ALAMO LIAISON SQUADRON
Alamo Liaison Squadron
Alamo Liaison Squadron
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Forgotten heroes exist in every war and one such soul was the “Liaison Pilot” of World War II. This dedicated group provided vital functions on the battlefield known as observation, spotter, artillery fire control, forward air control, communications, command and control, medical evacuation, and many others that just “needed to be done.” Largely overshadowed, the feats of these brave men have been chronicled by few historians. Hardy Cannon, a mechanic by trade, commemorated these pilots in his own particular way. There exists today a book he authored chronicling the roles of the WWII Liaison Pilot. There’s also an airport in his name which houses a museum and a flying collection of the planes they flew.
While unappreciated by almost everyone, with the exclusion of the infantry and artillery units under which they served, WWII Liaison Pilots supplied troops with food, goods, and ammunition. They located stranded soldiers and evacuated the wounded. Liaison Pilots held the ranks of both enlisted men and sometimes commissioned officers who were regular US Army Air Force pilots that happened to fly liaison aircraft and missions. However, the majority of Liaison Pilots were ordinary soldiers trained to fly in small unassuming airplanes commonly known as Cubs. They were often exposed to dangers and performed invaluable feats to assist in advancing ground forces. Liaison Pilots did not enjoy the same benefits, that come with rank, as other US combat pilots. Bomber and fighter pilots slept in beds in relative safety, Liaison Pilots slept on the front line in tents with their troops.
In 1981, Hardy Cannon along with a group of collaborators in San Antonio, Texas formed the Alamo Liaison Group (ALG) and began collecting and restoring liaison airplanes. These were aircraft primarily constructed of metal tubing, aluminum, and wood that were covered in fabric. They were unarmed, light in weight and they operated at low speeds and low altitudes often directly over the front lines. By 1982, ALG had completed the restoration of six WWII liaison aircraft, a 1941 Stinson L-1, a 1941 Taylorcraft L-2, a 1942 Aeronca L-3B, a Piper L-4, a 1942 Stinson L-5, and a 1942 Interstate S-1A (L-6/8). These aircraft comprise the series of WWII liaison airplanes assigned with military “L” designations. They are often referred to collectively as “L-birds.”