A feature documentary film directed, produced & written by Alessandro Croseri
Starring Colonel Clifford A. Poutre, Chief Pigeoneer, U. S. Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service
Filmed on location in Greensboro, North Carolina
122 minutes duration
"Good Morning Mr. Croseri, Your message was forwarded to me by our Director, Dr. Crane. I will place a copy of the details about " Gimpy" in our reference
file on "Pigeons." I've also noted and saved your excellent website for future reference and referral to those who may be seeking information on the "Soldiers
Fine Feathered Friends." Thank you for your efforts to maintain and present the history and story of military pigeons to the world."
Richard Baker, MA (Msgt, USAF ret.) Chief, Research Center Branch, Army Heritage and Education Center.
The Pigeoneers reviewed by Brigadier General Gill P. Beck, Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command, Gaithersburg, MD.
Recently, BG Gill Beck has received a nomination for promotion to Major General and was announced as the next Commanding General,
81st Regional Support Command, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. BG Gill Beck was awarded a Bronze Star for actions during the Global War on Terror.
BG Gill Beck's Bronze Star citation below.
Bronze Star
Awarded for actions during the Global War on Terror
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, takes the pleasure of presenting the Bronze Star
Medal to Colonel Gill P. Beck, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious service during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM during the period from 2
January 2005 to 14 June 2005, as Staff Judge Advocate, Task Force 134, Multi-National Force-Iraq, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. His exceptional
leadership resulted in increasing by 300% the prosecutions handled by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, which is responsible for judging all suspected
insurgents detained by Coalition Forces in the Iraq Theater of Operations. By ensuring that convicted terrorism sentences increased by 400%, he prevented
attacks on Coalition Forces in the future. This also substantially contributed to the re-establishment of the Rule of Law in Iraq, the centerpiece of Government
legitimacy and a key component of the Multi-National Force-Iraq's Campaign Plan. Additionally, Colonel Beck doubled the production of the Combined Review
and Release Board which substantially enhanced Multi-National Force-Iraq's partnership with the Iraqi government. His actions are in keeping with the
finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, this command, the Multi-National Force-Iraq, and the United States Army.
Review of “The Pigeoneers”
By BG Gill P. Beck, U.S. Army Reserve
"The Pigeoneers" is a documentary film by Al Croseri that tells a great Army story about a thinking and adaptive Soldier, the type of Soldier who has always
given the United States Army its edge in combat and in preparation for combat. This Army story is told through the eyes of Colonel Clifford A.
Poutre,
who at the time of filming was well over one hundred years old. The documentary film captures in a poignant manner the professionalism of Colonel Poutre
and the passion he had for the United States Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service and his trusted pigeons.
"The Pigeoneers" reveals the commitment of a true Soldier, who as a child growing up near Saratoga, New York, slept on the floor, in his mind, to toughen
his body for what he reviewed was his calling - service to our Nation in the United States Army. Like most Soldiers, he joined the Army not for glory or
to obtain rank but rather to serve a higher, noble cause, the defense of our beloved country - the United States of America.
Enlisting as a private in 1929, already possessing a college degree, COL Poutre sought nothing more than an opportunity to serve as a Soldier. He tells
of one of his first assignments where he was responsible for pulling every weed on the football field, a task that he did with unrelenting focus and
attention to detail which would mark his entire career. Upon seeing the completed work, he was offered the assignment of his choice, and Colonel Poutre
chose to work in the Signal Corps with pigeons.
At that time, long before the INTERNET, cellular telephone, and more modern communication devices, homing pigeons served an important role in the Army
Signal Corps relaying messages between Army units. I recall my Grandfather telling me with wonder in his eyes about growing up in New York
City and taking his pet homing pigeon to the train station and having it transported to distant places to always return home. The wonder in my
Grandfather's eyes and voice as he described these incredible creatures is something I will always remember, and I note that even today, with all of the
advances in science, our best scientists still do not understand the precise mechanism which allows homing pigeons to find their way home.
Colonel Poutre approached his duty training homing pigeons with innovative techniques that allowed the pigeons to perform at peak efficiency, winning
races, demonstrating incredible feats, and serving our Nation in war. He discarded the "starvation" training techniques and replaced them with kindness
and recognition that homing pigeons were indeed part of God's creation that should be cherished and nurtured to obtain their full God-given potential.
In 1957, the Army called upon Colonel Poutre to release the Army's last homing pigeon. This act, closing a door on a rich Army heritage, was captured
on the cover of Life magazine. Mr. Croseri should be commended for telling with so much richness this great Army story. I remember the day when Mr. Croseri
provided Colonel Poutre, at that time 103 years old, a pigeon to release. A cool spring day in North Carolina, Colonel Poutre, in his Army dress green
uniform, held the pigeon like an old friend and talked with the pigeon for several minutes with a warmth that revealed this had been the passion of his life --
a full life that had also allowed Colonel Poutre to serve on General Douglas MacArthur's Staff in Japan during the occupation of Japan following
World War II. He said "good bye" to the pigeon and then released it, knowing that the pigeon would have a difficult return trip to New York City.
As he saw the pigeon fly north he saw a hawk and said "I hate hawks," the mortal enemy of homing pigeons. In the days that followed before his death,
Colonel Poutre would occasionally ask about the pigeon but no one in the family wanted to find out whether the pigeon made it to New York City or not
because no one wanted to break the heart of an old Soldier who had lived the Army life for three decades, with a passion for service to our Nation and a
commitment to God's wonderful creatures - the homing pigeons.
*The opinions in the article are the author's and not those of the United States Army.
Col. Clifford Poutre on the set of The Pigeoneers, holding a homer for the last time.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF COLONEL CLIFFORD A. POUTRE
1904-2008
CHIEF PIGEONEER
US ARMY SIGNAL CORPS PIGEON SERVICE
The Pigeoneers reviewed by Dr. Charles Walcott, Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Dr. Walcott is a renowned homing pigeon navigation expert and was the head of the pigeon research lab/lofts at Cornell University.
Dr. Walcott famously followed homing pigeons in a single engine plane, tracking their flight routes to study their navigation patterns.
"This is quite an extraordinary film. It not only tells the story of Col. Clifford Poutre but it contains voluminous old film clips of homing
pigeons in war. For these reasons alone, this is an important film.
The late Col. Poutre was obviously a charming man with a deep love
of pigeons. He makes the case that this kind of affection is essential for really outstanding performance from your birds. As he tells his
life story interwoven with pictures of the Army pigeon corps it makes a compelling documentary. In addition, he tells of a variety of
interesting experiments that he performed. I think particularly of the idea of a mobile pigeon loft that could be moved from place to place,
the training of pigeons to fly at night in both Hawaii and New York City and the problems that New York City lights caused. He describes
training pigeons to fly over water for 100 to 200 miles and how his pigeons avoided flying over mountains. He describes the behavior of pigeons
released from high buildings homing to a mobile loft at Rockefeller Center and how they simply folded their wings and dove for the loft.
The film also contains tributes to the many famous homing pigeons that served their country in war and saved soldiers lives. In this day of
electronic communication we fail to appreciate how difficult communication was in the days before miniaturized electronics. I especially
enjoyed the old films that are now preserved in the DVD version that show the training of both pigeons and soldiers who would care for pigeons
in the field. These old films would surely disappear unless they were preserved in digital format as they are here. The account of Poutre's
visit to Tesla and the pigeons kept in a bedroom of the Hotel New Yorker is priceless. One can only imagine the cleaning maids reaction!
Overall, this is a wonderful film. It gives us an unusual view of the Army pigeon corps, a warm and delightful visit with Col. Poutre and a
strong tribute to the Homing Pigeon."
"THE PIGEONEERS" AND "THE FLIGHT" RECOMMENDED BY CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY'S
Col. Clifford Poutre's Mobile Loft No. 2, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, 1938.
Interior, Mobile Loft No. 2.
The Pigeoneers reviewed by Dr. Edward A. Wasserman, Stuit Professor of Experimental Psychology, Delta Center, University of Iowa, Iowa.
Dr. Wasserman's Pigeon Research * Amodal completion of moving objects by pigeons * UI Research Shows Pigeons And People See Eye To Eye
* Pigeons and people use the same visual cues * Pigeons categorize photographs of cats, flowers, cars, and chairs * Pigeons recognize human faces
"The Pigeoneers is a love story between man and bird. After viewing Alessandro Croseri's sentimental documentary, there can be no doubt
that Col. Clifford A. Poutre loved the many pigeons that he bred and trained for carrier service in WWII. By both word and deed, Col. Poutre
treated his pigeons as though they were human family members, children, buddies. He believed in control through kindness. He saw pigeons as
intelligent beings which would fly better if they trusted him. He accorded his birds real respect and even reverence. He reveled in their racing and
military achievements and he mourned their loss in warfare and culling. However anthropomorphically Col. Poutre may have spoken of his pigeons, for
him to have been so successful as a pigeoneer, he had to know a great deal about the natural behavior patterns of his birds as well as how best to sculpt
those behavior patterns for successful carrier missions. Col. Poutre also had to impart his love for pigeons and his success in training them to the
recruits whom he supervised over many years of service to the military. Do the notions of courage and loyalty aptly apply to pigeons? I can't say.
True, Col. Poutre's birds flew hundreds of miles in dreadful weather conditions and they were the targets of intense enemy fire. But, they may have
done so because of the extensive training that he gave them. Nor can we say that Col. Poutre's pigeons truly loved him. Nevertheless, I watched
Col. Poutre's tearful eyes, I listened to his tender words, and I watched him as he gently caressed and stroked his birds. If I were a pigeon, then I
would surely have loved this man."
The Pigeoneers reviewed by Dr. Alan Silberberg, Professor of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC.
"I am an experimental psychologist in animal learning. While I work with many species, pigeons are my creatures of first choice. Remarkable
animals they are. They can sense magnetic north, use the sun as a compass, and even smell their lofts at a distance. But these facts are known to
all pigeon fanciers. Perhaps less known but no less true are these facts: pigeons can discriminate man-made from non-man-made objects, classify
items as water whether that item be the ocean, a raindrop or an ice cube, and distinguish between the works of Mozart and Bach, or Picasso and
Cezanne........Last night I watched The Pigeoneers with my wife, an historian. She referred to the footage as "a primary historical document" because
it codifies a rare and forgotten history-- that of the use of pigeons during warfare. Remarkablely, the tale is told by a 103-year-old colonel dressed
to the nines in military regalia. He's the real deal because he was the "go to" guy in developing pigeons as instruments of war. The story is warm,
interesting and, of course, historical. This movie is surely of interest to pigeon fanciers, military historians, or just to those who find listening to
a fascinating tale a good way to pass the afternoon."
The Pigeoneers reviewed by Todd Goddard, English 201 senior teaching assistant and PHD Candidate,
Department of English, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"I want to tell you how much I enjoyed your movie. This was a truly beautiful homage to combat pigeons and especially to Col. Poutre.
Col. Poutre's life certainly deserves the attention you give it, and the care and respect you accord him is evident. You do an amazing job of
capturing the subtle and tender feelings this man held for his birds. One can plainly see his wealth of admiration for his pigeons in his gentle
and loving handling and in his expressive eyes. As your movie shows so well, the relationship between birds and humans is more complex than
many of us will ever know, and our histories are surprisingly intertwined. I'm also very impressed by your photography and skillful editing.
You're not afraid to let the camera linger on pigeons in flight or at rest, and the results are often strikingly beautiful -- a cloud of swirling birds
against a gray sky, the expressiveness of a pigeon's face, a quality -- a personality? -- that shines through in individual birds. If I remember
correctly, the Col. mentions that he respected the individuality of each pigeon, and your photography definitely supports this. Many of the
pigeons in the film show a surprising uniqueness of character. The portraits of pigeons (Long John Silver, etc.) reveal a boldness and nobleness
of spirit --the pigeons seem almost to understand the extent of their achievements and the seriousness of their undertakings. Moreover, you capture
a wonderful overall aesthetic: grainy black and white photos, the beating of graceful wings, raindrops gently falling on the Col.'s shoulders, the
excitement and child-like wonder still in his eyes as he releases a bird. And this, all set to the softly nostalgic tunes of Glenn Miller. Brilliant!
The film is heart-felt and deeply moving without being sentimental. How can we not be moved by Col. Poutre's passion and wisdom? His love
for his birds-- his "friends"? We'd all do well to realize the intricate connections that bind humans to the non-human world, and to heed the
honorable example of Col. Poutre: "Courage, Loyalty, Endurance," a sincere kindness, and a respect for these elegant creatures. You're truly
lucky to have known this man, and we're all lucky that his life was documented by so dedicated and talented a filmmaker. Great work!"
The Pigeoneers reviewed by Elwin F. Anderson, WWII U. S. Army Pigeoneer.
"I have just finished viewing The Pigeoneers by Alessandro Croseri Productions for the third time. Col. Clifford A. Poutre, at 103 years of age,
makes an interesting presentation going back to his youth when first assigned, as a private, to the Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service in 1929.
They interviewed Poutre just in time as he passed away a short time thereafter. Alessandro Croseri Productions had spoken with me on several
occasions, even considering coming out and interviewing me. Poutre was the far better selection. He had much more to show and discussion
information than I could have offered. The better choice by 100%. As I watched I visualized Poutre in the 1930s, the years between the wars,
spending 8 to 12 hours a day with the pigeons, at Army expense. He would have been pondering new ways for the military to use the pigeons,
experimenting with the two-way flying and night flying. Also thinking up public relations projects to do with the pigeons. My memory flashes back to
the spring of 1942. A group of us newly drafted soldiers arrived at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, selected because of our hobby to be in the Pigeon Service.
Master Sergeant Poutre was top man by then. He had done a good job of establishing the pigeon school which we were to attend for three months. The
instructors were a handful of pigeoneers who were drafted during the previous year. One of them from West New York, NJ spoke of the "Boid on the
poich". Even he chuckled with the rest of us. One of them, Charlie Fullerton, later as a civilian, moved to Seattle and became a life long friend
in the pigeon sport. Charlie later joined me as a member of the AU Hall of Fame. Others will not get the same reaction as I have to this program.
You will find it interesting and a worthwhile addition to your library of pigeon viewing material. One more, as I see it. Sincerely."
The Pigeoneers reviewed by Dr. Rick Wright, Managing Director of "Wings,"
former Editor of "Winging It," an American Birding Association publication.
"Towards the end of his reminiscences, the 103-year-old narrator of Al Croseri's new documentary grows wistful as he reflects on the need to cull
the homing pigeon flocks that were for decades at the center of his life. You can't keep the losers, he says, or the winners will suffer. Croseri's film,
a lengthy and detailed monologue by the last surviving "pigeoneer," faces a similar problem-but one that can't be solved. For, simply put, there are
no losers among the anecdotes and images compiled by the director of the splendid The Flight........Poutre's entry into military pigeoneering turns out
to have been a whimsical, even an arbitrary choice. The affection with which he relates his subsequent experiences, from New Jersey to Hawaii, is
constantly obvious, though, and birders and other viewers without, perhaps, a consuming interest in domestic pigeons as such will nonetheless learn
something here and there. Pigeons released at sea, for example, will fly up to 100 miles back to their Pacific island homes, even at night, but reveal a
notable reluctance to cross mountains. Pigeons returning to their lofts through the dark skies of the Hawaiian islands could attain speeds of up to 60 miles
an hour, while the bright lights of metropolitan New York slowed their progress considerably-an observation of manifest relevance to the behavior of
wild migratory birds."
Written by Shannon Mullen, Staff Writer.
November 12, 2011
Also published as "NJ base played vital role in Army's pigeon program"
The Associated Press, USA Today
Col. Clifford A. Poutre tossing the last bird in 1957 at the close-out of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service,
Fort Monmouth. /Photo courtesy of Alessandro Croseri Productions.
The eagle may be the symbol of American freedom and military might, but no eagle ever received France's Croix de Guerre for valor, or saved
the lives of 1,000 troops trapped behind enemy lines, or walked five miles to deliver vital information after being shot out of the sky.
Pigeons, of the homing variety, accomplished all of this and countless other amazing feats, during their long and storied service in the U.S. Army.
Today, few people know about the heroism of these unassuming birds, or the integral role that Fort Monmouth played as the home of the
Army's pigeon breeding and training center from 1917 to 1957.
"Back in the day, these pigeons were rock stars," said independent filmmaker Alessandro Croseri, who is completing a series of three documentaries
about the Army's "pigeoneers," including the late Col. Clifford A. Poutre, a legendary figure who led the Pigeon Service for many years.
"And then, everyone forgot about them."
In peacetime, thousands of people used to flock to the fort every year to see the pigeons. The star attractions included G.I. Joe, who saved
a British brigade that was being bombarded by friendly fire in Italy in 1943, and Kaiser, a one-time German POW who later delivered
messages for the Americans in World War I and went on to live to the ripe, old age of 32, twice the life span of an average pigeon.
"He was a tough bird," marveled Croseri, 38, of New York City, who has bred and raced pigeons all his life.
In an age where many people can scarcely recall how they ever managed before instant messaging and smart phones, it beggars belief that life
and death, victory and defeat, and even the future of the free world once hinged on the success or failure of these delicate, winged messengers.
But it's true. Since ancient times, humans have prized homing pigeons for their incredible ability to find their way back to their nests, even from
hundreds of miles away. The Egyptian pharaohs, Julius Caesar and the Crusaders and Saracens all used homing pigeons to deliver messages in battle.
Even today, scientists have yet to figure out exactly how "homers," which look virtually the same as the pigeons that sit on park benches and roost
under bridges, manage to navigate over such long distances, though it's believed that magnetic fields and the position of the sun are involved somehow.
The results, however, speak for themselves.
"They were about 99 percent perfect," boasted Edwin C. Schmidt, 94, of Elgin, Ill., a World War II pigeoneer who trained at Fort Monmouth.
"Sometimes they would get through when you thought it wasn't possible at all."
Even AT&T's iPhone 4, which drops more than 4 percent of its calls, can't match that record of reliability.
MILITARY ASSET
The U.S. Army first tried using pigeons in the 1870s during the Indian wars in the Dakotas. The experiment was a failure, on account of the
large numbers of hawks that kept killing the birds, but by World War I, pigeons had become an invaluable military asset. Some birds even
carried cameras that snapped photographs of enemy positions.
Even in World War II, when radios and walkie-talkies were available, pigeons were used as an emergency means of communication. Paratroopers
in the invasion of Normandy carried pigeons with them when they jumped deep behind German lines, in order to maintain radio silence.
"They actually even used them in Korea," noted Lester Lane, a historian at the Army Signal Corps Regimental Museum at Fort Gordon, Ga.
The basic method worked this way: A message was written on a small piece of paper that was rolled up and placed into a capsule attached to
one of the pigeon's legs. Upon its release, the pigeon would head straight for its coop, which was located at the unit's headquarters or
somewhere else behind the lines. The pigeon's nest functioned almost like an email in-box. When the bird returned, a buzzer would sound,
indicating that a new message had arrived. There were some obvious drawbacks to using pigeons. For one thing, communication was
strictly a one-way affair, meaning the pigeon couldn't fly back to the sender with a reply, though Croseri says in later years pigeoneers
did experiment with a complicated two-way messaging system.
Then there was the matter of the pigeon's survival. Opposing armies knew full well how crucial these messages were and did whatever they
could to stop each other's pigeons from ever reaching their intended destination. Croseri says that in World War II, the Nazis used specially
trained peregrine falcons to intercept Allied pigeons. Lane, the Signal Corps historian, says he's never been able to confirm the falcon story,
though it's true that both sides used marksmen to shoot down the birds. "We shot their pigeons, and they shot ours," confirmed Schmidt.
When the Army disbanded the Pigeon Service in 1957, the last 1,000 birds at Fort Monmouth were offered for sale to the general public.
The more famous birds were parceled out to zoos. Hundreds of veterans and pigeon-racing enthusiasts descended on the fort in hopes of
getting at least a few of the pigeons. A newspaper account says there was an overflow crowd of about 200 people who couldn't get in.
"I was about 15th or 18th in line," remembered Robert S. DeAdder, 96, who was an Signal Corps instructor at Fort Monmouth at the time
and raced pigeons as a hobby. DeAdder, a former Shrewsbury resident who now lives in Severn, Md., wound up buying 10 pairs of birds,
though, he said, "none of them did much for me."
Today, the site of the pigeon training center is an empty lot off Oceanport Avenue on the fringes of the fort, which was shuttered in September.
Gone, too, is the fort's museum, where several stuffed pigeons, including G.I. Joe, were kept on exhibit for many years.
Lane, the historian, says he doesn't know what became of those pigeons. His museum houses the stuffed remains of a pigeon named Liles Boy,
who flew 46 missions in Italy, the most of any pigeon in World War II. "There's no telling where those birds went," he said.
Meanwhile, Croseri, a lifelong pigeon-racer, is hoping that his documentaries can raise greater awareness about this often-overlooked
chapter of Army history. One day he'd like to see the story made into a feature film.
"I love the birds, I love the pigeoneers, and I love the whole history," he said. "I thought it would be a shame for these stories
to be buried with the pigeoneers."
Former Fort Monmouth pigeoneer Ed Schmidt, 94, on the set last year of the documentary, "The Pigeoneers III".
Courtesy pigeonsincombat.com
STAR BIRDS
The Army Pigeon Service reached its zenith during World War II, when it encompassed more than 3,000 troops and 54,000 pigeons.
Its most famous birds included:
Cher Ami: Flew 25 miles through enemy fire in 1918 to save a trapped American battalion despite losing an eye, being shot in the
breast and having half its leg blown off. Awarded France's Croix de Guerre for valor.
Kaiser: Captured from the German army by American troops in World War I; went on to fly numerous missions for the Allies and became a
popular attraction at Fort Monmouth. After its death at age 32, it was stuffed and put on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution.
G.I. Joe: Flew 20 miles to deliver a message calling off the mistaken bombardment of a British regiment in Colvi Vecchia, Italy, in 1943.
Yank: Delivered news of the fall of Gafsa in Tunisia in 1943; once carried an urgent note for Gen. George Patton 90 miles in 100 minutes.
File photo of Pigeon "Chere Amie" at the former site of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum on Fort Monmouth, Eatontown NJ.
Chere Amie was awarded France's highest honor the Croix de Guerre after being shot down, losing a leg and still delivering the message.
Source: The Asbury Press - "The War Birds of Fort Monmouth", written by Shannon Mullen, Staff Writer, The Asbury Press, November 11,2011.
Please visit: "The Asbury Press - The War Birds of Fort Monmouth"
This article was also published in the press below under the following titles:
"NJ base played vital role in Army's pigeon program"
"Homing pigeons once vital part of Army Communications"
"NJ's Fort Monmouth played vital role in Army's homing pigeon training, breeding programs"
"Remembering N.J.'s heroic birds of war" (published December 31, 2011)
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"Fine, feathered war heros", Excerpt--The Gazette, Montreal, Canada.
Written by Dr. David Bird, Professor of Wildlife Biology and Director of the Avian Science
and Conservation Centre, McGill University, Canada.
"Alessandro (Al) Croseri, who was kind enough to bring the exploits of these special birds to my attention, has captured their story in his
8-minute DVD film The Flight, a beautiful and moving homage to the sacrifices that these homing pigeons made for us in the wars. Croseri
also wrote and produced a longer film The Pigeoneers, featuring Poutre. Next time you scowl at a pigeon in the streets, think about how these
birds helped saved thousands of soldier's lives during war."
"Animals In Wartime, Exhibit examines roles of the furry, the feathered," Excerpt--TheBurg, Harrisburg, PA.
Written by Peter Durantine, Editor, TheBurg. Harrisburg, PA.
Practically every type of domesticated animal, from dogs to pigeons, has been used during wartime-even dolphins have been considered.
But these beasts of burden often became pets to the soldiers struggling in the desperateness of battle......Soldiers and officers alike grow
strong emotional attachments to the animals that serve with them. Consider homing pigeons, which can home from short and long distances,
up to 800 miles and some even further, and were used extensively in World War I and II. Col. Clifford Poutre, chief pigeoneer of the U.S. Army
Signal Corps Pigeon Service from 1936 to '43, "treated his pigeons like they were family members, children, buddies," said Alessandro Croseri,
a documentary filmmaker who has studied the use of pigeons in war. "They were a soldier's best friend as they saved thousands of lives in combat."
"Your documentary inspired me to talk with the Museum's Education and Events Coordinators.
We've decided to have a "Family Movie Night" under the stars in August. Our "Family" events are becoming very popular
and they are such a great way to educate while having family fun." Gayle Drews, Curator,
Yankee Air Museum
YANKEE AIR MUSEUM
I am honored to announce the premiere of "The Flight" at the Yankee Air Museum's First Family Movie Night Under The Stars in Michigan.
The Yankee Air Museum is home to "Thunder Over Michigan Air Show" where the world renowned U.S. Navy "Blue Angels" fly.
Old Sarge Harry Lucas holding the famous G.I. Joe at the U.S. Army lofts at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.
G.I. JOE's Dicken Medal citation reads,
"For prompt delivery of a message to XII Air Support Command,
thereby preventing the bombing of advanced elements 56th (London) Division."
"G.I. JOE," a dark checker pied white flight cock, was hatched March 24, 1943, at the Pigeon Section in Algiers, Algeria, North Africa.
Later he was taken to the Tunisian front, then to Bizerte, and from there to the Italian front. To read G.I. Joe's story, please Click Here and scroll down.
A YANKEE AIR MUSEUM EDUCATION EVENT
"The Flight" premiere at Hangar 2, Yankee Air Museum, Willow Run Airport West, Michigan, USA.
“Dear Al, Thank you so much for your support and help in promoting our Movie Night. It was a successful evening.
Everyone, adults and children alike took a great deal away with them and all in all we were pleased."
Gayle Drews, Curator, Yankee Air Museum and Rachel Krumwiede, Education Coordinator, Yankee Air Museum Education.
Photographs by Bob Hassan, Yankee Air Museum
