Masao Sasakibara

Masao Sasakibara
Sasakibara on the carrier JUNYO in June 1942 during the Aleutian Islands Campaign
Born	1921 Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Died	2005
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN)
Rank	Ensign
Unit	Shōkaku Junyō 343rd Naval Air Group
Battles/wars	World War II: Attack on Pearl Harbor Indian Ocean raid Battle of the Coral Sea Battle of Dutch Harbor Guadalcanal Campaign Battle of the Eastern Solomons Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands Operation Ke

Masao Sasakibara (佐々木原 正夫, Sasakibara Masao, 1921–2005) 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.

References

• Hata, Ikuhiko; Yasuho Izawa (1989). Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in World War II. Translated by Don Cyril Gorham. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-315-6.
• Sakaida, Henry (2002). Aces of the Rising Sun, 1937–1945. Great Britain: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-618-6.