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Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot's Forty Hours on the Run in Laos | 
 enlarge | Author: Kenny Wayne Fields
Publisher: Natl Maritime Historical Soc
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
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Rating:  28 reviews
Sales Rank: 644623
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4
ISBN: 1591142725
Dewey Decimal Number: 959.7043092
EAN: 9781591142720
ASIN: 1591142725
Publication Date: May 5, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
On 31 May 1968, Lt. Kenny Fields catapulted off USS America in his A-7 for his first-ever combat mission. His target was two hundred miles away in Laos. What the planners did not know was that Fields was en route to a massive concentration of AAA gun sites amidst an entire North Vietnamese division. Fields, call sign Streetcar 304, was the first to roll in, and he destroyed that target with a direct hit. Three AAA guns began to fire, but, following his wingman's run, he rolled in again. This time many more AAA guns opened up and Fields was shot down. Soon, a rescue pilot suffered the same fate. The Rescue of Streetcar 304 is Fields' exhilarating narrative of the forty hours that followed and what turned out to be one of the largest and most spine-tingling air rescues of the Vietnam War. Fields mixes humor and drama as he recounts teeth-chattering close encounters with Pathet Lao guerillas, and nearly being killed time and again by friendly bombs. He describes in riveting detail the radio chatter between participants, and the stress effects of coping with fear, sleep deprivation, wild animals, and relentless AAA. By the time it was over, the U.S. Air Force had flown 189 sorties to rescue Fields, and in the process four pilots ejected, seven planes were lost or heavily damaged, and one pilot became a POW for five years.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 23 more reviews...
 Could Have Been Better December 1, 2008
Gregory Moss (Diamond Bar, CA United States)
There are a few contradictions between Fields' version of his own rescue and that of George Marrett's in Cheating Death: Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos, and I highly recommend Marrett's book if you haven't already read it. While Marrett gives Fields' rescue a bird's-eye-view summary, Fields' account takes the reader on the ground through close calls with the enemy, mosquito clouds, failing survival radio batteries, frustration at failed rescue attempts, exhaustion, friendly fire and heroic endurance. Both are very good books.
That said, I thought Kenny told an excellent story that mostly kept my attention but occasionally had me grumbling to myself about editorial blunders in the text. Hence, the three-star rating. First, the book could have been streamlined by truncating chapters and, perhaps, eliminating Chapter 16 altogether, "Sad News for the Wife." Wordiness is another issue that could have been addressed with good editing.
Many statements in the book were punctuated with question marks. Usage mistakes include using "different than" instead of the correct "different from," and use of the expletive "frapping" in place of the F-word got annoying after awhile. Or maybe Navy guys on the USS America really did use that word. Overuse of the intensifier "really" really had me grinding my teeth, as I don't really consider a sentence such as "It really surprised me that they considered the use of a gas agent" as very good writing. Misuse of that word and others like it, e.g. "totally," are fine in casual speech (I was really, really scared you wouldn't remember, but I'm like totally glad you did) but doesn't belong in formal, written English. Overusing intensifiers tends to weaken the meaning of the words they modify.
A meticulous editor could have improved the reading experience and turned The Rescue of Streetcar 304 into an even faster and more exciting read than it already is. I know I'm being picky, but I'm an English teacher, so I really can't help myself. Really.
From an Air Force point of view November 5, 2008
James C. Sisco Jr.
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was almost sorry when Kenny was rescued because it meant the end of the book. Unfortunately, the cover leads one to think the book is about helicopters, but it isn't. I was in the Air Force in Viet Nam when Kenny was there and believe Navy pilots had skills superior to those in the Air Force. I can't imagine returning to a carrier in the middle of the night during a storm. Having met this gentleman and sat in the very same A-7 pictured here, I have the utmost respect for him as well as the A-7. This story is worthy of your time to read and should be made into a movie.
Excellent Story! September 24, 2008
Ronald L. Clingaman (Traverse City, MI USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was also shot down in Laos, very close to the spot the author had his experience. My back-seater and I (flying an Air Force F-4E, in 1970) were luckier and were rescued after just one night in the jungle. This book is an "easy read" and I personally related to much of what he experienced. This is one of the few books I've read that I had to keep reading till I was finished. I'd like to think that I could have survived for as long as he did, but honestly, I doubt I'd have done as well. The rescue forces were outstanding throughout the war. Knowing they would perform as those in this book did was a significant factor in keeping our spirits high in spite of the questionable political conduct of the war.
Still sweating and out of breath!! September 6, 2008
Steve Russell (Montgomery, Alabama United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wow! I feel like I have just escaped from the jungles and the enemy myself! This is a great book. It has the perfect blend of action, technical detail and personal information. The technical details on the aircraft, combat procedures (bombing runs, strafing, etc)and how a rescue mission is run are presented in a manner that is interesting to the reader; not boring. The descriptions of the on the ground action as the two pilots attempt to escape and evade are riveting. As I read, I could feel the heat of the jungle, my body was tense with apprehension when the enemy was near and I could feel my heart bursting with fear as the pilots burst through the jungle as the enemy chased and fired upon them! Outstanding book!
The Rescue Of Streetcar 304 August 30, 2008
LEONARD SPARKS (ORCHARD PARK, NY United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The true story of a US navy pilot forced down in Laos during the Viet Nam war. Surrounded by enemy troops, he was only feet away at times from being discovered. The suspense makes this a very difficult book to put down. The minute by minute account is heart pounding.
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