Animals in War: You Don't Have to Be Human to Die by the Millions

by Stephanie Ernst · 2009-05-25 13:43:00 UTC
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The Animals in War Memorial in London, unveiled in 2004, bears the following as part of its inscription: "They had no choice."

"They" refers to the literally millions of animals killed in twentieth-century wars--horses, mules, donkeys, pigeons, elephants, glow worms, and camels among them. Indeed, "eight million horses and countless mules and donkeys died in the First World War. They were used to transport ammunition and supplies to the front and many died, not only from the horrors of shellfire but also in terrible weather and appalling conditions" (emphasis mine), a brief history on the monument's Web site explains--and that was only one war and only one set of animals among many different animals.

A BBC article further explains, "The monument pays special tribute to the 60 animals awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal - the animals' equivalent of the Victoria Cross - since 1943." Fifty-four of the 60, including 32 pigeons, were used in World War II. And before anyone is inclined to say or think "just pigeons" or "just messages," consider what the birds were forced to endure to get the messages back and forth. Examples: "Winkie, a pigeon that flew 129 miles with her wings clogged with oil to save a downed bomber crew," and "Mary of Exeter, another pigeon, which flew back with her neck and right breast ripped open, savaged by hawks kept by the Germans at Calais." (Note the BBC's irritating use of "which" and "that" here instead of "who.")

Sometimes people make remarks about such animals "giving" their lives. But they didn't give their lives. They didn't choose to enlist. Their fate was decided for them. It was the ultimate, no-recourse draft. For that reason, I am glad for that so-true inscription: "They had no choice."

And animals certainly don't have to be dragged to active battlefields to suffer and die because of humans' wars. The U.S. military shoots, injures, and kills animals on our soil regularly, as part of training. (See, for example, "PCRM Confronts the Military’s Deadly Use of Animals for Medical Training" and the section of PCRM's site on "Improving Military Medicine.")

Stephanie Ernst wrote the original Animal Rights blog at Change.org until December 2009. She can now be found at Animal Rights & AntiOppression.
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