Tag Archives: USN

In honor of Loyce Edward Deen, USN

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Please watch the video, then read the information below for the complete story.

US Navy TBF Avenger gunner, Loyce Deen, from the USS Essex is buried at sea with his aircraft during World War II.

A Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber of VT-15 Torpedo Air Group, approaches and lands on the deck of the USS Essex (CV-9) during the Battle of Manila Bay, in World War II.

Upon landing, Lt. Robert Cosgrove (Pilot) and Sailor Digby Denzek (Radioman) can be seen in their respective forward and middle crew positions.

But the rear gunner position, occupied by Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class, Loyce Edward Deen (Gunner) has been completely destroyed by enemy 40mm shell fire. AMM 2C Deen was decapitated as a result.

As the aircraft is parked amongst others, with wings folded, sailors of the Essex take fingerprints and cut dog tags from the body of AMM2C Loyce Deen in the gunner position.

Captain Carlos W. Wieber, Commanding Officer of the Essex, and her crew, participate in funeral services on the deck. A chaplain conducts the services from beside the aircraft, where Loyce Deen’s remains in the gunner’s position have been shrouded.

Closeup view of Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman during the burial service. A bugler sounds taps. Beside the bugler is David L. McDonald, who was XO of the USS Essex (and later Chief of Naval Operations in the 1960s).

Deen’s remains are then buried at sea in the TBF avenger in which he perished. The aircraft floats off the fantail for a short time before sinking from view. Two TBF Avengers are seen flying overhead , in tribute. Crew members then disband and return to their duties. Location: Manila Philippines. Date: November 5, 1944.

Please visit LoyceEDeen.org, sign the guest book, and learn about this chapter in our history.

We are safe today, here in the United States, because of the courage, discipline and sacrifices made by the very young men and women of the Greatest Generation.

Please, I ask everyone, don’t let their sacrifices for our freedoms be in vain.

They bled and died for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Keep our freedoms and insist that our politicians do as well.

BZ

 

 

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USN Chaplain Bernard = hero

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USN Chaplain BernardAt a time when military chaplains are all but gutted of their religion, when Islam is pushed down into the military chaplaincy, when US military generals and admirals quake at the potential usage of the word “God” in sermons because it may adversely affect their careers, there is one military chaplain with courage and testicles.

From The Blaze.com:

Navy Chaplain Reveals the Touching Thing He Does Every Night Aboard the USS New York to Remember Each of the 343 Firefighters Who Died on 9/11

by Bill Hallowell

A touching tradition has formed aboard the USS New York, a Navy ship that is made, in part, from steel recovered from the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attack.

The chaplain aboard the vessel says a prayer over the loudspeaker around 9:55 every evening — an invocation that recaps the day’s happenings and commemorates an individual firefighter who perished during the terrorist attack.

In a video posted by Stars and Stripes, Lt. Justin Bernard, the chaplain aboard the USS New York, is observed invoking God during one of these public prayers, specifically thanking the Lord for keeping members of the military safe.

This will not, however, play well with the US military’s various chiefs of staff.  If they aren’t promoting Islam or Wicca, military chaplains find themselves predominantly hamstrung.

Some chaplains can no longer mention God or Jesus or any specific deity.  Save that of Mohammad in re Islam.  One cannot do away with Islam in the military.  That would be religionist.

Still and all, apparently Chaplain Lt. Justin Bernard shines through.

Bernard goes through an alphabetical list to find names, taking the time to research each individual in an effort to learn more about life stories — information that he then integrates into the prayers. Read more about that process here.

If history is any predictor, not for long.

God bless this man, working in the ship constructed with actual steel sourced from the fallen World Trade towers.

BZ

 

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