A U.S. Army liaison plane sits parked beside a squadron tent on a rough forward airstrip during the Luzon Campaign in the Philippines, 1944-1945. Light aircraft like this served as the eyes of the artillery, spotting enemy positions and relaying corrections to ground and naval gun crews as American forces advanced across the island. Such improvised airstrips, often little more than cleared grass fields, were vital links in the logistics and communications network supporting the liberation of the Philippines. Project: 218438