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Michael John Estocin was born in Turtle Creek, Pa. on 27 April 1931. After graduating the Pennsylvania State Teachers College at Slippery Rock, he entered naval service at Akron, Oh. as an aviation cadet in June 1954. Becoming a Naval aviator, he advanced in grade, and in April 1967 was a Lieutenant Commander with Attack Squadron 192 flying A-4 Skyhawks from the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). Lcdr. Estocin’s specialty was SAM suppression, called "Iron Hand" missions. On 20 April 1967, while leading a three plane flight in support of a coordinated strike against two thermal power plants in Haiphong, North Viet Nam, he provided continuous warnings to the strike groups of the surface-to-air missile (SAM) threats, and personally neutralized three SAM sites. Although his aircraft was severely damaged by an exploding missile, he prosecuted a Shrike attack in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire. With less than five minutes fuel remaining he departed the target area and commenced in-flight refueling which continued for over 100 miles. Three miles aft of Ticonderoga, and without enough fuel for a second landing approach, he disengaged from the tanker and executed a fiery arrested landing. On 26 April, Estocin was tasked to support another mission to Haiphong. He was escorted by an F-8 Crusader of VF-191 piloted by Lcdr. John "Pirate" Nichols. Besides protecting Estocin against MiGs, Nichols was to strafe SAM sites with 20 mm cannons after Estocin had hit them with his Shrike missliles. They had been briefed to expect trouble from Site VN-99, a battery NNW of the target. The main strike proceeded, 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. For his actions during the missions over Haiphong on April 20, and April 26, 1967, Estocin was promoted to captain (in absentia) and awarded the Medal of Honor (the only Medal of Honor awarded to a Naval aviator for his combat missions in the Vietnam War).
USS Estocin (FFG 15) was the first ship to be named in his honor.
(Photos from Find A Grave [top: as a Lieutenant) and the Home of Heroes [bottom: in his aircraft as a Lieutenant Commander]) |
Bill Gonyo |
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10 June 1979: Bath ME - A bow view of the guided missile frigate USS Estocin (FFG 15) under construction. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-84-02703 by Bath Iron Works, from the Defense Visual Information Center) |
Navsource |
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8 September 1980: At sea - An aerial starboard bow view of the Estocin underway during sea trials. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-83-10709 by Bath Iron Works, from the DVIC) |
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20 December 1980: Bath ME - A starboard bow view of the Estocin, USS Flatley (FFG 21), and USS Clifton Sprague (FFG 16) moored at a pier. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-86-04547 by JO1 Peter D. Sundberg, from the DVIC) |
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8 September 1981: Bath ME - An elevated stern view of two Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigates at Bath Iron Works Corp. Shipyard. The USS John L. Hall (FFG 32), at 70 percent complete, is to the right, and the Estocin, to the left. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-85-04707 by Bath Iron Works, from the DVIC) |
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8 September 1981: Bath ME - An elevated bow view of two Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigates at Bath Iron Works Corp. Shipyard. The USS John L. Hall (FFG 32), at 70 percent complete, is to the left, and the Estocin, to the right. The USS Gallery (FFG 26) is in the background. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-85-04706 by Bath Iron Works, from the DVIC) |
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26 March 1985: location unknown - A port bow view of the Estocin in port at sunset. The ship is stopping over while en route to the U.S. after a Persian Gulf deployment. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-86-04650 by HM2 Robert E. Wilson, from the DVIC) |
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1 October 1985: Solomons Island MD - An elevated starboard quarter view of the Estocin moored near the Elecro Magnetic Pulse Radiation Environmental Simulator for Ships I (EMPRESS I) facility. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-86-03532, from the DVIC) |
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Taken at Penns Landing in Philadelphia, Pa. I'm not sure of the year but she was there for a Fourth of July celebration one year in the late 80's (Jon Cathcart, former Estocin SelRes crewmember) |
John Hummel |
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October 1987: at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Both Photos © Karsten Petersen) |
Karsten Petersen,
Middelfart, Denmark |
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29 October 1988: At sea - The Estocin sails off the coast of Puerto Rico. Estocin participated in counter-narcotics training missions in the Caribbean. (US Navy photo #981029-N-0879R-001 by JO2 David Rush from Navy Newstand) |
Bill Gonyo |
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5 February 1994: NavSta Mayport FL - A port side view of the Estocin tied up to a pier at the naval station. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-94-02381 by OS2 John Bouvia, from the DVIC) |
Navsource |
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5 February 1994: NavSta Mayport FL - A port bow view of the Estocin tied up at a pier at the naval station. Two more Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates are moored astern of Estocin. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-94-02382 by OS2 John Bouvia, from the DVIC) |
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20 August 1995: Hampton Roads VA - A port bow view of the Naval Reserve Force guided missile frigate Estocin entering the Hampton Roadstead upon returning to port following Hurricane Felix moving out of the area off to the east. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-95-02290 by Don S. Montgomery, from the DVIC) |
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28 January 1996: NavSta Norfolk VA - Aerial view of piers 4, 5 and 6 at the Norfolk Naval Base. The replenishment oiler USS Kalamazoo (AOR 6) is moored on the north side of pier 4. The fast combat support ship USS Supply (AOE 6) is moored at pier 5, south side of the Naval Reserve guided missile frigate Estocin aft of her. The amphibious assault ship USS Saipan (LHA 2) is on the north side of the pier. The decommissioned destroyer tender Puget Sound (AD 38) is tied up on the south side of pier 6 awaiting removal to the James River Reserve Fleet. The amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4) is moored on the north side with the guided missile frigate USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49). (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-97-00616 by Robert J. Sitar, from the DVIC) |
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29 October 1998: At sea - A view from onboard Estocin, showing a USN SH-3H Sea King helicopter assigned to Fleet Composite Squadron Eight (VC-8) landing on the ships flight deck. Estocin and VC-8 are participated in counter-narcotics training missions in the Caribbean Sea. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SD-04-13147 by JO2 David Rush, from the DVIC) |
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3 April 2003: NavSta Mayport FL - The crew of the Estocin departs the ship for the last time during her decommissioning ceremony. Estocin is scheduled to be transferred to the government of Turkey. Cmdr. Scott Phillpott, Estocin's commanding officer, stated that he is enthusiastic about his ship's future, saying, "The Turkish Navy is getting a fine warship. My crew has Estocin in pristine condition, and it will serve the government of Turkey proudly." (US Navy photo #030403-N-4649C-001 by PH2 Chantel Chapman, from the Navy Newstand) |
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as TCG Göksu (F-497), date & location unknown |
Yucel M.Umar
CPO (Ret.), Turkish Navy |
