Scotty Greiling and The Rescue of Streetcar 304.

LCDR David "Scotty" Greiling

Yesterday, I blogged about Kenny Wayne Fields’ book, Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot’s Forty Hours on the Run in Laos (Ausa).  One of Fields’ squadron mates in VA-82 was a local (Kendallville, Indiana) named Scotty Greiling.  Interestingly, Greiling mentioned Fields’ odyssey in a 4 June 1968 letter home from the carrier, USS America.

“The first day was last Friday the 31st.  I was in the first launch of the air group; took off at 4 a.m. and as is normal for all new carriers they sent us in to South V.N. for the first bombing run.  I encountered lots of flak, didn’t get hit at all, but I had a notion to tell those guys that they weren’t supposed to shoot for the first few days.  Later on that same first day one of the other flights from our squadron … got shot down.  You will probably eventually hear about him because he survived and evaded for two days with the enemy within 50 yards around him.  …He got out with negligible injuries.  No one has evaded for that long a period before so he is famous already, on his first hop.  After he went down, his wingman stayed over him as long as he could until other people came to take over.  In going back to the ship, he ran out of fuel and had to eject over the ocean, but was picked up the first half hour uninjured.  All in all,  the squadron was a little shook after that first day.”

Greiling would go on to fly with distinction until he was lost over North Vietnam on 24 July 1968.  Read his full story in EVERYTOWN, USA.

2 Responses to “Scotty Greiling and The Rescue of Streetcar 304”

  1. Kenny Fields says:

    As a follow on to your blog….One of the A-7s that mine and Scottys squadron flew in Vietnam is now on exhibit at the Hickory (NC) Aviation Museum and this past month many of my fellow Vietnam era squadron pilots met there for a reunion. While there, we had a formal ceremony to place Scotty’s name just below the cockpit of that A-7 and Scotty’s brother and sister were in attendance. A very solemn ceremony but a joyous one for his brother and daughter to hear our comments about Scotty…. Thank you for paying homage to Scotty….. Streetcar 304 sends….

    • mikemccoy says:

      Kenny,

      Thanks for the update, and for your service in Vietnam. Next week, I hope to bring a blog post regarding the VA-82 Reunion and Scotty Greiling Dedication.

      Thanks again,
      Mike

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