Welcome back to SNAFUBAR!

Over the course of each episode, SNAFUBAR will look at stories from military history and particular moments of U.S. military blunders with added context that can be used by and is accessible to a wide range of audiences. The histories we will look at will make clear the degree to which the U.S. is a warful nation, contrary to the myth of a peaceful nation forced into combat. And we’ll try to clarify the degree to which we romanticize and fetishize the military while not really providing the support that service members need for their time in, or for their return. 

This week's episode focuses on a SNAFU related to our two legged avian friends and how they have been brought into American warfare. And the result is not pretty! We’re going to introduce a theme that we’ll return to every once in a while, a theme that we’re calling “Canaries in the Coalmine.” Episodes in this theme will take us through some of the interesting, absurd and upsetting ways that animals have been used for war, by the U.S.

SNAFUBAR is hosted by ⁠⁠⁠Sara Hart⁠⁠⁠, who teaches Religious Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt, and ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Crane ⁠⁠⁠who is an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Research and writing for the show by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor

SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Works Cited:

Not Your Grandfather's Mining Industry

Working Conditions in 19th Century Mines

Exploring the Collection: The Canary Resuscitator

Canaries in the Coal Mine

Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution

History of Western Civilization II

Singing as they go, miners' little friends head for retirement

First Usage of Poison Gas

Germans introduce poison gas

War Chickens Warn of Gas Attacks

The Chicken Defense

With the 1st Marine Division in Iraq, 2003

Operation Field Chicken dies

Marines Prepare for Taking First Breath After Gas Attack

Chickens of the Gulf War – Operation Kuwaiti Field Chicken