
No Man Left Behind: James Fleming’s Impossible Vietnam War Rescue
From Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage by Pushkin Industries
May 20, 2026 · 31 min · Season 3 · Episode 1
About this episode
The episode recounts the daring rescue mission led by 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+ subscription. Sign up and save on the Medal of Honor show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus . 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…
People in this episode
Host: JR Martinez
Topics covered
- Vietnam War
- military rescue
- courage
- Green Berets
- Air Force
- heroism
Keywords
- Vietnam War
- James Fleming
- Green Berets
- rescue mission
- military honor
- North Vietnamese Army
- Air Force pilot
Sponsors
Pushkin+
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Soldier of Fortune Magazine
Books & works: SOG Combat in Cambodia: Under the Gun at Tango Five-One, Green Hornets: The History of the U.S. Air Force 20th Special Operations Squadron, Secret Green Beret Commandos In Cambodia: A Memorial History of MACVSOG's Command and Control Detachment South (CCS) And Its Air Partners, Republic of Vietnam, 1967-1972
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