Author Elizabeth Macalaster joined us at the library in early November to talk about America's unsung veterans.
Based on her book, War Pigeons: Winged Couriers in the U.S. Military, 1878-1957, Elizabeth Macalaster’s presentation traces the remarkable service of homing pigeons in the U.S. Military, from its beginnings after the Civil War to the birds’ invaluable communications role in every branch of the military. For 75 years, through four wars on four continents, these one-pound birds were the military’s most reliable means of communication, carrying messages in and out of gas, smoke, exploding bombs, and gunfire. They flew through jungles, across deserts, mountains, and large expanses of ocean. Sometimes they arrived at their lofts nearly dead from wounds or exhaustion, but they got their messages through.
Special thanks to Berwick Community Media for recording this presentation.