Operation Grasshopper

Operation Grasshopper first published in 1958, is the little-known yet vital story of U.S. Army Aviation operations during the Korean conflict. In contrast to the Air Force, Army 'Grasshopper' pilots flew light, unarmed planes (especially the Cessna L-19 'Bird Dog') and helicopters, to report on enemy troop movements and artillery positions, to perform rescue missions of fellow soldiers, and to fly countless missions transporting the wounded to medical facilities. Author Dario Politella served as an Army Aviation pilot in both World War Two and in Korea, and recounts the role of these small planes in the larger history of the Korean war. This new edition includes 58 pages of maps, photographs and drawings.