From Medal of Honor: James Fleming’s Impossible Vietnam War Rescue

From Medal of Honor: James Fleming’s Impossible Vietnam War Rescue

From Against the Rules: The Big Short Companion by Pushkin Industries

May 27, 2026 · 31 min · Season 6

About this episode

The episode recounts the heroic rescue mission of Air Force pilot James Fleming during the Vietnam War.

In 1968, in the dense jungles of Vietnam, a team of Green Berets was pinned down by an overwhelming North Vietnamese Army force. Their last hope was a young Air Force pilot named James Fleming. Despite being low on fuel and facing a wall of enemy fire, Fleming refused to turn back. The rescue mission seemed destined to fail, but a split-second decision would earn Fleming the nation’s highest military honor. Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscriptions. Sign up on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm/plus and use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription. Connect with the team!  Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods   Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez   Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm Episode resources: “SOG Combat in Cambodia: Under the Gun at Tango Five-One” by Randy Harrison, Soldier of Fortune Magazine, August 1982  Green Hornets: The History of the U.S. Air Force 20th Special Operations Squadron by Wayne Mutza (Schiffer Military History, 2007)  Secret Green Beret Commandos In Cambodia: A Memorial History of MACVSOG's Command and Control Detachment South (CCS) And…

Topics covered

  • Vietnam War
  • military rescue
  • heroism
  • Green Berets
  • Air Force
  • Medal of Honor

Keywords

  • James Fleming
  • Vietnam War
  • Green Berets
  • military honor
  • rescue mission
  • North Vietnamese Army

Sponsors

Pushkin+

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pushkin Industries, Medal of Honor

Places: Vietnam

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