Grasshopper Pilot

William Cummings Julian

Description

The thrilling memoir of a light-aircraft pilot during World War IIDuring World War II the ability of American ground forces to advance in the face of fierce resistance was largely dependent on the precision of artillery barrages. Aerial observation was frequently the only effective means to locate enemy targets. For this mission the Army air corps used prewar light civilian airplanes (usually reconfigured Piper Cubs) known as Grasshoppers for their ability to take off from and land in tight places like dirt roads, grass fields, and ships. In addition to pinpointing enemy artillery, these aircraft were often assigned other missions-medical evacuations, reporting on enemy troop movements, and reconnaissance-often armed only with handguns.Julian W. Cummings began flying lightweight Piper Cubs as a young man and was recruited for the experimental and high-risk aerial reconnaissance unit of the U.S. Army's Third Infantry Division. In this memoir he chronicles his daring missions from first flights in the North African campaign through the end of the war. He flew 485 missions in both theaters, and for his extraordinary bravery in Sicily he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.Grasshopper Pilot gives long-overdue attention and credit to the crucial role these courageous men played in combat and adds valuable information to an understudied dimension of the war.

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique

Informations

• Publié par: The Kent State University Press
• Date de parution: 25 juin 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781612774336
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Grasshopper Pilot

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Grasshopper Pilot

a m e m o i r

Julian William Cummings with Gwendolyn Kay Cummings

The Kent State University Press kent&london

© 2005 by The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio 44242 all rights reserved

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2004029966 ISBN 0873388321 Manufactured in the United States of America

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Cummings, Julian William, 1915–2002.  Grasshopper pilot : a memoir / Julian William Cummings with Gwendolyn Kay Cummings.  p. cm. 1. Cummings, Julian William, 1915–2002. 2. United States. Army. Infantry Division, 3rd. 3. World War, 1939–1945—Aerial operations, American. 4. World War, 1939–1945—Artillery operations, American. 5. World War, 1939–1945—Personal narratives, American. 6. Piper Cubs (Airplanes) 7. Air pilots, Military—United States—Biography. I. Cummings, Gwendolyn Kay, 1925– II. Title.  D769.33rd .C86 2005  940.54’4973’092—dc22 2004029966

British Library CataloginginPublication data are available.

This book is dedicated to all the men in my aviation section of the Third Infantry Division, U.S. Field Artillery

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Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction Born to Fly How the Grasshopper Came to Be Training at Fort Sill Invasion of North Africa Dday Sicily The Sicilian Campaign Invasion of Italy Return to Fort Sill Westward Ho On to the Philippines End of the War The Piper Cub From the Piper Cub to the Helicopter A Visit with Phil Civilian Life Postscript

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to grasshopper pilots Lt. Col. Paynee O. Lysne, Capt. Alfred Schultz, Capt. Mike Strok (who was also editor of theL4 Grasshopper Wing newsletter), and Maj. Frances A. Even, engineer, each of whom provided valu able information or photos to substantiate and augment the events described in this book.  We also thank our good friends Lillian Dearinger and Jim Hansen for their patient advice and assistance with early versions of the manuscript and our family, who encouraged and supported us in getting this book completed.  Many thanks to Lowell McClellan, who skillfully prepared thefinal manu script for submission to the publisher.

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