Book Review: Chasing Charlie

     Dick Fleming, member of team Forefather and the Flying Ladder mission, recreates his experiences as a Force Recon Marine in extraordinary detail. These elite warriors faced circumstances hardly imaginable by those who have not experienced it for themselves, and Fleming's account is no exception. Fleming puts the reader in his boots, while patrolling the jungles of Vietnam, and enduring the politics a military bureaucracy.

     The opening chapters are some of the most compelling of the book. Fleming describes his journey to Vietnam, and his innocence and ignorance as he entered the world of Marine reconnaissance. Readers are left feeling like they are the clueless newbies, facing certain death if they forget to tape up every loose strap or apply camouflage paint to their closed eye lids. Fleming masterfully paints these opening scenes, and holds your attention as the action increases through the book. 

     Fleming's unfiltered take on life in the bush is paralleled by his honest perspective on the officers and senior enlisted Marines who largely controlled his destiny. He recounts events as he saw them, and evaluates decisions based on how they effected his team.

     The closing portions of the book present the reader with true perspective of a Vietnam veteran's return home from the war. Fleming's experience immediately following his return, and his reflections on the years since, are insightful and impactful. 

     Chasing Charlie is a must read for anyone interested in military special operations, the Vietnam War, and an honest look into military life. Despite numerous errors in grammar or  punctuation missed by the publisher, Fleming's book is an easy and enjoyable read, and an important addition to the history of Marines in Vietnam.

• Author: Richard Fleming
• Publisher: McFarland, 2018
• 250 Pages