Chasing Charlie

Richard Fleming served as a scout with the elite U.S. Marine 1st Force Reconnaissance Company during the bloodiest years of the Vietnam War. Dropped deep into enemy territory, Recon relied on stealth and surprise to complete their mission—providing intelligence on enemy positions and conducting raids, prisoner snatches, and ambushes. Fleming’s absorbing memoir recounts his transformation from idealistic recruit to cynical veteran as the war claimed the lives of his friends and the missions became ever more dangerous.

Richard Fleming volunteered for the Marine Corps in 1967. Following basic training at Parris Island, Advanced Infantry training, and Recon Indoctrination he completed Army Airborne School to become a Marine paratrooper. When he first arrived in Vietnam he was assigned to 1st Battalion Recon and then transferred to 1st Force Recon where he spent the remainder of his 13-month tour as a Marine scout with an eight-man long range reconnaissance team. He lives in Freeport, Maine.

Richard Fleming
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 250
Bibliographic Info: 11 photos, maps, notes, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7187-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3148-6
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
1—Monsoon  3
2—One Way Ticket to Nam  4
3—Da Nang  5
4—Battalion Recon  8
5—Pack Mule to the Rescue  11
6—Chief  14
7—The Club  17
8—Gear Up  20
9—Morning  26
10—Mount Up  28
11—Alone on the LZ  32
12—Sniper  39
13—Leaving Battalion  43
14—Welcome to Force  45
15—The Firing Range  52
16—Mortar  56
17 —Contact  58
18—Golden Wings  62
19—Toothpaste  67
20—Hospital Visit  72
21—The Coop  74
22—Jonah  78
23—The New Jersey  81
24—Sic ’Em  87
25—River Rat  90
26—The Red Corvette  93
27—An Hoa  94
28—Buzzard Bait  101
29—A Christmas Carol  106
30—A Close Shave  108
31—Hell’s Half Acre  110
32—Wounded  114
33—Cam Ranh Bay  116
34—Gassed  122
35—The Pit  129
36—Grunts  134
37—The Quick and the Dead  137
38—Blessed Sleep  140
39—Rats  142
40—Sink or Swim  146
41—Hot Water  150
42—Elephants on the LZ  155
43—Foresight…Foresight…  164
44—Everything Is ­Samee-Same  171
45—The Bucktoothed Sergeant  175
46—The Silken Boudoir  183
47—CAP  187
48—The Dog and Pony Show  191
49—The Fight  192
50—Truckin  197
51—Tiger  199
52—Don’t Blink  202
53—Sentry Post Alpha  206
54—Murder  209
55—Short Timer  213
56—Trinkets  217
57—Ho…Ho…Ho Chi Minh  220
58—Homecoming  224
Epilogue  226
Reconnaissance Creed  235
Navaho Blessing  236
Chapter Notes  237
Recommended Reading  240
Index  241

“Some men can tell you things you have heard before and make them sound brand new. Richard Fleming is one of them. His 20/10 vision exposes small details in the big picture. He sees inside men and situations. He portrays heroes and screw-ups…I enjoyed reading Chasing Charlie.”—VVA Veteran