LT. CESAR FERNANDO BASA, A FILIPINO WAR HERO

By Norma Atienza Pamanlahi

“First to fall, never forgotten”
Basa Airbase in Floridablanca, Pampanga was named in honor of his heroism.
Cesar Fernando Basa was born in Isabela, Negros Occidental on June 21, 1915 where he grew up and completed his primary education. Initially, he took interest in science, so much so that when his family transferred to Manila, Basa enrolled at Ateneo de Manila where he took up Bachelor of Science Major in Chemistry. He graduated with honors. Lucky to be in the school that breeds champion in sports, Basa also excelled in basketball.

He chased opportunity to fulfill his other dream. After graduating in 1939, Basa took a flying course at the Philippine Army and became a full-fledged pilot a year later. For being one of the premier fighter pilots, he was soon commissioned second lieutenant in the Philippine Army Air Corps(PAAC), the precursor to the Philippine Air Force.

On the morning of December 12, 1941, Lt. Basa was on air reconnaissance patrol and had been flying his Curtiss P26-A Peashooter for two hours. With barely 15 minutes worth of fuel left and his recon patrol completed, he landed and taxied his aircraft when the air raid siren went off.

Combat ready pilots lead by Captain Jesus Villamor rushed to their planes and took off to intercept the incoming Japanese bombers who were about to attack Batangas Air Field. The P26 already considered obsolete and outclassed (a hand-me-down from Big Brother America) by the more modern and efficient Japanese fighter planes could be heard straining its engine as the Filipino pilots tried to outmaneuver the sleek A6M Zeroes of the enemies.

In a desperate aerial combat at 12,000 feet, our pilots fought belligerently. Seeing his comrades
outnumbered and out gunned, Lt. Basa short on fuel yet fully armed decided to take off and join the fight. While still half the distance away, he was instantly intercepted by seven A6M Zeroes which systematically chewed his P26 into pieces. He bailed out and successfully opened his parachute.

“Lt. Basa crash landed his fighter and ran from the wreckage. A Japanese fighter came down and strafed him. I ran out to help Basa, and he fell down almost into my arms with a bullet in the head and in the stomach. So I stood there on the field cradling in my arms the man who in his youth had been a fellow basketball player and I had to watch him die in my arms” a painful recall by Lt. Victor M. Osias, PMA 40.

He could have served the country to the fullest if only he was fortunate enough to survive. On December 12, 1941 at a young age of 26, Lt. Cesar Fernando Basa became the first Filipino pilot to be killed in action during World War II.

Sources:

Philippine Air Force website; Pacific Wars; The Guidon; The Philippine Diary Project (Diary Entries from Philippine History)

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