Four F4 Phantom jets revved up their jet engines on the runway in Thailand. Their engines sounded like hurricanes suddenly let loose. The noise was deafening. Long orange flames shot out of the back of the engines. One by one, the pilots released their brakes and shot down the runway. The warplanes accelerated unbelievably fast. When they reached 165 knots per hour, the pilots adjusted the ailerons on their planes and the jets leapt skyward. They set a course for their bombing target in Hanoi, North Vietnam. The weather was fair, and the sky clear blue and beautiful.
Serious Trouble
Soon they were nearing their target, a steel factory on the outskirts of Hanoi. The planes swooped down like eagles to their prey. As they neared their target, the tranquility of the deep blue sky suddenly erupted. Air defenses that ringed the city opened fire on the planes with anti-aircraft fire.
The pilots saw the explosion of anti-aircraft shells all around them. Pieces of shrapnel — sharp bits of metal — went whizzing in all directions like deadly fireworks when these shells exploded.
When they made the bombing run over the target, two of the F4 Phantom jets were hit by shrapnel. They were not major hits. Both planes remained in flying condition. Shrapnel had hit fuel lines in both planes. The jet flown by Commander Aman was losing fuel much faster. It soon became apparent that he wouldn’t have enough fuel to fly out of enemy territory. This was bad news because pilots and airmen were often tortured and killed by the enemy. If they could stay in flight long enough, perhaps an airborne tanker might refuel them and they could make it back to the base.
The two damaged planes turned towards Laos which was closer than Thailand. If somehow they could stay in the air for 20 minutes, they might make it. The two undamaged planes left them and flew off towards their base in Thailand. In turning back to the base and leaving their fellow pilots, they were simply following orders.
Courage and Tenacity
Captain Bob Pardo piloted the less damaged plane. Captain Bob Pardo could have flown off and saved himself and his plane, but he found it difficult to leave guys he had just fought a battle with. He was this other pilot’s wingman after all, and he felt a deep loyalty to him.
Pardo radioed Captain Earl Aman, “I’m gonna try to give you a push. You fly that plane smoother than you have ever flown before.”
Pardo maneuvered his plane behind the stricken F4. He tried to push the nose of his plane, which had been designed to fly at high speeds, into the opening at the back of the other jet’s fuselage, but try as hard as he could, the turbulence coming off the back of the plane made it impossible to get within ten feet of it.
Undaunted, Pardo had another bold idea. He would fly his plane under the other F4 and fly it piggyback-style to safety. This didn’t work either because of turbulence. As Pardo backed slowly away, he looked up and saw the landing hook at the back of the plane. F4s had been designed to land on aircraft carriers and were built with a landing hook that could be lowered to catch a strong cable stretched across the landing deck of an aircraft carrier.
Pardo radioed Aman, “Put your hook down.”
Skillfully Pardo flew his plane so the landing hook rested on his own windshield. In this way he could keep the other plane afloat in the air by pushing it. Spiderweb cracks formed in the windshield — still he courageously pushed the plane through the air. They flew this way for 20 minutes until Pardo’s plane also ran out of fuel. It was just far enough to push them over the Vietnam-Laotian border. When they couldn’t go any further, the four airmen ejected out of the planes and parachuted down into the jungles of Laos.
Laotian guerillas fighting with the Viet Cong fired at them. Tracer bullets flew around them when they hit the ground. The airmen hid behind a hill before a rescue helicopter picked them up and brought them back to safety. The incident became known as Pardo’s Push. The damaged plane never would have made it out of enemy territory otherwise.
Our Need of a Rescuer
In much the same way, we all need help to make it through this life and safely arrive at heaven. Ever since the sin of our first parents, this world has become enemy-held territory. From our first parents, we have all received a fallen human nature. We have been weakened in our will, darkened in our minds, and have passions full of turbulence. Because we have these injuries, we all need God’s help in order to live the way we should.
The pilot of the damaged plane had no way to make it out of enemy-held territory on his own, nor do you and I have any way to make it out of enemy-held territory either but by the grace of God.
What is grace? Grace is God’s undeserved favor that He gives freely to injured, damaged sinful people so they can be saved, turn from their sins and live righteously in this world.
“The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-1211For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:11‑12)).
It is by the light of God’s grace that a sinner first comes to see their need for God’s salvation. By His grace, God is ready to forgive all those who believe in His Son. From the time a person first believes to the moment they die and enter into eternity, they need God’s grace in their lives. God gives grace freely, but we are taught to depend on Him for it.
Only God’s grace can bring any of us safely home to heaven. The enemy may shoot at us and seek to bring us down, but God will be a shield to those who trust Him. “Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head” (Psalm 3:33But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. (Psalm 3:3)).
Thank God, He is the God of all grace and He is always ready to save sinners. “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). God is faithful and will never fail to save those who ask Him.
Captain Pardo maneuvered his F4 Phantom jet behind the damaged plane and helped push it over enemy-held territory. Will you believe in Jesus Christ and ask Him to save you by His grace? Only then may a person make it out of enemy-held territory and make it into heaven.
The Boom and Zoom Strategy gives another vital lesson extracted from the tragedies of war.