Hannibal's elephants crossed the Alps to battle the Romans 2,200 years ago. Combat dogs have fought wars for centuries. Pigeons performed messenger duty in World War II. There never would have been a cavalry without horses. Even glow worms have served in the military.
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U.S. Navy bomb disposal experts work with one of two specially trained bottle-nosed Atlantic dolphins being used to help ferret out mines in the approaches of the port of Umm Qsar, southern Iraq. (Alan Evans, pool photo via AP)
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All sorts of animals have been enlisted -- or drafted -- for wartime duty. Many have served far more dangerous duty than the dolphins pressed into service against Saddam Hussein.
Hannibal's elephants died in droves as the general from Carthage forced them over the Alps. The Romans killed more in the ensuing battles.
At least 8 million horses, mules and donkeys died in World War I, according to a British estimate. Use of pack mules continued in WWII, with 10,000 used in Greece alone.
Some 100,000 pigeons in World War I and 200,000 in World War II flew messenger missions, and they suffered huge losses. Coalition forces in Iraq are using pigeons, too -- as chemical warfare detectors. They will serve by dying, to alert troops of a chemical attack.
War dogs have been a battlefield fixture throughout history. Scout dogs sniffed out enemy positions; message dogs carried communiques; medic dogs rescued wounded soldiers.
Germany used 30,000 messenger and ambulance dogs in WWI. When the French demobilized, they killed 15,000 dogs, according to a 1952 U.S. Army history of war dogs.
The U.S. Army trained 10,000 dogs for WWII, and canines served with great valor in Korea, Vietnam and the first Gulf War.
As for the glow worms -- soldiers in WWI sometimes smashed them on their helmets to serve as a nighttime signal to friendly forces. Needless to say, the casualty rate was significant.
Michael Woods can be reached at mwoods@nationalpress.com or 1-202-662-7072.
