Bob Pardo, creator of the Pardo Push, dead at 89
LTC (ret., presumably) Bob Pardo, a Silver-star winning Phantom pilot who might be described at “unconventional”, died December 5.
On March 10, 1967, Pardo and weapons officer 1st Lt. Steve Wayne were on a bombing run against an enemy steel mill north of Hanoi in North Vietnam territory in an F-4C Phantom.
The pair were flying alongside Capt. Earl Aman and 1st Lt. Robert Houghton.
During the mission, ground fire damaged both Pardo’s and Aman’s aircraft, and both quickly lost fuel.
Without enough fuel to return to base, Pardo had to react quickly.
“I knew if I didn’t do anything, they would have to eject over North Vietnam into enemy territory, and that would have resulted in their capture for sure,” Pardo told the Veterans in Blue, an Air Force public affairs agency.
“At that time, if you were captured by civilians, you were probably going to be murdered on the spot.”
Ever had to push a car when it runs out of gas? Or try to coast it to the station down the hills with the engine off so you would only use fuel when it was needed on the upslope? Imagine….how do you push a fighter – in flight?
Pardo, acting quickly, positioned the plane to push the nose of the aircraft against the second plane’s tailhook, a retractable hook on the underside of the plane used to assist in landing.
Veterans in Blue said Pardo successfully decreased the rate of descent of the second jet by 1,500 feet per minute, making it back over the border to South Vietnam.
According to the Air Force, all four airmen were able to eject and lived to tell the tale.
Pardo was reprimanded for his actions due to the damage caused to his plane by the maneuver.
Ain’t that the way? Save two flyers’ lives, and get chewed out by a chairborne ranger. Note, they were bitching about airframe damage to a plane that had already crashed… bet those AF guys were happy that when they flew into the Danger Zone their planes were also set up for some Top Gun action.
Presumably someone saner got involved and Pardo was decorated, as he should have been. He went on to fly 132 missions.
Category: Air Force, None, Veterans in the news, Vietnam
Finally awarded a well-deserved Silver Star.
My understanding from Vietnam era was that no matter what you did or how the plane went down it was always determined to be pilot error. That’s just listening to the old guys talk.
Rest in Peace, Brother!
During Tet ’68 every single pilot in the air deserved a Silver Star. I can remember seeing these guys coming in low to drop napalm or to strafe enemy positions with hundreds of tracers coming back up at them.
Posted with sincere respect.
Don’t have any first hand knowledge, but my dad was there during that time… he doesn’t talk much about it… I just know what I’ve read, and based on that alone, props to all involved, ground and air!
RIP LTC
Please give your Dad a huge hello and salute from me!! The only time I post anything about Nam……..is here, because I KNOW I’m among friends and Brothers. Thank you for your comment.
BTW – I’m a retired LEO. Thanks for your service!!!
Heh. We watched a low altitude napalm run and coms reported ground fire at the plane. The next run was considerably higher. Like a lot. Of course, the Marines were laughing and yelling wussy (with a different first letter). Even in the battle, the interservice rivalry reared its wonderful head.
Hardcore.
Curious if he is related to Don Pardo.
“The Pardo Push”
So THAT’S what “the Push” looks like.
Not being a wing walker, I had a little difficulty envisioning the maneuver.
Balls of solid titanium.
Thx.
“Improvise…Adapt…Overcome…” It’s not just for Marines. Never give up, there is always at least one more thing you can try. Musta had veins filled with ice, man. Way to hook a brother up.
Godspeed, Fare Well, and Rest Easy, Good Sir.
“Hook a brother up?”
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I see what you did there.
Rest in peace Sir. God be with your family.
Rest in Peace.
I can imagine the radio traffic. It may have sounded familiar:
“You’re gonna do WHAT?”
I’ve read this story before. His coolness in a crisis, and quick thinking still inspire.
Fly United!
(Grin)
Idiots. The plane was less damaged by this maneuver than it would have been had it been allowed to crash. Another plus, 4 aircrew lived to tell the tale.
Me wonders what kind of shenanigans these peoples bosses got into in either Korea or WWII.
Regardless, that took stones of epic proportions.
Both crews ejected over friendly territory, so both aircraft crashed and were destroyed.
The push-ee was out of fuel. That one is a write off. It’s going to crash.
The push-er still had fuel, despite major leaks, and was still flyable.
Pardo might theoretically have made it back to base, to land, so that was the point of contention. He sacrificed a “salvageable” aircraft to save two men, who would otherwise be captured or murdered.
Gee. No one remembers those parsimonious pissants. Justly.
Exactly. No one remembers bean counters. As it should be.