Every morning, the letter carrier from Lanslebourg made his rounds in his village, but once a week he had to climb to the summit of Mont Froid, at 2830m, to deliver mail and parcels to the 99th alpine infantry regiment guarding the border between France and Italy. The problem was that, in the middle of winter, when the snow fell in torrents, it was impossible for him to access the fort because of the snow and cold, preventing the soldiers and their families from receiving any news for 3 months.
To remedy this sad situation, the letter carrier decided to train a young German shepherd named Flambeau, so that when he grew up, he could carry the mail all by himself to the fort in winter. He made him a saddlebag to carry the envelopes, and for months the letter carrier and dog delivered the mail. When winter arrived, at 10 a.m., Flambeau took the mail up to the soldiers alone. Everyone was delighted with Flambeau's exploits, and this continued for another ten years. One day, to Flambeau's great regret, the army decided to install the telegraph, and the German shepherd became useless to them. He stayed in the village.
One winter's day, Flambeau decided of his own accord to climb up to the Mont Froid fort. The soldiers, not expecting him, didn't see him at the main gate. With no other way in, the dog stayed there for several days without eating or drinking. As the days passed, the valiant Flambeau lay on the ground in the snow and cold, not despairing of ever seeing those soldiers again.
A few mornings later, when the sun was shining brightly, a unit of Alpine hunters went out on an inspection round and found Flambeau almost dead on the doorstep. The soldiers warmed him up, fed him and kept him with them. Flambeau followed them on their rounds, and they lived together in the fort.
During one of Flambeau and his men's regular rounds, an avalanche fell on the group, taking the soldiers with it. The dog, the only survivor, listened only to his courage and searched the snow for his companions. One by one, he pulled them out of the snow and saved them from certain death. Flambeau thus became the first avalanche dog, and was decorated for his courage.
Since his death in 1938, the Alpine hunters have honored his memory every year at the foot of the monument erected in his honor in the middle of the village of Lanslebourg.
Flambeau, a doggy story
In the style of Flambeau
