Streetcar 304 Home Page

“An extraordinary story, superbly told...

I predict that "The Rescue of Streetcar304" will become an instant military aviation classic."

---Stephen Coonts, 'Flight of the Intruder'

Kenny in front of Streetcar 313, a VA -82 A-7 that he

flew often during his two combat tours aboard USS America

and USS Coral Sea. The plane is now at the Hickory,NC Aviation Museum.

www.hickoryaviationmuseum.org

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“Kenny Fields is the ultimate survivor. For forty hours he

evaded the enemy as we Sandy A-1 Skyraider pilots tried to

pluck him from the hostile jungle. Here is the riveting account

of his escape from Laos...

Fasten your seatbelt!!!"
---George Marrett, "Sandy 8" in "Streetcar" book, author of "Cheating Death"

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Flash!!! The publisher has released a "soft-back paper" version of

the book and it's now available for orders in stores or on-line at amazon.com, etc

at a reduced price.

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Most Recent Praise: While signing books at the Smithsonian Air

and Space Museums in Washington, DC the weekend of April 5th, Kenny was told

by the staff that, "The Rescue of Streetcar 304" was the museum's "top selling book

for 2007, and also thus far in 2008".

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The author's schedule for book signings:

May 30th.... 9a.m.-1p.m., Fort Campbell, KY...in the main PX store

May 31st.... 9a.m.-1p.m., Whiteman AFB, Missouri...in the main BX store

June 4th.... 9a.m.-1p.m., Mountain Home AFB, Idaho...in the main BX store

June 6th.... 10a.m.-1p.m, Fort Lewis, WA...in the main PX store

June 7th.... 2p.m.-4p.m., Seattle, Washington "Museum of Flight"...presentation and signing

June 9th.... 1p.m., story presentation to USAF Survival School instructors, Fairchild AFB

June 15th... 9a.m.-1p.m, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota...in the main BX store

June 19th... 10a.m.-12...Holiday Inn Select, Lynchburg, VA, in the lobby after a book presentation

July 5th..... 10a.m.-5p.m...Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, on the Mall, Washington, DC

July 6th..... 10 a.m-5p.m...Smithsonian Udvar/Hazy Aviation Museum near Dulles Airport, Washington, DC

July 12th.... 10 a.m.-5p.m...Barnes and Noble, Southpark Mall, Charlotte, NC

August 16th. 10 a.m-5p.m....Barnes and Noble, Carolina Place Mall, Charlotte, NC

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Click on the "Book Signings" page, upper left, for the author's future events....

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The publisher, Naval Institute Press, has this to say about Kenny's book:

On 31 May 1968, Lt. Kenny Fields catapulted off USS America in his A-7 for his first combat mission. His target was in Laos, which at the time was “officially” off-limits for U.S. attacks. What the planners did not know was that

Fields and his wingman were 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 destroyed the target with a direct hit. Three AAA guns began to fire, but, following his wingman, he rolled in again. This time many more AAA guns opened up and

Fields was shot down.
'The Rescue of Streetcar 304' is Fields exhilarating narrative of the forty hour ordeal that followed, and what turned out to be one of the largest air rescues of the Vietnam War.

AUTOGRAPHED COPIES OF BOOK... Do you want to buy a book and have it personally autographed by Kenny? Our local, friendly book store, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina, can provide a hardback copy for $30.00 which includes book, autograph and free shipping within the USA. Simply call Betty or Barbara at 704 892-6841 to buy one with your credit card.

Enjoy our site...Enjoy our book...

You'll find that real heroes

still exist in America.

Fields recounts close encounters with Phatet 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,no food, the jungle heat, wild animals, and sleep deprivation. Before it was over, the U.S. Air Force had flown 189 sorties to rescue Fields, and in the process four pilots had ejected, seven planes were lost or heavily damaged, and one pilot became a POW for over five years.

The author draws on Air Force radio logs, after-action reports, and extensive interviews with all participants—including the wives at home—to tell the story from all perspectives. The result is a gripping tale of courage and brotherhood on both battlefield and home front.

Kenny Fields was a Bombardier/Navigator in the A-3B for several years and then piloted A-4C and A-7A “attack” jets. During two combat tours to Vietnam he flew 139 combat missions in the A-7 over Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam. He later served as a jet flight instructor. He retired after 22 years, 3,350 flight hours, and 475 carrier landings. He lives in Mooresville, North Carolina.

On-line Orders are accepted by Kenny's publisher, Naval Institute Press, in the book section at www.usni.org , or call USNI to order at 1-800-233-8764.

332 pg., 32 photos, 2 maps, 6” x 9”
ISBN: 978-1-59114-272-0

Hardback Cloth: $29.95 from Naval Institute Press, Soft-back version, $19.99.

Or, order either version on-line at:

"Fasten your seatbelt for..."

"THE RESCUE OF STREETCAR 304"---A Navy Pilot's Forty Hours on the Run in Laos by Kenny Wayne Fields