Honoring World War II's Animal Heroes

by Brandon Bosworth · 2010-07-21 05:14:00 UTC
Topics:

Through books, films, television, museums, and memorials, most of us have at least a passing knowledge of the stories of the brave men and women who served in World War II. Yet only a few know of the countless animals who also served.

One museum is hoping to change that. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans will be running a special exhibit celebrating the animals who were employed for service during the war. The exhibit, Loyal Forces: Animals in WW II, begins July 22 and runs through October 17, 2010. According to the museum, the exhibit "allows visitors to see another side of World War II, and demonstrates how lessons learned then continue to help us in the utilization of animals and their unique abilities today."

Rightly or wrongly, countless animals were drafted to help the war effort. Pigeons, dogs, horses, and mules were used in the greatest numbers.  Some animals were celebrated as heroes, such as the pigeon Lady Astor, who delivered a vital message even after being shot. Many more suffered worse fates, including being killed or left behind in combat zones.

Some odd facts are highlighted in this new exhibit. For example, the Coast Guard used more horses than any other branch of the military during WWII — nearly 3,000 of them. Coast Guard personnel rode horses as they patrolled the nation's shores. The museum also does not focus just on America's military use of animals. According to the AP, the "first thing visitors will see in the special exhibits gallery is a German reconnaissance horse and soldier, representing the European theater." There is also a slideshow  "about servicemen's encounters with exotic animals — playing with monkeys, riding on elephants and camels."

While there is something disturbing about animals being used to fight our wars, the National World War II Museum should be commended for honoring them. Otherwise, they would be forgotten, just like the vast majority of animals exploited by humankind.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Brandon Bosworth is a writer based in Honolulu and a longtime animal lover.
PREVIOUS STORY:
Gamblers Disappointed by Lack of Oil Spill Extinctions
NEXT STORY:
Petitions Delivered Around the World for Release of Indonesian Circus Dolphins

COMMENTS (2)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.