Medal of Honor Monday: James P. Fleming - The Huey Pilot Who Flew Into Hell and Back

From Missouri Roots to Washington State University

James P. Fleming came into the world on March 12, 1943, in Sedalia, Missouri, a heartland state that raises corn and character in equal measure. He grew up in the shadow of a father who was deeply dedicated to the Air Force. John H. Fleming was a career Air Force pilot, the kind of man who flew combat missions in the Pacific during World War II and later turned into a Cold War warrior with the Strategic Air Command. The elder Fleming wasn’t your average nine-to-five dad. Young James grew up on a steady diet of discipline, jet fuel, and stories from the front lines. That kind of upbringing doesn’t tend to produce hedge fund managers—it breeds warriors.

By the time Fleming hit college age, the writing was on the wall. He enrolled at Wash