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{{Short description|US Army homing pigeon in WWII}}
{{About|the American military pigeon|the pardoned Australian pigeon|Joe the Pigeon}}
{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox military person
|name= G.I. Joe
|name= G.I. Joe
|birth_date= March 24, 1943
|birth_date= March 24, 1943
|death_date= June 3, 1961
|death_date= {{death date and age|1961|6|3|1943|3|24}}
|birth_place= [[Algiers]]
|birth_place= [[Algiers]], [[Algeria]]
|death_place= [[Detroit]]
|death_place= [[Detroit, Michigan]], U.S.
|placeofburial= [[Fort Monmouth]], New Jersey
|placeofburial= [[Fort Monmouth]], New Jersey
|placeofburial_label= Place of display
|placeofburial_label= Place of display
Line 11: Line 13:
|nickname=
|nickname=
|Breed =
|Breed =
|allegiance= [[United States|United States of America]]
|allegiance= {{flag|United States}}
|branch= [[United States Army]]
|branch= {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears= 1943–1945
|serviceyears= 1943–1945
|rank=
|rank=
Line 18: Line 20:
|unit=
|unit=
|battles= [[World War II]]
|battles= [[World War II]]
|awards= [[Dickin Medal]]
|awards= {{unbulleted list
|[[Dickin Medal]]
|[[Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery]]}}
|laterwork=
|laterwork=
|relations=
|relations=
|service_number=USA/43/SC/6390
|service_number=USA/43/SC/6390
}}
}}
'''G.I. Joe''' (March 24, 1943 – June 3, 1961) was a [[pigeon]] noted for his service in the [[United States Army Pigeon Service]]. The bird was one of the homing pigeons used during [[World War II]] for communication and [[reconnaissance]] purposes. G.I. Joe had the name tag ''Pigeon USA43SC6390.''<ref>{{Cite book|title=Sergeant Gander: A Canadian Hero|last=Walker|first=Robyn|publisher=Dundurn|year=2009|isbn=9781554884636|location=Toronto|pages=107}}</ref> He was hatched in March 1943, in [[Algiers]], North Africa and underwent a training for two-way homing pigeons perfected at [[Fort Monmouth]], in [[New Jersey]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=A History of Army Communications and Electronics at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, 1917–2007|last=U.S. Army|publisher=Government Printing Office|year=2010|isbn=9780160813597|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofarmycom00fort}}</ref>
'''G.I. Joe''' (March 24, 1943 in [[Algiers]] - June 3, 1961 in [[Detroit]]) was a [[pigeon]] noted for his service in the [[United States Army Pigeon Service]].


During [[World War II]], G.I. Joe saved the lives of the inhabitants of the village of [[Calvi Risorta|Calvi Vecchia]], [[Italy]], and of the [[56th (London) Division|British troops]] occupying it. Air support had been requested against German positions at Calvi Vecchia on 18 October 1943, but the message that the British 169th Infantry Brigade had captured the village, delivered by G.I. Joe, arrived just in time to avoid the bombing. Up to a thousand men were saved.<ref>{{cite book |last=Levi |first=Wendell |title= The Pigeon|year= 1977|publisher= Levi Publishing Co, Inc|location= Sumter, S.C.|isbn=0-85390-013-2 }}</ref>
During the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]] of World War II, G.I. Joe saved the lives of the inhabitants of the village of [[Calvi Risorta|Calvi Vecchia]], [[Italy]], and of the [[British Army|British troops]] of [[56th (London) Division|56th (London) Infantry Division]] occupying it. Air support had been previously requested against German positions at Calvi Vecchia on 18 October 1943. However, the [[169th (3rd London) Brigade|169th (London) Infantry Brigade]] attacked and won back the village from the Germans ahead of schedule but they were unable to transmit a message via radio to call off the planned American air raid.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird|last=Blechman|first=Andrew|publisher=Grove Press|year=2006|isbn=9780802143280|location=New York|pages=35}}</ref> G.I. Joe was dispatched as a last resort to carry the message and arrived in the air base just in time to avoid the Allied air force from bombing their own men. G.I. Joe flew this 20-mile distance in an impressive 20 minutes, just as the planes were preparing to take off for the target. Over 100 men were saved.<ref name="DickinMedal">{{cite web |title=PDSA Dickin Medal : Pigeons |url=https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/animal-awards-programme/pdsa-dickin-medal |publisher=PDSA |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Prater |first1=Winton |title=Outstanding Performance of Carrier Pigeon |url=https://www.arcre.com/pigeons/pigeonsgijoe |access-date=9 December 2019 |work=TNO WO 204/2930 |date=16 November 1943}}</ref>


On 4 November 1946, G.I. Joe was presented the [[Dickin Medal]] for gallantry by Major-General [[Charles Keightley]] at the Tower on London, the citation credits him with ''the most outstanding flight made by a United States Army homing pigeon in World War II''.<ref name="times">"War Pigeon's Medal." Times [London, England] 5 Nov. 1946: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2013.</ref> G.I. Joe was the 29th and the first non-British recipient of the medal.<ref name="times" />
On 4 November 1946, G.I. Joe was presented the [[Dickin Medal]] for gallantry by Major-General [[Charles Keightley]] at the Tower of London. The citation credits him with "the most outstanding flight made by a United States Army homing pigeon in World War II".<ref name="times">"War Pigeon's Medal." Times [London, England] 5 Nov. 1946: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2013.</ref> The award is also known as the equivalent of the [[Victoria Cross]] or the [[Medal of Honor]] for animals.<ref name=":0" /> G.I. Joe was the 29th and the first non-British recipient of the medal.<ref name="times" /> In 2019 he was also posthumously awarded the [[Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery]].<ref>The Washington Post, "U.S. animals now have a medal for wartime bravery", Nov 15, 2019 [https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/11/15/us-animals-now-have-medal-wartime-bravery/]</ref><ref>The Washington Post, "New animal bravery medal honors heroic dogs, pigeons and horse," Nov. 18 2019 [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/new-animal-bravery-medal-honors-dogs-pigeons-and-a-horse-who-served/2019/11/18/edb69aa0-0962-11ea-97ac-a7ccc8dd1ebc_story.html]</ref>


After World War II, he was housed at the U.S. Army's Churchill Loft at [[Fort Monmouth]] in [[New Jersey]] along with 24 other heroic pigeons. He died at the [[Detroit Zoo|Detroit Zoological Gardens]] at the age of eighteen, and was mounted and displayed at the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Museum at [[Fort Monmouth]].<ref>[http://www.monmouth.army.mil/museum/gijoe.shtml G.I. Joe] Account of G.I. Joe by Otto Meyer, former commander of the US Army Pigeon Service. Retrieved 15 December 2008. {{dead link|date=December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A History of Army Communications and Electronics at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, 1917&ndash;2007|page=25|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Iqvss1iSq84C&q=G.+I.+Joe#v=onepage&q=G.%20I.%20Joe&f=true|isbn=9780160813597|publisher=Government Printing Office|year=2008}}</ref>
After World War II, he was housed at the U.S. Army's Churchill Loft at Fort Monmouth, in New Jersey along with 24 other heroic pigeons. He died at the [[Detroit Zoo|Detroit Zoological Gardens]] at the age of eighteen, and was mounted and displayed at the [[U.S. Army Communications Electronics Museum]] at [[Fort Monmouth]].<ref>[http://www.monmouth.army.mil/museum/gijoe.shtml G.I. Joe] Account of G.I. Joe by Otto Meyer, former commander of the US Army Pigeon Service. Retrieved 15 December 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023131232/http://www.monmouth.army.mil/museum/gijoe.shtml |date=October 23, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A History of Army Communications and Electronics at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, 1917–2007|page=25|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Iqvss1iSq84C&q=G.+I.+Joe|isbn=9780160813597|publisher=Government Printing Office|year=2008}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of individual birds]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Dickin Medal}}
{{Dickin Medal}}
{{War pigeons}}
{{War pigeons}}

[[Category:Individual domesticated pigeons]]
[[Category:Individual domesticated pigeons]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Dickin Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Dickin Medal]]

Latest revision as of 23:42, 19 January 2024

This article is about the American military pigeon. For the pardoned Australian pigeon, see Joe the Pigeon.
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe on display
BornMarch 24, 1943
Algiers, Algeria
DiedJune 3, 1961(1961-06-03) (aged 18)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Place of display
Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1943–1945
Service numberUSA/43/SC/6390
Battles/warsWorld War II
Awards

G.I. Joe (March 24, 1943 – June 3, 1961) was a pigeon noted for his service in the United States Army Pigeon Service. The bird was one of the homing pigeons used during World War II for communication and reconnaissance purposes. G.I. Joe had the name tag Pigeon USA43SC6390.[1] He was hatched in March 1943, in Algiers, North Africa and underwent a training for two-way homing pigeons perfected at Fort Monmouth, in New Jersey.[2]

During the Italian Campaign of World War II, G.I. Joe saved the lives of the inhabitants of the village of Calvi Vecchia, Italy, and of the British troops of 56th (London) Infantry Division occupying it. Air support had been previously requested against German positions at Calvi Vecchia on 18 October 1943. However, the 169th (London) Infantry Brigade attacked and won back the village from the Germans ahead of schedule but they were unable to transmit a message via radio to call off the planned American air raid.[3] G.I. Joe was dispatched as a last resort to carry the message and arrived in the air base just in time to avoid the Allied air force from bombing their own men. G.I. Joe flew this 20-mile distance in an impressive 20 minutes, just as the planes were preparing to take off for the target. Over 100 men were saved.[4][5]

On 4 November 1946, G.I. Joe was presented the Dickin Medal for gallantry by Major-General Charles Keightley at the Tower of London. The citation credits him with "the most outstanding flight made by a United States Army homing pigeon in World War II".[6] The award is also known as the equivalent of the Victoria Cross or the Medal of Honor for animals.[2] G.I. Joe was the 29th and the first non-British recipient of the medal.[6] In 2019 he was also posthumously awarded the Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery.[7][8]

After World War II, he was housed at the U.S. Army's Churchill Loft at Fort Monmouth, in New Jersey along with 24 other heroic pigeons. He died at the Detroit Zoological Gardens at the age of eighteen, and was mounted and displayed at the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Museum at Fort Monmouth.[9][10]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Walker, Robyn (2009). Sergeant Gander: A Canadian Hero. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 107. ISBN 9781554884636.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Army (2010). A History of Army Communications and Electronics at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, 1917–2007. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160813597.
  3. ^ Blechman, Andrew (2006). Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. New York: Grove Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780802143280.
  4. ^ "PDSA Dickin Medal : Pigeons". PDSA. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  5. ^ Prater, Winton (16 November 1943). "Outstanding Performance of Carrier Pigeon". TNO WO 204/2930. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b "War Pigeon's Medal." Times [London, England] 5 Nov. 1946: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2013.
  7. ^ The Washington Post, "U.S. animals now have a medal for wartime bravery", Nov 15, 2019 [1]
  8. ^ The Washington Post, "New animal bravery medal honors heroic dogs, pigeons and horse," Nov. 18 2019 [2]
  9. ^ G.I. Joe Account of G.I. Joe by Otto Meyer, former commander of the US Army Pigeon Service. Retrieved 15 December 2008. Archived October 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ A History of Army Communications and Electronics at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, 1917–2007. Government Printing Office. 2008. p. 25. ISBN 9780160813597.
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