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'''Michael Estocin''' (April 27, 1931 – April 26, 1967) was a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] pilot who flew the [[A-4 Skyhawk]] in [[Operation Rolling Thunder]] during the [[Vietnam War]].  He won the [[Medal of Honor]] for heroism, and was shot down in 1967.

'''Michael Estocin''' (April 27, 1931 – April 26, 1967) was a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] pilot who flew the [[A-4 Skyhawk]] in [[Operation Rolling Thunder]] during the [[Vietnam War]].  He won the [[Medal of Honor]] for heroism, and was shot down in 1967.

Estocin was an A-4 pilot on the aircraft carrier USS ''Ticonderoga''.  He specialized in “Iron Hand” missions, missions against [[North Vietnam]]ese SAM sites.  On April 20, 1967, during a strike against thermal power plants in [[Haiphong]], Lt. Commander Estocin destroyed three SAM sites in spite of the fact he was hit between the second and third attacks.  Badly damaged and low on fuel, he managed to perform an aerial refueling, a hundred mile flight, and a perfect landing back on the ''Tico''.<ref>[http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html Medal of Honor Recipients]</ref>

Estocin was an A-4 pilot on the aircraft carrier USS ''Ticonderoga''.  He specialized in “Iron Hand” missions, missions against [[North Vietnam]]ese SAM sites.  On April 20, 1967, during a strike against thermal power plants in [[Haiphong]], Lt. Commander Estocin destroyed three SAM sites in spite of the fact he was hit between the second and third attacks.  Badly damaged and low on fuel, he managed to perform an aerial refueling, a hundred-mile flight, and a perfect landing back on the ''Tico''.<ref>[http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html Medal of Honor Recipients]</ref>

On April 26, Estocin was tasked to support another mission to Haiphong.  He was escorted by an [[F-8 Crusader]] piloted by John “Pirate” Nichols.  Besides protecting Estocin against MiGs, Nichols was to strafe threatening [[Surface-to-air missile|SAM]] sites with his four 20&nbsp;mm cannons after Estocin had hit them with his [[AGM-45 Shrike|Shrike missiles]].  Before departing, both pilots had briefed to expect trouble from Site VN-99, a SAM battery NNW of the target area.  The main strike proceeded as planned, with the North Vietnamese radars remaining quiet.  As the strike planes were leaving the area, however, VN-99 went active, and launched a SAM.  Both planes took evasive action, but the missile hit Estocin’s A-4, setting it aflame.  The plane plunged nose first into the ground, and no ejection was seen.  It was thought for a time that he might have survived and become a [[POW]], but when the American POWs were returned in 1973, Estocin was not among them.  Two decades later, the Joint Casualty Resolution Committee investigated, and in 1993, concluded that Michael Estocin had in fact never ejected, and died in the crash.<ref>''Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience'', by John Darrell Sherwood, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1999</ref>

On April 26, Estocin was tasked to support another mission to Haiphong.  He was escorted by an [[F-8 Crusader]] piloted by John “Pirate” Nichols.  Besides protecting Estocin against MiGs, Nichols was to strafe threatening [[Surface-to-air missile|SAM]] sites with his four 20&nbsp;mm cannons after Estocin had hit them with his [[AGM-45 Shrike|Shrike missiles]].  Before departing, both pilots had briefed to expect trouble from Site VN-99, a SAM battery NNW of the target area.  The main strike proceeded as planned, with the North Vietnamese radars remaining quiet.  As the strike planes were leaving the area, however, VN-99 went active, and launched a SAM.  Both planes took evasive action, but the missile hit Estocin’s A-4, setting it aflame.  The plane plunged nose first into the ground, and no ejection was seen.  It was thought for a time that he might have survived and become a [[POW]], but when the American POWs were returned in 1973, Estocin was not among them.  Two decades later, the Joint Casualty Resolution Committee investigated, and in 1993, concluded that Michael Estocin had in fact never ejected, and died in the crash.<ref>''Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience'', by John Darrell Sherwood, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1999</ref>