Now a day for sales of every kind. A three day weekend. I have heard people say they don't want to be bothered by the "old reason" we have the holiday.

Loyce Deen was a gunner aboard a TBF-1c. Wounded in action on October 24, 1944, with shrapnel in his heel, he remained with his air crew. The USS Essex, on which he served, went to Ulithi to replenish. On Nov. 5, they were back in action, flying to Manila Bay to attack Japanese shipping. The pilot, Lt. Robert Cosgrove, was assigned a new aircraft, #93. He, Deen and radioman Digby Denzek went into action. At some point the aircraft was hit by AAA fire. One round exploded in the rear turret, killing Deen. The aircraft was badly damaged and difficult to control, but Cosgrove managed to get it back to Essex. There, Captain Carlos Wieber ordered that Deen be buried at sea in his aircraft, likely due to the damage to both Deen's body and the aircraft. There wouldn't be time to make a proper removal of the body with the fleet under constant attack from Japanese aircraft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMWz10jaK0g

http://www.loyceedeen.org/

In memory of those who served, and to our sacred dead.

Thank you for posting this. It brings home why it's called Memorial Day.