feather, but these messages were more vulnerable to damage than those attached to a leg.  

Messages ranged from short, handwritten notes to multiple messages that were photographed and reduced in size so that a number of missives could be sent. It was not uncommon for a pigeon tube to hold 15 feet of film negatives. Occasionally, these could be viewed in the field using a magic lantern. Other times the film needed to be developed and sent on.

The soldiers responsible for sending messages carried pigeons and supplies as well as protective cloths to cover the pigeon baskets in case of gas attack. Every pigeon unit had message books with carbons so that copies could be made.

In the military, lofts where message-carrying pigeons returned were rigged with a bell system. When the bird arrived, the soldiers in charge were notified by the tinkling of the bell.

A Well-Known Dog and Pigeon Story

Perhaps one of the best-known stories of message-carrying during World War I involved a messenger dog as well as two pigeons.

In 1916, the ancient city of Verdun was under attack. Its location on the Meuse River was at a cross-roads where armies could travel north and south as well as east and west. The Germans felt if they could destroy Verdun they would effectively wipe out French resistance.

Fighting had gone on for almost 10 months, but the Germans seemed to be closing in. They had taken position on a ridge overlooking Verdun and were preparing for a final attack.

At French headquarters, officers wanted to send word that they were sending more military units. They hoped that there would be a way to get word from Verdun as to what they might expect.

Seventeen Messengers Killed

Seventeen soldiers had been killed carrying messages, so the French military turned to Satan, a messenger dog in their K-9 unit. One of Satan’s handlers was trapped in Verdun. If they turned Satan loose, he would head as directly as possible for his handler. A message was inserted in the tube on Satan’s collar, and he was outfitted with a harness carrying two pigeon baskets. He also wore a gas mask.

Satan was released, and he headed off on a zig-zag pattern as he had been trained to do to confuse snipers. There was underbrush on the battlefield for part of his run. As he neared Verdun, he had to cross an open field. A German sniper fired and hit him. Satan went down, then staggered up again. The men called to him. Finally, French soldiers were close enough to dash out to carry him in.

The message on his collar was received with relief, and the commander quickly wrote a return message. The pigeons in Satan’s baskets were taken out. Messages were attached, and the birds were released.

As they feared, one bird was shot immediately. The other pigeon fluttered at first, but ultimately rose into the sky, taking with him the hopes of the citizens.

 One hour later, the French successfully targeted and brought down the Germans on the ridge. At last Verdun was free.

After the War, What About the Pigeons?

After World War I, there was disagreement as to what to do with the pigeons. It was a difficult question, as there were thousands of pigeons that had been part of the pigeon brigade. Many thought that they should be left in Europe, but General Pershing’s Signal Officer Colonel Edgar Russel wanted to bring them home. Russel knew the pigeons told an important story.

Ultimately, the Signal Corps selected 32 pigeons deemed as heroes, 10 captured German pigeons, and 132 birds that were ideal for breeding.

The rest of the pigeons were available to be purchased at auction. Soldiers could bid on their particular favorites. Others would be given to French and British military.

Pigeons in World War II

By World War II, pigeons were still needed but in fewer numbers.

One of the primary needs for the pigeons was for information gathering.   Emergency communication needs still occurred but this was a day before drones, and the military needed help with reconnaissance.

When the United States put out a call for pigeons in January of 1942, they received enthusiastic support. The American Racing Pigeon Union and the International Federation of American Homing Pigeon Fanciers both stepped forward to help. Many valuable birds were donated. One shipment from New York City consisted of 52,000 birds. Pigeon breeding stations were also set up in Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, and Texas.

Pigeon Cameras

Pigeon cameras were invented between the two wars, permitting pigeons to be the forerunners of drones. The birds could fly behind enemy lines and come home with a photographic record of what was happening.

Maidenform factories were already making parachutes for the war. They were soon commissioned to make camera-carrying vests. The vests were made of netting and were form-fitting for the birds, leaving wings, head, and feet all available for flying.

From April 1941-September 1944, the British used pigeons to track what was happening on the ground behind enemy lines. Pigeons were placed in containers with parachutes attached. Planes could drop them behind enemy lines. The  parachutes gave the birds a softer landing.

Resistance fighters as well as regular citizens picked up the birds, and sent back information. The Allies received everything from vital intelligence on Nazi plans to daily reality of life under Nazi regime.

D-Day News Reports

Author Cornelius Ryan wrote that correspondents on Juno Beach during WWII had no communication method until Ronald Clark of the UPI wire service came ashore with two baskets of carrier pigeons. The correspondents wrote their stories, inserted them into the aluminum capsules, and released the birds.

To read about some of the pigeons who were war heroes, click on Cher Ami and Other Heroes.

Use During Peacetime

Some homing pigeons were used long after the war.

One hospital in Granville, France, used pigeons to send blood samples inland to a test lab in Avranches. The drive time was about 30 minutes, and pigeons could deliver the samples in 25 minutes. They maintained this system until the pigeon keeper died in 1992.