Based on her book, War Pigeons: Winged Couriers in the U.S. Military, 1878-1957, Elizabeth Macalaster's lecture traces the remarkable service of homing pigeons in the U.S. military. Their story begins after the Civil War with Nelson Miles, an army colonel stationed in Montana. It continues through the birds' invaluable communications role in every military branch. For 75 years, these one-pound birds were the military's most reliable means of communication through four wars on four continents. They carried messages in and out of gas, smoke, exploding bombs and gunfire. They flew through jungles, across deserts, over mountain tops and large expanses of ocean, rarely failing to arrive at their lofts, even when mortally wounded. "War Pigeons" will introduce you to the unforgettable heroes of our military.