During WWII, "Grasshoppers" performed a wide variety of functions throughout the world such as for artillery fire direction, pilot training, glider pilot instruction, courier service, and front line liaison. Members of the Civil Air Patrol flew thousands of hours in light planes such as the L-4 searching for enemy submarines in U.S. coastal waters.
Pictured above is a fine restored example from my recent trip to the Kalamazoo Air Museum. You can also learn more about this plane at our website under the Equipment Section and click on the Piper L-4.
4 comments:
I was a staff sergeant in Battery B of 303 F.A. Trained as a forward observer, when we got to Europe I was asked to direct fire from a Grasshopper. To a 20 year old this looked exciting and I spent the rest of war in Europe riding in the back seat of a Cub. The first airplane ride of my life was over the German lines near Dusseldorf.
Lloyd E. Fisher lfisher@porterwright.com
Hello Lloyd,
Thanks for stopping by our blog. Its great to hear from veterans like yourself. We can't thank you enough for your service. I'll email you and ask you some other questions I have.
Thank you!
John
I am trying too get some information for my mom on her brother AIbert Benoit who served in the 365th. He never spoke much about his experinces and we think he was a forward observer. We do know he saw a bit of action. She is curious just how much it reaIIy was . He mentioned some factory and a camp in czech once (he disIiked taIking about this stuff his whoIe Iife).. other then that freezing his kahoonies off (being from ID and montana it must have been reaIIy coId for him too mention that). Wondering what anyone might know...
I am seeking information about U.S. artillery observation pilots who participated in the liberation of former Czechoslovakia at the end of WWII. I will be grateful for any information, documents or photos concerning this part of history. Thank you for any answer.
Jan Josef
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