BATTLE OF MIDWAY, MEDAL OF HONOR, CAPT. RICHARD FLEMING

MARINE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT, CAPTAIN RICHARD E. FLEMING FOR EXTRA ORDINARY HEROISM AND CONSPICUOUS  INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS FLIGHT OFFICER, MARINE SCOUT BOMBING SQUADRON 224 DURING AERIAL COMBAT OPERATIONS AGAINST ENEMY JAPANESE FORCES IN THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY 4 AND 5 JUNE, 1942.  WHEN HIS SQUADRON COMMANDER WAS SHOT DOWN DURING THE INITIAL ATTACK UPON AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT CARRIER, CAPT. FLEMING LED THE REMAINDER OF THE DIVISION WITH SUCH FEARLESS DETERMINATION THAT HE DIVED HIS OWN PLANE TO THE PERILOUSLY LOW ALTITUDE OF 400 FEET BEFORE RELEASING HIS BOMB.  ALTHOUGH HIS CRAFT WAS WAS RIDDLED WITH 179 HITS IN THE BLISTERING HAIL OF FIRE BURST UPON HIM FROM JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES' GUNS AND THE SHIPS' ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES, HE PULLED OUT WITH ONLY TWO MINOR WOUNDS INFLICTED UPON HIMSELF, AND MANAGED TO GET HIS CRIPPLED PLANE BACK TO HIS BASE AND LAND SAFELY.  ON A SUBSEQUENT ENGAGEMENT HE MADE A FATEFUL APPROACH GLIDE, DURING WHICH HIS PLANE WAS STRUCK AND SET AFIRE, BUT HE GRIMLY PRESSED HOME HIS ATTACK ON AN ENEMY BATTLESHIP THEN CRASHED TO THE SEA IN FLAMES.  HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY.  FRONT CACHET IS A PHOTO OF FLEMING, THE MEDAL OF HONOR, HIS MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP INSIGNIA, AMERICAN AND USMC FLAGS, AND A B/W PHOTO OF A SB2U-3 AIRCRAFT OF HIS SQUADRON TAKING OFF FROM EASTER ISLAND PRIOR TO THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY(SEE BACK OF COVER FOR HIS ENTIRE CITATION).  FRONT CACHET COVER IS FRANKED WITH THE "PURPLE HEART'', AND CANCELED, "NOV 7 2008 ST PAUL, MN 55104", HIS PLACE OF BIRTH.  THE REVERSE CACHET IS HIS MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION.  COVER IS UNSEALED, UNADDRESSED AND 'POLY SLEEVE' ENCLOSED.  "TOP SARGE" CACHET.  USCS MEMBER #11835.  COVER # 3 OF 10.  NICE, INEXPENSIVE  SOUVENIR FOR THE MILITARY HISTORIAN, OR AN ACTIVE / RETIRED OR FORMER MARINE. "SEMPER FI"!