A selection of fictions films from the Library of Congress.
The Lost Battalion
Based on the experiences of soldiers in the American 77th Infantry
Division, about 550 of whom were isolated and surrounded by the Germans
during the Battle of the Argonne in World War I. The men suffered from
thirst, hunger, and heavy losses, but refused to surrender. As more men
were killed and captured, carrier pigeons became the only method of
communicating with headquarters. Coming under friendly fire, the men
were saved by a pigeon named Cher Ami, who was able to deliver a message
to stop the barrage. After five days, and several unsuccessful rescue
attempts, the remaining men were finally rescued. Five participants
received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and others received the
Distinguished Service Cross. The fictional part of the story precedes
and follows the battle scenes, showing the men in civilian life and in
training, and the survivors coming home to their loved ones. The
fictional characters also appear in the battle scenes along with some of
the actual participants.
