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ERISA INSURANCE J. PRICE MCNAMARA Claim Attorney
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Celebrating 30 Years With My Wife: Our Story
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Retrain Your Brain With Habit Tracking
Case: We Found CIGNA Had Withheld Key Evidence
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Feta Chicken Burgers
Why ERISA Might Just Be the Worst Law Ever
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The Unlikely Heroics of Cher Ami
The Story of Cher Ami How One Pigeon Saved 194 American Soldiers
Animals have always played a role in military efforts during wartime. Cats were kept aboard naval ships for pest control, horses and camels provided transportation for supplies and soldiers pre-World War II, and dogs are still used to this day for search and rescue efforts as well as mine detection. But one animal profession became obsolete with the advancement of communication technology: messenger. Often used during World War I, many dogs and pigeons became responsible for delivering messages of high importance. Of all the animals used during World War I, one pigeon named Cher Ami defied the odds to save nearly 200 American soldiers.
Whittlesey decided to dispatch messages by pigeon. The first pigeon got shot down almost immediately, so he sent a second pigeon with the message, “Men are suffering. Can support be sent?” That one also got shot. Finally, Whittlesey turned to his last pigeon, Cher Ami, and scribbled down a quick note on onion paper that read, “We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake, stop it.” Cher Ami took flight, but even after being shot down by the Germans, the bird defied the odds and actually took flight again! The effective delivery of this message helped save 194 men, but Cher Ami did not escape unharmed. He had been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, and had a leg hanging only by a tendon. Army medics treated Cher Ami enough so he could travel to America, where he eventually succumbed to his wounds. The bird was then taxidermied and displayed in the Smithsonian, where you can still see him today. So, the next time you’re in Washington, D.C., stop by the “Price of Freedom” exhibit at the National Museum of American History where you can personally see this brave pigeon.
On Oct. 2, 1918, Major Charles Whittlesey got trapped along the side of a hill in Northeastern France with 550 of his men. They ended up
behind enemy lines with no food or ammunition, and — to make matters worse — his battalion started to suffer from friendly fire since allied troops remained unaware of their location. With nowhere to run, Whittlesey tried to send runners to
contact the allies about their predicament. Unfortunately, their enemies consistently intercepted or killed these runners until only 194 men remained.
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