No Man Left Behind: James Fleming’s Impossible Vietnam War Rescue

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

More episodes of Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage podcast page.