César Basa

Death

On the morning of 12 December, 1941, 27 Japanese bombers and 17 fighter escorts raided Batangas Field.

6 Filipino fighter pilots of the 6th Pursuit Squadron in Boeing P-26A "Peashooter" fighter planes, led by Captain Jesús Villamor, engaged the numerically superior enemy in aerial combat at . Several dogfights ensued as Villamor and his men fought to prevent the pack of bombers and their fighter escorts from reaching and bombing Lipa Airfield.

Lieutenant Basa, still airborne after a two hour air-reconnaissance mission, rushed to the scene and attempted to join the aerial engagement with only 15 minutes' worth of fuel left in his P-26, but was intercepted by seven Japanese fighters and his aircraft disabled. He was able to return to Nichols Airfield and run for cover, but received a fatal head injury when a Japanese fighter strafed his aircraft. Lt. Victor Osias attempted to rescue him, but Basa expired in his arms, the first Filipino fighter-pilot casualty of the war.

Captain Villamor and his pilots won the battle (not true, Japanese tactical victory, Philippine symbolic victory), with the only casualty being Basa, who was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

Honors Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, Philippines is named in his honor.