THE WALL OF FACES

I have not forgotten you. I chair the Adoption Committee for The National League of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in Southeast Asia. We will always remember the 1,889 Americans still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia and the thousands of others that lost their lives. We will not stop our efforts until all of you are home where you belong.

We need to reach the next generation so that they will carry on when our generation is no longer able. To do so, we are attempting to locate photographs of all the missing. If you are reading this remembrance and have a photo and/or memory of this missing American that you would like to share for our project, please contact me at:

Candace Lokey
PO Box 206
Freeport, PA 16229
[email protected]

If you are not familiar with our organization, please visit our web site at :

www.pow-miafamilies.org

"Mike Estocin didn't just want to suppress SAMs. He wanted to kill them."

A shipmate's assessment of LCDR MICHAEL ESTOCIN's mindset spoke volumes about the man and his mission. Estocin was an IRON HAND in AIR WING 19, flying frequent Alfa strikes from the USS TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) during the on-again, off-again air campaign against North Vietnam.

The spring of 1967 was a pivotal era in Operation ROLLING THUNDER, as several targets previously off limits were opened to attack - MiG fields, power plants and targets "downtown" in Hanoi.

Estocin had a decade of experience in Navy Air and relished the IRON HAND mission. Flying A-4Es with the VA-192 World Famous Golden Dragons, he enjoyed dueling with Soviet-built SA-2s while firing AGM-45 SHRIKE missiles at their guidance radars. Tico by late April was nearing the end of her final line period of the 1966-1967 deployment, but Estocin remained as aggressive as ever. On the 20th of April he led two other suppressions covering a strike against Haiphong Harbor, and they did a thorough job. Despite AAA and SAM launches, they destroyed two sites before Estocin's Skyhawk was damaged by a near miss. He checked his systems, determined he could remain in the fight and launched his final SHRIKE against a third site.

Headed "feet wet," Estocin noticed serious fuel loss from holes in his "wet wing." With minutes remaining, he plugged into a KA-3B tanker and flew hooked up within safe distance of Tico. Then, hemorrhaging more JP-5 than he was ingesting, he released the Whale three miles from the ship and flew a rails pass to a trap despite flames behind his wing's trailing edge. Fire fighters doused the flames as Estocin, not looking back, walked away.

Six days later, Estocin was at work again. He was escorted by LCDR JOHN NICHOLS of VF-191, trolling for SAMS while another strike went into Haiphong. No missiles were fired - clearly a disappointment to Estocin, who remained in the area after the strikers were outbound. Finally, he was rewarded with a launch almost directly ahead. He and Nichols watched as a booster separated, then the sustainer motor ignited. The SA-2 ate up the eight miles distance in nothing flat.

Nichols waited for Estocin to turn and offset the SAM, better to gauge its closure, but the A-4 remained on course. With eerie speed, the missile exploded close aboard, rocking the Skyhawk nearly inverted. Descending and shedding parts and fuel, Estocin's jet slowly rolled upright. There was no response to Nichols' calls. Then the stricken A-4 rolled over, a fire in the belly burned through the circuits, and both SHRIKES fired. Jury 208 then dropped its nose and smashed into the ground. Risking AAA, Nichols circled the area looking for a parachute. There was none, so he turned his Crusader seaward and headed for home.

Mike Estocin died the day before his 36th birthday. Declared as Missing In Action for several years, his Medal of Honor citation stated that he survived the mission. However, Estocin was posthumously promoted to captain and a frigate received his name in 1981.



Transcribed from

THE HOOK

JOURNAL OF CARRIER AVIATION

FALL 2002

In an act of heroism above and beyond the call of duty, this American gave his life so that others might live. We honor his memory and sacrifice by preserving the torch of liberty that has been passed to us.

CAPTAIN


MICHAEL JOHN ESTOCIN


"THE WORLD FAMOUS GOLDEN DRAGONS"

ATTACK SQUADRON 192

U.S.S. TICONDEROGA (CVA-14)


<><><><> CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR <><><><>



THE USS TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) WAS FIRST IN VIETNAM WATERS IN LATE
1944 WHEN FIGHTER PLANES FROM THIS AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND THE
USS HANCOCK FLEW STRIKE MISSIONS AGAINST THE ENEMY VESSELS IN
SAIGON HARBOR. THE TICONDEROGA, THE FOURTEENTH US AIRCRAFT
CARRIER EVER BUILT, WAS ON STATION DURING THE VERY EARLY YEARS
OF THE VIETNAM WAR AND REMAINED THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE
DURATION OF THE WAR.

THE "WORLD FAMOUS GOLDEN DRAGONS" OF ATTACK SQUADRON 192
RETURNED TO THE WATERS OFF NORTH VIETNAM IN NOVEMBER 1966,
THEIR THIRD COMBAT DEPLOYMENT AND A CRUISE THAT WOULD
PROVE TO BE BOTH INTENSE AND NOTEWORTHY.

COMMANDER MICHAEL JOHN ESTOCIN WAS AN A4E ' SKYHAWK ' PILOT
AND THE OPERATIONS OFFICER OF ATTACK SQUADRON ONE NINE TWO,
ONBOARD THE USS TICONDEROGA.

ON MARCH 11, 1967
HE WAS THE LEAD PILOT OF A THREE-PLANE GROUP IN SUPPORT OF A
COORDINATED STRIKE AGAINST TWO THERMAL POWER PLANTS IN
HAIPHONG. HE WAS TO FLY 'SHRIKE', WHICH WAS CONSIDERED
AMONG THE TOUGHEST OF THE WAR. HE WAS ONE OF SIX 'SHRIKE'
PILOTS IN THE SQUADRON ON THIS, HIS SECOND TOUR OF VIETNAM.
THE PREVIOUS MONTH, THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE SQUADRON,
COMMANDER ERNEST M. "MEL" MOORE, HAD BEEN HIT ON A 'SHRIKE'
MISSION AND HAD BEEN CAPTURED BY THE NORTH VIETNAMESE.

THE 'SHRIKE' PILOT's JOB WAS TO FLY AHEAD OF THE STRIKE GROUP
BY FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTES LITERALLY TRYING TO DRAW FIRE FROM
THE SURFACE-TO-AIR-MISSILE EMPLACEMENTS. WHEN THE GROUND
RADAR FOUND THE 'SHRIKE', THE PILOT WOULD FIRE ANTI-RADAR
MISSILES AT THE SAM SITES. THE GOAL WAS EITHER TO ACTUALLY
KNOCK OUT THE SAM RADAR OR, AS WAS SOMETIMES THE CASE, TO
FORCE THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TO TURN OFF THEIR RADAR, THUS
ENABLING THE ALPHA STRIKE FORCE BEHIND THE 'SHRIKE' AIRCRAFT
TO FLY ON AND OFF THEIR TARGETS WITHOUT SAMs BEING SENT UP
AGAINST THEM. THE MORE SAMs THAT WERE FIRED AT THE 'SHRIKE'
MEANT FEWER WOULD BE FIRED AT THE FORMATIONS, WHICH HAD
TO STAY TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THEIR PART OF THE MISSION.

DURING THE OPERATION, CDR ESTOCIN PROVIDED WARNINGS TO THE
STRIKE GROUP LEADERS OF SAM THREATS, AND PERSONALLY
NEUTRALIZED THREE SAM SITES. ALTHOUGH HIS AIRCRAFT WAS
SEVERELY DAMAGED BY AN EXPLODING MISSILE, HE REENTERED
THE TARGET AREA AND PROSECUTED A 'SHRIKE' ATTACK AMIDST
INTENSE ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE. HE LEFT THE TARGET AREA WHEN
HE HAD LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING AND
REFUELLED IN MIDDAIR ON THE RETURN TRIP TO THE CARRIER.

SIX DAYS LATER, ON APRIL 26, HE AGAIN FLEW A 'SHRIKE' MISSION
OVER HAIPHONG AGAINST ENEMY FUEL FACILITIES. AGAIN, HIS
AIRCRAFT WAS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED BY SHRAPNEL FROM AN
EXPLODING SAM, BUT HE GAINED CONTROL OF THE PLANE AND
LAUNCHED HIS MISSILES BEFORE DEPARTING THE AREA.

THEN, CDR ESTOCIN CALLED, "I'm hit", AND HIS WINGMAN
INFORMED HIM THAT HE WAS TRAILING FUEL AND ON FIRE. THE
AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO RECOVER AFTER FOUR OR FIVE
UNCONTROLLED AILERON ROLLS, AND CDR ESTOCIN TURNED
TOWARD THE SEA CALLING, "I'm going down, switch to channel
five", (SEARCH AND RESCUE COMMON FREQUENCY). ESTOCIN
WAS OBSERVED BY HIS WINGMAN TO BE SITTING ERECT AND
APPEARED TO BE UNINJURED. THE COCKPIT AREA OF THE JET
FIGHTER WAS UNDAMAGED BY THE MISSILE. PASSING AN
ALTITUDE OF 6000 FEET THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN COMMENCED A
SERIES OF UNCONTROLLED AILERON ROLLS, AND THEN IT
STABILIZED IN THE INVERTED POSITION DESCENDING IN A
10-15 DEGREE DIVE.

AT THIS POINT HIS WINGMAN OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ENTER
A 3500 FEET UNDERCAST CLOUD LAYER , STILL IN THE
INVERTED POSITION. MAXIMUM GROUND ELEVATION IN THE
AREA WAS 1086 FEET. THE ISLANDS IN THE VICINITY OF
HAIPHONG, WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST SEEN, ARE
SPARSELY POPULATED, DENSELY COVERED WITH FOLIAGE,
AND IDEAL FOR ESCAPE AND EVASION.

NO PART OF THE EJECTION SEQUENCE WAS OBSERVED BY
THE WINGMAN, WHO WAS LESS THAN 1000 FEET FROM THE
AIRCRAFT THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD. THE OVERCAST
CLOUD LAYER BOTTOMS WERE LYING ON THE GROUND
WHICH PRECLUDED OBSERVATION OF AIRCRAFT IMPACT
OR IMMEDIATE SEARCH OF THE AREA FOR THE PILOT.
RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST WITH CDR ESTOCIN AFTER HIS
AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE CLOUD LAYER.

ELECTRONIC AND VISUAL SEARCHES WERE CONDUCTED
UNTIL DARK AND BEGAN AGAIN AT THE FIRST LIGHT. NO
VOICE OR OTHER ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS WERE
ESTABLISHED, AND VISUAL SEARCH FAILED TO LOCATE
THE AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE OR ANY SIGN OF THE PILOT.
NO REPORTS OF PILOT CAPTURE OR AIRCRAFT DOWNING
IN THE AREA WAS REPORTED BY THE VIETNAMESE
FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT. IT WAS THE CONSIDERED
OPINION OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER THAT CDR
ESTOCIN BE CARRIED AS BEING MISSING IN ACTION.

ON APRIL 26 AND 27, RADIO HANOI BROADCASTED
INFORMATION INDICATING THAT CDR ESTOCIN MAY
HAVE BEEN CAPTURED. US INTELLIGENCE SOURCES
REPORTED THAT HE WAS ALIVE IN NORTH VIETNAM,
AS A PRISONER OF WAR AND HIS STATUS WAS
CHANGED TO REFLECT THIS.

HOWEVER, IN 1973 WHEN 591 AMERICAN PRISONERS
WERE RELEASED CDR ESTOCIN WAS NOT AMONG THEM.
RETURNED PRISONERS OF WAR REPORTED THAT THEY
HAD HEARD HIS NAME IN SEVERAL CAMPS, AND IT WAS
REPORTED THAT HE WAS STILL ALIVE AND A PRISONER.

COMMANDER MICHAEL JOHN ESTOCIN
IS THE ONLY US NAVY FIGHTER PILOT TO RECEIVE THE
CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR
FOR A COMBAT ROLE.

HE WAS AWARDED THE
CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR
FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY
AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND
THE CALL OF DUTY ON 20 AND 26 APRIL 1967.

WHILE THE MEDAL OF HONOR WAS NOT NORMALLY
GIVEN FOR A COMBINATION OF MISSIONS, AN
EXCEPTION WAS MADE FOR THIS VERY INTENSE
TWO-DAY 'SHRIKE' MISSION AND, ACCORDING TO
THOSE WHO FLEW WITH COMMANDER ESTOCIN,
THE HONOR WAS WELL-DESERVED.


***************************************************************


CITATION

FOR THE AWARD OF THE

CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR

TO

COMMANDER

MICHAEL JOHN ESTOCIN



For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty on 20 and 26 April 1967 as
a pilot in Attack Squadron 192, embarked in USS TICONDEROGA
(CVA-14). Leading a three-plane group of aircraft in support
of a coordinated strike against two thermal power plants in
Haiphong, North Vietnam, on 20 April 1967, Commander
Estocin provided continuous warnings to the strike group
leaders of the surface-to-air-missile (SAM) threats,
personally neutralized three SAM sites. Although his
aircraft was severely damaged by an exploding missile,
he reentered the target area and relentlessly prosecuted
a SHRIKE attack in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire.
With less than five minutes of fuel remaining he departed
the target area and commenced inflight refueling which
continued for over 100 miles. Three miles aft of the USS
Ticonderoga, and without enough fuel for a second approach,
he disengaged from the tanker and executed a precise
approach to a fiery arrested landing.
On 26 April 1967, in support of a coordinated strike against
the vital fuel facilities in Haiphong, he led an attack on a
threatening SAM site, during which his aircraft was seriously
damaged by an exploding SAM, nevertheless, he regained
control of his aircraft and courageously launched his SHRIKE
missiles before departing the area. By his inspiring courage
and unswerving devotion to duty in the face of grave
personal danger, Commander Estocin upheld the highest
traditions of the US Naval Service.



************************************************************



The award of the


CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR


was presented to his family

on 27 February 1978

in the

Hall of Heroes

at

The Pentagon

by the

Secretary of the United States Navy

W. Graham Clayton, Jr.





THE PROUD YOUNG VALOR THAT ROSE ABOVE THE MORTAL

AND THEN, AT LAST, WAS MORTAL AFTER ALL





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE



************************************************************



CAPTAIN


MICHAEL JOHN ESTOCIN


has an

" In Memory of " marker

in section MA - 112 at

FORT ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMETERY

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA


To view an image of this

" In Memory of " marker,

please go to.....


www.findagrave.com/pictures/9708.html