U.S. Naval Air Station, Santa Ana, California, c. June 1945. pecialist (X) 2nd Class Marcelle Whiteman holds one of the 200 carrier pigeons based at NAS Santa Ana, circa June 1945. The birds were used to transmit communications from the air to the station when radio silence is in force. One of the occupations covered by the Specialist (X) rating was Pigeon Trainer. [Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives]

U.S. Naval Air Station, Santa Ana, California, c. June 1945. pecialist (X) 2nd Class Marcelle Whiteman holds one of the 200 carrier pigeons based at NAS Santa Ana, circa June 1945. The birds were used to transmit communications from the air to the station when radio silence is in force. One of the occupations covered by the Specialist (X) rating was Pigeon Trainer. [Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives]