Cher Ami was a registered Black Check cock carrier pigeon, one of the 600 birds owned and flown by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France World War 1. Cher Ami delivered twelve important messages within the America sector Verdun; on his last mission, 4 October 1918, he was shot through his chest and leg by the enemy fire but still managed to return to his loft with a message capsule dangling from the wounded leg. The message Cher Ami carried was from Major Charles S. Whittlesey's "Lost Battalion" of the 77th Infantry Division that had been isolated from other America forces. The message brought about the relief of the 194 survivors of the battalion, and they were safe behind American lines shortly after the message was received.
For his heroic service, Cher Ami was awarded the French "Croix de Guerre" with palm. He was returned to the United States and died at Fort Monmouth, NJ on 13 June 1919, as a result of his wounds. Cher Ami was later inducted into the Racing Pigeon Hall of Fame in 1931, and received a gold medal from the Organized Bodies of the American Pigeon Fanciers in recognition of his extraordinary service during World War 1.