In a remarkable ceremony in Stockholm on November 28, 2018, four retired Swedish Air Force pilots were awarded U.S. Air Medals for their extraordinary actions during a Cold War mission that had remained classified for over three decades. On June 29, 1987, a U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird suffered a critical engine failure while conducting a reconnaissance mission over the Baltic Sea.
The SR-71, piloted by retired Lt. Cols. Duane Noll and Tom Veltri, were on a “Baltic Express” mission, gathering intelligence on Soviet military activities. High-speed and high-altitude performance was its first line of defense, but one of its Pratt & Whitney J58s flamed out, forcing the Blackbird to descend to 25,000 feet, perilously close to Soviet airspace.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, controllers from the Swedish Air Force launched two pairs of Saab 37 Viggen fighter jets to intercept the stricken SR-71. One of the Swedish pilots, Retired Maj. Roger Moller, recalled, “We were performing an ordinary peacetime operation exercise when our fighter controller asked if we could intercept and identify an aircraft of certain interest. I immediately thought it must be an SR-71.”
The Swedish pilots assessed the emergency and decided to escort the Blackbird, safeguarding the U.S. aircraft against any form of Soviet aggression. They escorted the SR-71 well beyond Sweden’s borders until it was safely recovered by American forces. “I can’t say enough about these gentlemen,” Veltri said during the ceremony. “What they did is truly monumental.”
Lt. Col. Noll could not appear at the ceremony but prepared a recorded message of appreciation. “Your obvious skills and judgment were demonstrated on that fateful day many years ago. Because of you, there was no international incident, and two crew members’ lives were saved.”
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Williams, Mobilization Assistant to the commander, of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, presented the Air Medals to Swedish Air Force Col. Lars-Eric Blad, Maj. Roger Moller, Maj. Krister Sjoberg, and Lt. Bo Ignell. “That day in 1987 showed us that we can always count on our Swedish partners in times of great peril,” Williams said. “Even when there was both political risk and great physical danger, there was no hesitation on your part to preserve the pilots on that day.”
The presentation of the Air Medals not only showed the bravery and expertise of the Swedish pilots but also marked a long-term partnership that was established between the United States and Sweden. The painting telling their heroism was also handed over to the Swedish pilots, which proves to be a fitting tribute to their courage and commitment.