MICHAEL W DOYLE
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HONORED ON PANEL 1W, LINE 69 OF THE WALL

MICHAEL WILLIAM DOYLE

WALL NAME

MICHAEL W DOYLE

PANEL / LINE

1W/69

DATE OF BIRTH

02/13/1943

CASUALTY PROVINCE

NZ

DATE OF CASUALTY

08/25/1972

HOME OF RECORD

PHILADELPHIA

COUNTY OF RECORD

Philadelphia County

STATE

PA

BRANCH OF SERVICE

NAVY

RANK

CDR

Book a time
Contact Details
ASSOCIATED ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

REMEMBRANCES

LEFT FOR MICHAEL WILLIAM DOYLE
POSTED ON 10.2.2023
POSTED BY: James D. Olson, II

The mission

Mike joined VF-161 as an experienced replacement pilot in early August 1972. I was the spare pilot for his last mission, Mike's first as the leader of a MiGCAP. The mission called for the two-plane section of F-4B Phantoms to coast in at the "Hourglass" so named for the two rivers that bowed in toward each other south of the port city of Haiphong. Mike asked me, a close friend from our instructor days and seasoned section leader, to brief the hop so I did. It was an unusual request, but I figured Mike just wanted someone to show him how it was done. After the brief, as we were putting our flight gear on, Mike came up to me and asked what I do when a surface-to-air (SAM) missile was locked on and guiding on my aircraft. I said this is a hell of a time to explain all the nuances that go with defeating a tracking SAM but I gave him a short summary of what "the book" - the F-4 Tactcal Manual - says and what I do personally that works better. I then went over to the squadron CO and told him that Mike wasn't quite ready to lead a MiGCAP and that I'd like to spend more time with him to get him ready to lead. The CO said Mike should be ready at this point after flying as a wingman on several missions over North Vietnam and having been a Radar Intercept Officer in the Phantom a few years prior. At that point, I went up to the flight deck and manned up as the spare which would go in the place of either the leader or the wingman if there was a problem with either aircraft after startup. I was hoping that Mike would have such a problem so I could go in his place and then have more time after the sortie to talk about how to defeat a tracking SAM. After they launched, I went down to the Midway's Combat Information Center to monitor the section as they coasted in and flew to their assigned MiGCAP station to protect the Alpha strike of about two dozen attack aircraft that was proceeding to the assigned target. Shortly after that, my fears came to light when Mike's wingman called out to Mike that he saw a SAM coming up from directly underneath his aircraft and to break (a full maximum high G turn) but it was too late. MIke's RIO, Jack Ensch, called out to Mike who was slumped forward in his seat, so he initiated dual ejection. Jack was taken prisoner and the word at the time was that Mike had died in the cockpit from the SAM's blast. Despite that, we hoped that he had somehow survived and would be returned but such was not the case. I miss him dearly.
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POSTED ON 5.24.2022
POSTED BY: John Fabris

honoring you...

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. I am heartened you returned home after the passage of so many years though I wish it had been under very different circumstances. May you rest in eternal peace.
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POSTED ON 8.24.2021
POSTED BY: Grateful Vietnam Veteran

Prisoner of War Medal Award

Commander Michael William Doyle was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal. He was taken prisoner and held captive while engaged in action against enemy forces. He served as a Pilot and was assigned to VF-161, CVW-5, USS MIDWAY, TF 77, 7TH FLEET.
See http://www.virtualwall.org/dd/DoyleMW02a.htm
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POSTED ON 7.1.2021
POSTED BY: LILLIAN HUGHES

BRACELET

FOR LCDR MICHAEL DOYLE. THANK YOU SIR FOR YOUR SERVICE. I WAS AT A GARAGE SALE AND BOUGHT A BAG OF MISC. JEWELRY. YOUR BRACELET WAS IN WITH SEVERAL PIECES. TO THE FAMILY. I FOUND THIS PAGE AND WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I AM TRULY THANKFUL FOR HIS SERVICE.
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POSTED ON 5.1.2021
POSTED BY: Jim and Lorraine Sellitti

Never forgotten

Thank you for your sacrifice Doyle family.
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