page_title: April 1967
section_title: April 26, 1967 (Wednesday)
hierarchical_section_title: April 1967 / April 26, 1967 (Wednesday)
caption_attribution_description: English: U.S. Navy photograph of LCDR Michael J. Estocin. Estocin was assigned to Attack Squadron 192 (VA-192) "Golden Dragons" in 1966-1967. VA-192 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing 19 (CVW-19) aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) for a deployment to the Western Pacific and Vietnam from 19 October 1966 to 29 May 1967. During this cruise, he was lost on 26 April 1967 flying a Douglas A-4E Skyhawk (BuNo 151073), as the result of a SAM hit. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions over the target area.
context_page_description: The following events occurred in April 1967:
context_section_description: For the first time, a satellite was launched into orbit from an ocean platform.  San Marco B, the second satellite in Italy's space program (and the first to be sent up from Kenya) soared into space under the direction of an all-Italian team of 100 scientists.  From a converted oil drilling rig in the Indian Ocean, a few miles off of the coast of Malindi, an American Scout B rocket carried the 285-pound research satellite into an equatorial orbit.  The satellite's purpose was to gather "data on air density and ionospheric conditions above the earth's equator.".  It would re-enter the atmosphere on October 14 after 171 days in orbit.
  Born:
  Kane (stage name for Glenn T. Jacobs) Spanish-born American professional wrestler; in Torrejón de Ardoz
  Marianne Jean-Baptiste, English film actress, in Camberwell
  Died: U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Michael J. Estocin, 35, was shot down over North Vietnam while leading his second airstrike in six days from the USS Ticonderoga,  with a mission to destroy North Vietnamese thermal power plants at Haiphong and the surface-to-air missile sites defending the plants.  On his first mission, Estocin took out three of the missile sites before his A-4 Skyhawk plane was damaged by an SA-2 Guideline missile.  Despite the damage, he took out another missile site before gliding back to the Ticonderoga.  On his final mission, Estocin's A-4 was struck by another missile and he fired his own missiles before plunging to the ground.  Estocin would be promoted posthumously to the rank of Captain, and would be awarded the Medal of Honor in 1978 for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 20 and 26 April 1967".
caption: Lt. Commander Estocin
exif: {}