Capt. Field E. Kindley, with the famous Eddie Rickenbacker, was 
one of America's foremost World War I flying aces. Like 
Rickenbacker's, Kindley's story is one of fierce dogfights, daring 
aerial feats, and numerous brushes with death. Yet unlike 
Rickenbacker's, Kindley's story has not been fully told until now.

    Field Kindley gained experience with the RAF before providing 
leadership for the U.S. Air Service. Kindley was the fourth-ranking 
American air ace; his exploits earned him a Distinguished Service 
Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster from the United States and a 
Distinguished Flying Cross from the British government.

    In February 1920, during a practice drill Kindley led, some 
enlisted men unwittingly entered the bombing target area. 
"Buzzing" the troops to warn them off the field, Kindley somehow 
lost control of his plane and died in the ensuing crash.
    
    Using arduously gathered primary materials and accounts of 
Great War aces, Jack Ballard tells the story of this little-known 
hero from the glory days of aerial warfare. Through this tale, an era 
and a daring flyer live again.

_________________________________________________________

JACK STOKES BALLARD, who, before retirement, worked in 
the aeronautics industry and the U.S. Air Force, has had a lifelong 
fascination with Field Kindley. Ballard holds a Ph.D. from the 
University of California–Los Angeles and taught history for five 
years at the Air Force Academy. He currently resides in 
Centennial, Colorado.


Number Eight: C. A. Brannen Series