It was a masterpiece of ingenuity. Packets of shabu were fastened onto a pigeon’s legs with masking tape at the drug dealer’s den, and the bird was allowed to fly to its rooftop roost. The bird’s felonious master – who was no longer in any danger of getting busted by the police for illegal possession of narcotics – confidently followed it home. The new role for the carrier pigeon story gives a new and different meaning to the Filipino phrase kalapating mababa ang lipad. The pigeon was turned, figuratively speaking, into a low-life drug courier.
Many of us enjoy and marvel at true tales of unusual animals. Last week’s pigeon story made me remember the story of Cher Ami, the bravest carrier pigeon of them all, who was credited for saving an Allied battalion from certain death during World War I.
The story goes like this: While in France, a battalion of Allies were surrounded by the Germans. Attacked from all sides, sustaining heavy losses and running out of ammunition, the troops were losing faith. Imminent capture or complete annihilation by the enemy was almost certain. The only hope for succor was to be able to call for reinforcements. But how would the SOS get across enemy lines? Cher Ami the carrier pigeon was the answer. The valiant pigeon flew through a hail of enemy bullets, and despite wounds to his chest and legs, eventually reached the town of Ramport 25 miles away. The message for help reached friendly forces and the beleaguered troops were saved in the nick of time. However, Cher Ami’s wounds were mortal and he eventually succumbed. The Croix de Guerre was awarded to him, recognizing him as a true wartime hero. Today, the unusual bird is a taxidermy exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute – a reminder to all that birds have roles and functions other than "as food."
Another kind of bird, the canary, has also played an unusual role in industry. Coal miners of the past brought canaries to the mine shafts where they worked. The canaries served as living "oxygen gauges," so to speak. When the caged canaries fell off their perches and died, the miners knew it was time to evacuate the mine shafts. The dead birds were a sign that air quality had deteriorated and that it was time for the miners to go back to the surface or face death themselves.
In more recent times, the Canadian magazine SEED reported on chickens that were used in the Kuwaiti war. The operation was dubbed "Operation KFC," or "Operation Kuwaiti Field Chicken" and was based on the belief that the chickens could be used to detect poisonous agents released into the atmosphere during chemical warfare. The Herald Sun of Melbourne, Australia quotes an unidentified battalion officer in Kuwait, "Using chickens may sound basic, but it’s still one of the best ways we have of detecting chemical agents." Unfortunately, of the 43 chickens enlisted and deployed by the US Armed Forces, only two survived. The others died during transport from heat and exposure to sand. The remaining two tried to serve their country, but died of unknown causes.
In the Cordilleras where I grew up, sacrificing chickens is common practice. Local mumbakis generally use chickens in their thanksgiving, divining, appeasement and other rituals. Modern culture, too, has sacrificed chickens in view of furthering science. The American epidemiologist, Bill Reeves, for example, used chickens to monitor the spread of the Western Equine and St. Louis encephalitis viruses more than half a century ago. Slaughtering chickens, undoubtedly, is not considered such an evil deed, especially since we derive advantages and even eat them.
Many English expressions allude to birds. We have "strutting around like a peacock," referring to someone with an inordinately inflated ego. "Henpecked" brings to mind Walter Mitty, the famous character created by James Thurber. To call someone "eagle-eyed" or "hawk-eyed" not only means that a person is observant, as he could be predatory too. "Crows feet," for vain women, are a signal to visit their plastic surgeon. "Bird-brain" is synonymous to stupid. "Pigeon-toed" comes about from having "knocked knees." A "culture vulture" has no qualms about pillaging cultural troves; while to be called simply labeled a "vulture" would be worse, as to pick a corpse’s bones dry, one would have to be extremely heartless.
The pullout of Philippine troops in Iraq brings to mind another bird-related colloquialism : "Chicken." It is synonymous to "cowardly."
The debates that raged on last week were both interesting and confusing. To anyone who tried to listen to all points of view, the factions became distinct. It was "pull out the Philippine military contingent and save De la Cruz" versus "it is wrong/unwise/ cowardly/ ‘chicken’ to give in to terrorist demands."
With new information (about the Iraqi war, the threat of possible repercussions – especially economic, the intricacies of diplomacy and foreign policy, the viewpoints of both the distinguished, highly-educated leaders of society and the common man on the street, etc.,) I see-sawed from agreeing with the government’s decision and condemning it. Media was very educational last week. It gave me a bird’s eye view, somewhat. It distilled the fact that freedom is a wonderful thing.