: Because the plane was so badly damaged and it was impossible to remove Deen’s remains without further dishonoring him, the Navy took a unique and unprecedented step. After a ceremony on the deck of the carrier, the entire TBF Avenger—with Deen still at his post—was pushed into the sea.
: The Grumman TBF-1 Avenger was designed to replace the outdated Douglas TBD Devastator. It first saw combat at the Battle of Midway in 1942. Tbf (1) mp4
: Deen was killed instantly in his gunner’s turret. The pilot, Lt. Robert Cosgrove, managed to fly the shattered plane back to the aircraft carrier USS Essex . : Because the plane was so badly damaged