US Air Force General. His father was a career Army officer. After graduating from Hampton High School VA in 1931, he attended the US Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1936. He began his military career at Ft. Bliss TX where he was appointed platoon and troop commanding officer of the 7th Cavalry, and later was assigned to the Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division, as an aide to the commanding general. In June 1939, he entered pilot training school and after graduating in 1940, he transferred to the Army Air Corps and was assigned as a flight instructor at Brooks Field TX. In July 1942, he became the director of flying for the Brooks Advanced Flying School and was redesignated director of training in 1943. He then assumed command of Blackland Army Air Base at Waco TX in February 1944 and became commander of Lubbock Army Air Field TX in July 1944 after the closing of Blackland. In January 1946, he became the chief of the Plans and Policy Branch, Operations Division, US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) at Weisbaden GE and in November 1947, he was designated the assistant chief of staff, Plans, at USAFE. He returned to the US in June 1949, and completed his studies at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB) AL. He was then assigned to March AFB CA where he became the commander of the 1st Air Base Group and shortly thereafter became deputy commander and Chief of staff, 22nd Bombardment Wing, and later became commander of the wing. In January 1951, he became the commander of the 44th Bombardment Wing at March AFB CA. During the Korean War, he was on temporary duty from March through July 1951 as vice commander of the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, where he flew 25 combat missions over Korea and logged 328 hours in B-29 aircraft. In August 1951, he assumed command of the 320th Bombardment Wing at March AFB CA and was named commander of the 12th Air Division in 1952. In October 1952, as an additional duty, he was designated commander, Air Task Group 7.4, Joint Task Force Seven, for the overseas atomic test Operation Castle. He relinquished command of the 12th Air Division in July 1953 to take active command of Air Task Group 7.4. During the operational phase of Operation Castle in 1954, he spent four months at the Pacific Proving Grounds on Eniwetok Atoll. In July 1954, he was assigned as Director of Weapon Systems Operations, Wright Air Development Center of the Air Research and Development Command (ARDC), located at Wright-Patterson AFB OH. In August 1955, this directorate was transferred to the Office of the Deputy Commander for Weapon Systems, ARDC, and became known as Detachment 1, and he became the assistant deputy commander for weapon systems, Headquarters ARDC and commander, Detachment 1. In August 1957, he was transferred to Headquarters US Air Force, Washington DC, as the Assistant Chief of Staff, Air Defense Systems, and in June 1958 he was reassigned as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. In April 1961, he became the deputy commander for aerospace systems, Air Force Systems Command (AFSC), in Los Angeles CA, and in October 1962, he became vice commander of AFSC at Andrews AFB Md. His last military assignment was in July 1964, where he became the commander of the Military Air Transport Service (now Air Mobility Command) at Scott AFB IL, retiring from military service in 1967. On 26 April 1967, he was awarded with the General H.H. Arnold Trophy, the highest military honor given by the Arnold Air Society, for outstanding contributions to military aviation and aerospace programs. Among his major awards and decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster. His son, Gen Howell Marion Estes III, became the commander in chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), United States Space Command (USCINCSPACE), and commander, Air Force Space Command (COMAFSPC).