The Legend Of G.i. Joe

[lindylou]

THE FEATHERED G.I.'s

I was there amid the battle
As bars upon my cage did rattle
And I was lifted off my perch
To fly my mission!

A secret message was attached
Immediately to be disbatched
A call for reinforcements, STAT
Would save their lives -- As plain as that!

I was tossed into the air
The sun was high, the silence, rare...
Within my breast, how well I knew
What they expected me to do!
So like a bullet, off I shot,
To seek my homer's distant loft
Far beyond the enemies' lines--
I quickly set about my climb!

I took the air to 50 feet
When sounds of guns began to bleat
They had me now within their sights
I fast pressed on with all my might
When suddenly my wing was hit
I rolled from the shear force of it --
I now began a sick'ning plunge
As bullets all around did lunge!
But we are never birds that quit
When duty calls!
So deep within this heart of mine,
I lost all sense of space and time
I caught my balance once again and carried on....

Higher, Higher did I soar
Resumed my mission evermore
I cut the haze of misty clouds
That covered me within their shroud
And took me out of target sight
To swiftest flight!

With one thought only did I dash
Though searing pain both stabbed and lashed
As life was fading from my bones
My only thought was: "home!....home!"

I caught a current merciful
That carried me toward my goal
As I relaxed and drifted on
With heart determined!

I cannot say how long I flew
But for a certaintly I knew
When e're it t'was the place I sought
By kindly currents forthwith brought me--
tattered, bleeding to the place
So madly sought t'ward which I raced!

And as I made my slow decent
All strength of spirit from me went
I landed with a jolting crash
The thing that I remember last...
"Oh, my God! It's Crazy JOE!
Our fastest pigeon, don't you know!
He's banded with a message, see?"
He clipped the band from off of me,
"He's almost done fore, the poor chap!"
He lifted me toward his lap
Examined me with careful hands,
Then bore me forth....

Well, I was given greatest care
By Medic staff so stationed there....
They nursed me back to stable health
And gave me my OWN cote and shelf!
They said I was a hero brave
And 'een a metal they promptly gave
An honor of the highest degree
For wounded, tattered, little ME!
I do not understand the fuss
Men heap on homing birds like us!....
We do the things we live to do --
For on that day --
I rose!
I flew!....

-a poem by Lindylou in honor of all the pigeons (over 25,000) who gave their lives in 2 World Wars, flying secret missions of information, saving the lives of countless allied troops.

[TAWhatley]

Wow! That is marvelous! I'm moving it to Stories which is a special forum for such wonderful pieces written by our members.

Terry

[Reti]

Absolutely beautiful.

Reti

[george simon]

While this is a very nice poem it is not the true story of G.I. JOE PIGEON hero of World War 2. This poem is more fitting of CHER AMI a pigeon hero of World War 1 a British bird that saved the lives of USA troops. While G.I. JOE was an American bird that saved the lives of a 1000 British troopers.I will start a thread on these Two Forgotten Heros GEORGE

[birds+me=happy]

Great poem lindylou. Like a pro poet.

[Tamara21]

What a wonderful post!!

[lindylou]

Originally Posted by george simon

While this is a very nice poem it is not the true story of G.I. JOE PIGEON hero of World War 2. This poem is more fitting of CHER AMI a pigeon hero of World War 1 a British bird that saved the lives of USA troops. While G.I. JOE was an American bird that saved the lives of a 1000 British troopers.I will start a thread on these Two Forgotten Heros GEORGE

There really is a G.I. Joe who is famous. Please read my thread, G.I. Joe and Cher Ami, under general discussions. Thanks

[Columba livia!]

very cool poem.

[mr squeaks]

Beautiful poem for courageous pigeons!

Thank you for posting, Lindylou!

Love and Hugs

Shi/Mr. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone

[LokotaLoft]

here is a picture of the famous GI Joe with some of his kids

[MaryOfExeter]

I had to laugh at that picture. G.I. Joe was a blue check splash. Or at least the bird stuffed and on display at the museum (in DC I believe? Or is it father North? I can't remember) is. Someone is wrong somewhere.


Anyways, wonderful poem I do agree with George though, does sound more like Cher Ami, as Joe was in pretty good shape when he retired. But who cares? It's great either way!

[MaryOfExeter]

http://www.monmouth.army.mil/museum/gijoe.shtml

[AZWhitefeather]

Originally Posted by george simon

While this is a very nice poem it is not the true story of G.I. JOE PIGEON hero of World War 2. This poem is more fitting of CHER AMI a pigeon hero of World War 1 a British bird that saved the lives of USA troops. While G.I. JOE was an American bird that saved the lives of a 1000 British troopers.I will start a thread on these Two Forgotten Heros GEORGE

The G.I. JOE PIGEON link you posted didn't work for me, George.

Cindy

[AZWhitefeather]

Your poem is outstanding, LindyLou.

[lindylou]

Thank you, everyone who has expressed appreciation for my poem. I am sorry that I seem to have started a controversy (is this really G.I. Joe or Cher Ami?). I am guilty as charged of exercising a bit of poetic license in that there really is no record that G.I. Joe was wounded in action, whereas Cher Ami acutually sustained serious injury: "The soldier upcupped his hands and watched the bird (Cher Ami) flap its wings and gain altitude. The Germans also saw the pigeon and trained their rifles on it. A hail of bullets whizzed through the air and several hit Cher Ami. He quickly lost altitude and plummeted toward the ground. But moments before crashing, the bird somehow managed to spread his wings again and start climbing higher and higher, until he was out of rifle range. Twenty Minutes later and back on friendly terrain, Cher Ami landed at headquarters. A soldier ran to the bird and found him lying on his back, covered in blood. One eye and part of the cranium had been blown away, and its breast had been ripped open. A silver canister containing the Lost Battalion's desperate plea dangled from a few tendons--all that remained of the bird's severed leg. Bewildered, the soldier rushed the message to his commanding officer. For his courageous persistence, Cher Ami was awarded the French Croix de Guerre. Poor Cher Ami died from his multiple war wounds less than a year later and his stuffed but tattered body, carefully balanced on the one remaining leg--can still be seen on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C."" So, there you have it. When I wrote my poem, I wanted its contents to represent ALL the pigeons who served as brave messengers in the wars. In order to avoid further offence, I have given the poem a more generic title and hero name, and renamed the hero of the poem "Crazy Joe (who shall forthwith bare no resemblance to the war bird G.I. Joe. Anyway, I apologize for any hard feelings, and once again, thanks for your support. LOVED THE PICTURE, BY THE WAY OF THE OFF-SPRING OF G.I. JOE! Where on earth did you manage to find it, Lokotaloft?