The Pigeoneers

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"The Pigeoneers" is an homage to the bravery of homing pigeons who saved thousands of lives in combat in the Great World Wars. Their achievements embodied the attributes of service, endurance, loyalty and supreme courage. Here, their memory is evoked by Colonel Clifford A. Poutre, Chief Pigeoneer, U. S. Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service, 1936-1943. Poutre enlisted as a Private in 1929, soon after, became a Pigeoneer stationed at the 11th Signal Company, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii until 1936. Poutre was then assigned to the lofts at Fort Monmouth, N.J. in the fall of 1936, working under the keen tutelage of Civilian Pigeoneer, Thomas Ross, a Scotsman who was one of the foremost pigeon experts in the world, and after his death, took over as head of the Pigeon Breeding and Training Center. Acknowledged the world's outstanding military pigeon expert, Poutre is credited with having streamlined the U. S. Army homing pigeon training and services to keep pace with the latest developments in army aviation. Poutre has taught his homers numerous tricks unprecedented in pigeon history-to be ready for day or night messenger duty, to return to a mobile pigeon loft which moves ten miles away after the pigeon departs and to carry a canary piggy-back from New Jersey to a loft on the rooftops in New York City. Poutre also acted as a public relations person where pigeons were involved. This led to meeting Nikola Tesla, (1856-1943), the great scientist and inventor who had developed alternating current (AC) and who designed and developed many of the devices for the production and distribution of same. Tesla's Coil (1891) and AC Motor is used in most electric devices today. Tesla was also the innovator of wireless transmission, with a radio patent filed in 1897 and at 72 years old, received a patent for a flying machine that combined elements of the airplane and helicopter. Poutre recalls fondly his friendship and visits to Mr. Tesla at the Hotel New Yorker in the 1930's. Poutre dispells the longstanding myth that Nikola Tesla was not a "nut" and didn't keep "filthy city pigeons." Sure, Tesla may have fed or rescued an injured or lost pigeon but Poutre reminds us that that was a mere act of kindness not madness. Mr. Tesla was an avid homing pigeon fancier and the two enjoyed engaging in "pigeon talk". Poutre discarded the old "starvation" method of training pigeons in favor of a system of "kindness". Poutre's experiments have proved that homers will now come home because they want to, and not, as in World War 1, because they were hungry. Poutre handled and cared for numerous World War I Hero Pigeons such as "Long John Silver" and "The Kaiser", the famous captured German war pigeon. Poutre also reminds us of the tremendous efforts of the British Pigeoneers, Lt. Col. A.H. Osman and Mr. J.W. Logan, Esq., and the British War Hero Pigeons during the Great World Wars. Poutre kept army birds in training by racing them against civilian pigeons. One of the great Army racers was "Always Faithful", 1935 winner of a 720 mile race from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to his loft at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, in the time of 15 hours 39 minutes and 9 seconds. An average speed of 1343.8 yards a minute. This tremendous win earned "Always Faithful" the Hall of Fame Cup and Medal from the American Racing Pigeon Union in 1935. Poutre tossed the last bird in 1957 before the close-out of the Army Pigeon Service at Fort Monmouth, N.J. Colonel Poutre retired in 1960 as Commander, Signal Corps Supply Agency, Tobyhanna, P.A., after 31 years of loyal military service. Join Colonel Clifford A. Poutre in "The Pigeoneers", slow down, think, and remember.