Saburo Sakai is best known Japanese fighter pilot, thanks to his memories and meetings with Allied airmen after World War II. He was born in 1916 and served from September 1938 with the 12th Kokutai in China. In October 1941 he was assigned to the newly organised Tainan Kokutai in Taiwan and took part in campain heading South until he was wounded on August 7, 1942 off Guadalcanal. After recovering he served as an instructor with Omura Kokutai, and later, despite bad eyesight, was combat deployed with Yokosuka Kokutai on Iwo Jima. At the end of war he served with Kokutai 343 (II) and Yokosuka Kokutai. He is listed as an ace with 64 victories, but Sakai himself claimed the number of his victories was lower. With first two units he actually achieved 12 individual victories, 8 shared and 4 probables. During fighter escort to Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, Sakai shot down Wildcat "F-12" from VF-5 piloted by "Pug" Southerland in epic dogfight. Sakai was later this day severely wounded in face by fire from VB-6 Dauntless near Tulagi Island. After nearly five hours and more than 1000 km he managed to land back at Rabaul.

Sakai died in 2000 after formal dinner with members of US Navy.

Text: Eduard