We have a thing that we do call locking the toggles: when you lock the toggles on a receiver you can actually tow him. So we did that and kept giving him fuel
The renowned KC-135 Stratotanker has provided unrivaled aerial refueling and airlift support globally for 60 years to achieve quick global mobility. This aircraft has endured through all of the significant events that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has participated in.
As you can read in the article titled 60 years in the air: The KC-135 during the Vietnam War. The KC-135 played a crucial role during the Vietnam War as well. According to Airman 1st Class Tara Fadenrecht of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs, the Stratotanker not only made it possible for heavy fighter-bombers to reach North Vietnamese targets and return, but it also towed them back to their bases when they were seriously damaged by enemy action.
“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! We’ve been struck by a missile,” called the voice on the radio.
The crew of a KC-135 Stratotanker heard the signal over their headsets as they prepared to land at their base after a successful refueling mission during the Vietnam War.
Retired Maj. Jim Hickman was the tanker crew’s navigator when it got the distress signal, and he has clear memories of what happened afterward. When Hickman made the call, the crew members exchanged glances and started to consider their choices.
“Let’s go get him,” he said.
After confirming the location of the F-111 Aardvark in distress, the tanker crew yelled back over the radio and continued flying north until they could see each other.
“He pulled in behind us, we got the boom into the receptacle and started transferring fuel,” said the retired navigator.
The extent of the fighter’s damage wasn’t immediately clear until the boom operator noticed fuel dripping from the aircraft. It would require some imagination to safely return the aircraft and its crew to the base.
“We have a thing that we do call locking the toggles,” said Hickman. “When you lock the toggles on a receiver you can actually tow him. So we did that, and kept giving him fuel.”
The KC-135 flew the plane across the skies of North Vietnam on its way back to Thailand. The boom operator opened the toggles as they approached the base where it was in operation, and the F-111 aircraft glided in for a safe landing.
“That was probably one of the greatest experiences in all my time in the Strategic Air Command,” said Hickman. “There were two crew members on there. If they would have bailed out they’d have been captured and thrown in prison.”
Not just that F-111 crew in danger received assistance from the KC-135. Helping the B-52 Stratofortress was one of the tanker’s main responsibilities during this time.
“We couldn’t have survived without the KC-135 over there,” said retired Maj. Wendell Skinner, former B-52 pilot. “We were flying 16-hour missions out of Guam. We couldn’t carry enough fuel to complete the whole mission.”
With the help of the tankers, the B-52 aircrew was able to reach their destination and finish their mission, saving many lives of U.S. personnel in the process.
“Without the B-52 putting munitions on the ground we couldn’t have supported the [Soldiers and Marines] down there trying to fight the battles,” said the retired pilot. “We were attempting to curtail supply lines, we were hitting weapons arsenals and we were taking out as many of the resources as we could from the enemy so they couldn’t continue to fight. We couldn’t have put bombs on the ground without the KC-135s in the air.”
The only thing left to do after a mission was to safely return to base. Once more, the KC-135s signaled their presence.
“To make it back to Guam we absolutely had to meet that tanker,” said Skinner. “The tankers were always there, they were always on time and they enabled us to complete our mission.”
Photo by Staff Sgt. David S. Nolan, Master Sgt. Patrick Nugent, and Airman Jenna Caldwell U.S. Air Force