Fleming, Richard Eugene, born 02-11-1917 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, 
United States, on a cold day in Minnesota, to Richard Fleming, the English-born vice president of a wholesale collier (coal dealer) and Octavia Fleming. Richard attended St. Thomas Military Academy, 
a Roman Catholic military prep school in St. Paul. After graduating as Top Student Officer from St. Thomas in 1935 he enrolled in the University of Minnesota and joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity where he became its president. In 1939 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree.
Soon after graduating from the University of Minnesota, Fleming, then 22 years old, enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve 
on 15-12-1939 and applied for flight training. Richard was accepted as an aviation cadet on 25-01-1940 and sent to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida 
for training, finishing at the top of his class in 1940. He received his wings and commission on 06-12-1940. The Naval Air Base at San Diego became his first dutystation. He was posted to VMF-214, a Marine dive-bombing squadron known as the “Black Sheep Squadron” 
where he piloted a Vough SB2U-3 Vindicator 
out of San Diego, and then out of Ewa field in Hawaii. Fleming’s father died the following year leaving Octavia Fleming as the matriarch of the clan. Richard’s letter to her dated 03-12-1941 stated, “This is the last time I’ll be able to write for probably some time. I’m sorry I can’t give you any details. It’s that secret.” The secret was that eighteen of his squadron were flying their Vindicators out to sea for a touchdown on the US Lexington. 
They continued on to Midway Island where they were two days later when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, 
destroying their home field, Ewa, in Hawaii.
The pilots returned to Ewa shortly after the attack and on December 17 were ordered to proceed to Midway where Fleming would later engage in the Battle of Midway as Flight Officer of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241. 
Richard was promoted to first lieutenant in April 1942 and on May 25th he and five other lieutenants were promoted to captain. Early in the morning of 04-06-1942 the aviators on Midway got the word to stand by and warm up their aircraft. Led by their squadron commander, Lofton Russel “Joe” Henderson, 
they roared off tointercept waves of incoming Japanese aircraft.
“Joe”was shot down 04-06-1942 (age 39) in the battle for the Midway Islands, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Then, Fleming climbing into the sky, they headed towards the spot where the Japanese fleet was believed to be lurking. When Major Henderson was shotdown during the initial attack on a Japanese aircraft carrier, Fleming took command of the unit. Leaving the remainder of his formation, he dove to the perilously low altitude of 400 feet exposing himself to enemy fire in order to score a hit on the ship. After failing to drop a bomb onthe aircraft carrier, Akagi, his aircraft limped back to base with 179 holes in it.
The Akagi (literally: Red Castle) 
was named after a volcano in the Kanto region of Japan. She was built in Kure, initially as an Amagi-class battlecruiser. However, due to the provisions of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, it could not be completed as a battlecruiser. The ship was then completed as an aircraft carrier with three flight decks, allowing aircraft to take off directly from the lower hangar.
Death and burial ground of Fleming, Richard Eugene.
Captain Fleming was promoted to squadron commander the following day, 05-06-1942. Richard returned to battle after four hours of sleep to direct his squadron in a coordinated glide-bombing dive-bombing assault upon the Japanese. Pressing his aircraft to an altitude of 500 feet he put his plane into an approach glide for a screaming dive at the Japanese cruiser Mikuma. 
Diving low he succeeded in scoring a near-miss on the objective. His plane, hit by anti-aircraft fire, caught fire but Captain Fleming managed to keep his burning aircraft on course until he could release his bomb. Unable to pull out of his dive, Fleming, his plane a mass of flames, crashed into the sea. Richard along with his gunner, Private First Class George Albert “Gat” Toms, 
age 19, was killed. There is some inconclusive evidence that Fleming might have deliberately crashed his plane into the battleship, Kamikaze, style gutting the Mikuma which sank the next day. For “extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty, “Captain Fleming was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor, 
while Pfc. Toms received the Distinguished Flying Cross. 
On 24-11-1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt 
presented the Medal of Honor to Captain. Fleming’s mother. 
Fleming’s citation, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt reads:“The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to Captain Richard E. Fleming, United States Marine Corps Reserve: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Flight Officer, Marine Scout Bombing Squadron Two Forty One during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of Midway on June 4 and 5, 1942. When his squadron Commander was shot down during the initial attack upon an enemy aircraft carrier.
Richard Eugen Fleming is resting at sea and their is a memorial at Fort Snelling. Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory, Minnesota.
Leave a Reply