The Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot’s Forty Hours on the Run in Laos.

Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot’s Forty Hours on the Run in Laos (Ausa)
by Kenny Wayne Fields (Naval Institute Press) tells the story of the author’s harrowing three-day odyssey during the Vietnam War.  In late May 1968, Fields, a member of attack squadron VA-82, launched his A-7 Corsair from the carrier, USS America.  His first combat mission would prove anything but routine.  Fields and his wingman were guided to an active enemy supply operation south of Tchepone Airfield, along the Xe Banghiang River in Laos.  Little did they know, the site maintained multiple anti-aircraft gun emplacements and not only Pathet Lao troops, but also, the remainder of a withdrawing North Vietnamese Division.  Clearly, Streetcar 304, Fields’ call sign, was in for more than he bargained.

Following his initial run, Fields tempted fate by driving in for a second attack.  Enemy fire hit his plane.  With no alternative, he bailed out over the Laotian jungle.  Throughout the next forty hours, he would evade enemy troopers, wild animals and friendly bombs alike, all in a desperate attempt to make it out alive.

In The Rescue of Streetcar 304, Fields blends the best of both worlds.  For history buffs and aviation aficionados, the book is ripe with “war speak.”  From minute details regarding the carrier launch of an A-7 to the proper protocol of a rescue op to an up-close and personal look at what it’s like to be on the ground during a CBU (container bomb unit) attack, Fields hits a homerun with readers of military backgrounds.

But for those simply in search of a good story, Fields does not disappoint.  The Rescue of Streetcar 304 reads like great fiction.  The tale builds with each turned page.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall is winding–the rows of names seemingly unending.  As a society, I think we sometimes become insulated or numbed by long lists of war dead.   The fact that the Air Force flew 189 sorties in its attempt to rescue this one man, Fields, reminded me of how precious each life is, or should be, even in war.  One rescuer, Sandy 7, was shot down, captured and would be beaten and tortured over the next five years in an enemy prison camp.  Yet, in meeting Fields after the war, Sandy 7 not only bore no ill will, but actually embraced him and thanked him for saving his own life because of the destructive path he was on.  Even amid all the mess that Vietnam was, I gotta believe, we handled this one correctly.

2 Responses to “The Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot’s Forty Hours on the Run in Laos”

1. Kenny Fields says:

   November 19, 2010 at 3:44 am

   Thanks for blogging about my story. Your words made me feel that my effort in Vietnam was appreciated. Streetcar 304 sends….

   Reply
2. mikemccoy says:

   November 19, 2010 at 8:23 pm

   Kenny,

   Great book! I enjoyed it thoroughly. And be assured, your service to our country is much appreciated.

   Reply