The Story of the WWII Rear Gunner Who Couldn’t Be Recovered, Leading to the Whole Plane Being Buried at Sea

A Life Rooted in Small-Town Oklahoma

Lys Dean was born in Altus, Oklahoma, on April 24, 1921. He was the youngest of seven children raised during the Great Depression. His father was a teacher and his mother stayed at home to care for the children. At age four, Lys welcomed a younger brother who was born with Down syndrome. The two became close, with Lys helping care for him. The town of Altus had little glamour, with dust settling over the gridded streets. Still, it provided a strong sense of community.

Lys attended the local high school, a building that stood out even during the hard economic times. It was built with pride, and years later it would honor the names of students who lost their lives in World War II—including Lys. During high school, he worked part-time at a produce warehouse to help his family. After graduation, he briefly joined a government work program and later worked at the Douglas Aircraft Company.

From Civilian Life to the Flight Deck

In 1942, Lys left his job to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He trained as a turret gunner on the TBM Avenger aircraft and joined Torpedo Squadron 15 aboard the USS Essex. The Avenger carried a three-man crew: a pilot, a radioman, and a turret gunner like Lys. His main responsibility was to defend the plane from attacks coming from above and behind. He served alongside radio operator Donald Denzek from Michigan and pilot Robert Cosgrove from Louisiana. The three completed many missions together.

On December 5, 1944, the crew was assigned to attack Japanese ships near Manila Bay. They flew a new aircraft marked tail number 93. That morning, the crew climbed aboard and took off, facing strong anti-aircraft fire during the mission. A shell struck the turret, killing Lys instantly. His crewmates stayed calm under pressure and completed the flight back to the Essex, landing safely.

A Final Decision on the Flight Deck

As they landed, the aircraft was badly damaged. Flight deck crews rushed to assist but found they could not remove Lys’s body. Time was limited, and the ship was still under threat from enemy fire. In those tense seconds, a difficult decision had to be made. With no safe way to recover him and the mission ongoing, the damaged plane—with Lys still inside—was pushed into the sea.

It wasn’t until nearly three weeks later, just before Thanksgiving, that news reached his family. His father received the notification at home in Altus. Lys Dean, 23 years old, was killed in action and buried at sea with his aircraft—never to be brought home.