Troy's plane was a half a mile short of a "touchdown" when the lights went out.

Troy Vernon DeMoss was born in Oklahoma in 1924 to Mr. and Mrs. DeMoss, His mother's name was Rose. Also included in the family were brothers Ray, James and Fred, and sisters Edith, Helen, Pauline, Juanita, Lorrette and Geraldine. The family later moved to Watsonville where Troy attended local schools and Watsonville High School for a year.

After finishing his formal education, DeMoss worked for the Postal Telegraph Company in Watsonville as a messenger. During the early 1940s, he married a girl named Jodie, and worked as an assembler at an unidentified aircraft assembly plant.

On March 22, 1943 Troy DeMoss was inducted into the US Army at San Francisco and assigned to its Air Force. After training as an aerial gunner at Las Vegas, Nevada, and Salt Lake City, Utah, he was promoted to sergeant and sent to Alexandria AAFB, Louisiana.

On February 26, 1944 the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian reported that Sergeant Troy Vernon DeMoss' plane was "demolished half a mile short of the Alexandria Field runway while coming in for a landing." He was killed in the crash and his remains were returned to Watsonville.

Following a funeral service in the Church of the Nazarene, Troy DeMoss was interred in Watsonville Pioneer Cemetery.

(NARA2; WRP February 26, 1944 1:2, March 2, 1944 1:1)