A U.S. Air Force jet fighter, likely an F-4 Phantom II, takes on fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker's flying boom during operations over Southeast Asia in the Vietnam War era. Photographed from the tanker's boom operator station, the image shows the boom's stabilizing "high speed boom" fins guiding the nozzle into the fighter's receptacle high above the clouds. Aerial refueling missions like this one allowed strike and escort aircraft to extend their range and time on station, forming an essential and often unsung part of American air power during the conflict. Project: 218473