Masao Sasakibara | |
Birth Date: | 1921 |
Death Date: | 2005 |
Birth Place: | Aomori Prefecture, Japan |
Allegiance: | Empire of Japan |
Branch: | Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN) |
Rank: | Ensign |
Unit: | Shōkaku Junyō 343rd Naval Air Group |
Battles: | World War II
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was an ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Participating in many of the Pacific War battles and campaigns as a member of several units, Sasakibara was officially credited with destroying 12 enemy aircraft. He was seriously injured while supporting the Ke operation during the Guadalcanal Campaign, but survived after a lengthy stay in the hospital. He returned to Japan in June 1945 and survived the war.