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US Air Force fable Robert “Bob” Pardo, known for his selfless enactment known arsenic “Pardo’s Push” during the Vietnam War, has died Dec. 5 successful College Station, Texas.
He was 89.
On March 10, 1967, Pardo, past a US Air Force captain, and weapons serviceman 1st Lt. Steve Wayne were heavy successful force territory connected a bombing tally successful Vietnam.
Flying alongside different F-4C Phantom airplane, piloted by Capt. Earl Aman and 1st Lt. Robert Houghton, the brace of jets tasked with eliminating North Vietnam’s lone alloy mill, which was heavy fortified with anti-aircraft guns and artillery.
Both craft started taking force occurrence from the ground, damaging some Pardo’s and Aman’s Phantoms.
“We took astatine slightest 1 hit, possibly two, close successful the belly of the airplane,” Pardo recounted in a 2015 interrogation with the Air Force Veterans successful Blue program.
After taking the archetypal force contact, Aman’s airplane was deed again and mislaid excessively overmuch substance to get retired of force territory and instrumentality to basal safely.
“I knew if I didn’t bash anything, they would person to eject implicit North Vietnam into force territory, and that would person resulted successful their seizure for sure,” Pardo said. “At that time, if you were captured by civilians, you were astir apt going to beryllium murdered connected the spot.”
In a selfless enactment to prevention his chap airmen, Pardo pushed Aman’s pitchy utilizing the chemoreceptor of his craft against Aman’s tailhook — a retractable hook connected the underside of the level utilized to assistance with landing.
Pardo helped Aman’s Phantom alteration altitude by 1,500 feet per infinitesimal and guided the level backmost into affable territory.
Both aircrews past safely ejected implicit the Laotian borderline and were rescued by affable forces.
Following the heroic aerial feat, Pardo recalls being asked frequently, ‘How did you person the courageousness to marque the decision, knowing that the windshield could interruption astatine immoderate time?’”
“My dada taught maine that erstwhile your person needs help, you help,” the Vietnam War leader answered.
“I couldn’t person travel location and told him I didn’t adjacent effort thing due to the fact that that’s precisely what helium would person asked me. He would’ve said, ‘Did you try?’”
Though it would look his bid would beryllium greatly pleased with his selfishness, Lt. Gen. William Wallace ‘Spike’ Momyer, commandant of the 7th Air Force successful Vietnam, would reprimand him for sacrificing his multimillion-dollar pitchy successful a rescue.
Facing a court-martial, Pardo was saved from punitive actions by his helping commander, Col. Robin Olds, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Pardo would beryllium awarded the Silver Star, the 3rd highest subject award, for his actions 20 years aft the aerial rescue.
Aside from his Silver Star, his awards see the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Born successful Herne, Texas, successful 1934, Pardo began his Air Force vocation successful 1954 erstwhile helium was 19 years old.
He logged 132 flying missions during the Vietnam War.
Pardo retired from the Air Force successful 1974 arsenic a lieutenant colonel.
“He is simply a legend, but his bequest is the happening helium did and you tin bash things similar that, it doesn’t person to beryllium pushing somebody’s airplane, you tin beryllium helping somebody,” his son, John Pardo told KBTX on Wednesday.
“His quality was 1 of outstanding individuals, his principles were unparalleled, and his emotion for his state was utmost successful his mind. Helping Earl and Bob Houghton the champion we could is the top illustration ever, successful the air, of 1 idiosyncratic trying to prevention idiosyncratic else’s life.”
“That is the lone clip that 1 airplane has really pushed the different successful aviation history.”
English (US) ·