Blog #6- Carrier Pigeons

    During the presentations on Thursday, one of the most interesting topics I learned was about Carrier Pigeons. Carrier Pigeons were used primarily during the 1900's, being especially relevant during World War I and the Olympics. They played a major roll in the intelligence service during the war, providing the ability to send messages to other camps on positions of the enemies, or strategies. It would take about six weeks to successfully train a carrier pigeon, and after those six weeks they were ready to serve. When in combat, the carrier pigeon would unfortunately only survive about 10% of the time due to the fact that enemy soldiers would shoot them down to dismantle the chance for messages to be passed. In result, countries like France created laws that anybody who impended a carrier pigeon from its message would be sentenced to death. Soon after World War I, the use of Carrier Pigeons diminished due to advancements and expansions in technology. However, carrier pigeons played a pivotal role in the success of the United States military during World War I. For their efforts and bravery, some carrier pigeons would receive the Dickin Medal, which is the highest honor an animal can receive in the service. The use of carrier pigeons, though short and sweet, will forever go down in history as one of the most unique ways to communicate with one another, and for sure was a technological advancement that paved the way for future ideas.