Cesar Fernando Basa was a Philippine pilot and hero of World War II. Look up pilot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Axis Powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead...

Born in 1915, he was one of the pioneer fighter pilots in the Philippine Air Force and the first Filipino casualty during World War II. His brave fight took place at Batangas Field on the morning of December 12, 1941 when fifty four Japanese bombers and fighter escorts raided the base. Five Filipino fighter pilots, led by Captain Jesus Villamor, gallantly engaged the numerically superior enemy in aerial combat at 12,000 feet, when Lieutenant Basa arrived on the scene from an air patrol mission with only 15 minutes of fuel left in his tanks. Without a second thought, he pulled his throttle at full speed to join his comrades in the fight. While still half the distance away, he was intercepted by seven Japanese fighters and shot down. Although he bailed out, he was mercilessly strafed by machine-gun fire by the A6M Zero fighters. Captain Villiamor and his fighters won the battle with the only casualty being Lieutenant Basa, leading to Captain Villamor being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross a second time, earning him an Oak Leaf Cluster. In recognition of his heroism, Lieutenant Basa was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga has been named after him. 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Philippine Air Force (PhAF, often mistaken for the PAF [Persian Air Force]) is the air force of the Philippines. ... Batangas is a province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. ... December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 19 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... Jesus Villamor was a Philippine pilot who fought the Japanese in World War Two. ... Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 on the flight deck of carrier Shokaku , 26 October 1942, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ... Bronze and Silver oak leaf clusters An Oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on military awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. ... Posthumous means after death. ... The Silver Star is a United States military decoration and is the third highest medal for valor. ... Floridablanca is a town in the Philippines. ... Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ...