On March 10, 1967, F-4 Phantom fighter pilot Capt. Bob Pardo was on a mission to bomb a steel mill north of Hanoi. Fellow pilot Earl Aman was hit by flak in his fuel tank. Pardo’s jet was also hit, in the wing. Aman would not make it back to friendly territory because he was losing too much fuel. Pardo got the idea of pushing his friend. He told Aman to lower his tailhook (used for landing on aircraft carriers) and Pardo put his windshield on it and pushed the other F-4. This novel maneuver became known as the “Pardo Push”. During this feat, Pardo lost power in one of his engines, but he persevered. Pardo managed to push Aman 88 miles to Laotian territory. At this point, both planes were running out of fuel. The pilots (and their weapons officers) had to bail out, but they were picked up by helicopters. At the time, Pardo was reprimanded for losing an aircraft, but later the case was reviewed and Pardo was awarded the Silver Star in 1989.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardo%27s_Push
https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/fighter-pilots-pushed-wingmen/
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