Article Title: This gunner is the only sailor buried at sea — inside his plane
Article Excerpt: "...Twenty-three-year-old Loyce Edward Deen, an aviation machinist mate, was the first and only aviator buried at sea inside his airplane. It was part necessity — his TBM Avenger was so badly shot up by 40mm anti-aircraft shells that the removal of Deen would have been almost impossible — but the U.S. Navy took it one step further to honor its slain shipmate. According to a memorial page dedicated to Deen, orders came down not to strip the plane for parts, a rare occurrence during a time when the demand for scrap metal was high. ..."
Reference Source: www.navytimes.com
