Dean L. Ray was a pilot in the US Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

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While performing at an airshow in Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

, his airplane malfunctioned. Ray remained in his aircraft and directed it away from spectators, and died in the subsequent crash.

He was declared a national hero

Hero

A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...

, and the then-president of Nicaragua attended his funeral. His photo is featured on a Nicaraguan Stamp.