Aftermath of the Battle over Batangas, 12 December 1941
The Sixth Pursuit Squadron, from six P-26s was left with four and was assigned to reconnaissance missions. They operated out of Batangas again.
On 14 December, Lt. Jose Gozar met three Zeros and claimed a "kill" in the encounter. Nine days later, Lt. Jose Kare battled a Zero over Ragay Gulf and shot it down. The "kill" was confirmed; Kare was wounded but managed to return.
On 21 December, Japanese's invasion forces landed in Lingayen, Pangasinan when there were no more air resistance. Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered a retreat to Bataan as contemplated in "Rainbow 5"—USAFFE would hold out and await reinforcements, and Corregidor would keep the Japanese navy out of Manila Bay.
The following day, MacArthur needed a Filipino hero that Capt. Jesús Villamor, credited with shooting down two enemy planes, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Lt. Alberto Aranzaso was also credited with shooting down a Japanese plane and was awarded the Silver Star. Other recipients of the Silver Star were Lieutenants Godofredo Juliano, Manuel Conde, Antonio Mondigo, and Geronimo Aclan. But the awards for the lieutenants were only given as ordered by 16 February 1942.
Later on, PAAC was ordered to destroy its last planes and join the retreat to Bataan. Villamor, unable to destroy the plane himself, told a sergeant to do the job.
On 24 December, the Commonwealth Government was evacuated to Corregidor. And Manila was declared as an "Open City".
After ninety-four days, on 9 April 1942, Filipino and American forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.
* * * * * *
Aside from the Sixth Pursuit Squadron
Lt. Fermin Fernando (? – May 1942; mentioned and/or appeared on Chapters 16: Skid, 24: Downdraft, and 28: Blind Transmission)
Ateneo's basketball forward and César Basa's teammate in college survived the Bataan Death March. He was brought to the Capas Concentration Camp afterwards. Lt. Felipe Buencamino III heard that he was dying on 18 April 1942, and the following day, Dr. Escoto of the Red Cross mentioned that there was no hope for him. He later died due to cerebral malaria on May 1942 according to Victor Buencamino, Felipe III's father.
Lt. Fernando was roughly only twenty-two years old.
* * *
Lt. Felipe Buencamino III (28 March 1920 – 28 April 1949; mentioned and/or appeared on Chapter 28: Blind Transmission)
Son of Victor Buencamino and grandson of Felipe Buencamino, the infamous Filipino turncoat who've joined the Spaniards in the Philippine Revolution and switched sides to join Emilio Aguinaldo's revolutionary government, finished Pre-Law in Ateneo and was mentioned to be part of the swimming team with César Basa. He served in G-2 (military intelligence), Philippine Army, in Bataan. A survivor of the Death March, he was also sent to the Capas Concentration Camp and was later released. (The date was unknown as his last entry in the camp had been on 21 April 1942, the diary later resumed on 21 September 1944 where he was back in Manila.) After the war, he was admitted to the bar on 31 March 1948, became a postwar print and radio reporter, and diplomat in the Philippine Foreign Service. He married María Zenaida "Nini" Quezon, second daughter of President Manuel Quezon. He was slain with his mother-in-law, Mrs. Aurora Quezon, sister-in-law, Ma. Aurora Quezon, and others, in an ambush perpetrated by the Hukbalahap on 28 April 1949.
Lt. Buencamino was only twenty-nine years old.
* * * * * *
Sixth Pursuit Squadron
From left to right: Lt. Salvador Manlunas, Lt. Manuel Conde, ???, ???, Capt. Jesús Villamor, Lt. César Basa, ???, Lt. Antonio Mondigo
With no planes at their disposal, the Sixth Pursuit Squadron had been assigned to countless other units, majority of them being part of intelligence groups or in artilleries assigned in Bataan and Corregidor. Most of them were survivors of Death Marches and were sent to concentration camps; but only few of them managed to live beyond World War II.
* * *
Lt. Jose Gozar (8 April 1918 – late 1942; mentioned and/or appeared on Chapters 41: Open-skies, 44: Artificial Horizon, and 45: Adverse Yaw)
Along with Lieutenants Salvador Encarnacion and Arnulfo Acedera, he was one of the survivors of the Bataan Death March, and was later released from the concentration camps in August 1942. However, during their escape to Australia after being assumed to be spies by the local guerrillas, Gozar and Encarnacion swam back to the shore when their boat was swamped while crossing Tanon Strait, between Negros and Cebu, due to unfavorable weather conditions, and they left Acedera on the boat. Acedera survived by hanging on to the boat, and returned to the shore to report their status. The following day, Gozar and Encarnacion were declared lost at sea, as no traces could be found except for the latter's jacket. By late 1945, the two were declared dead.
Lt. Gozar was only twenty-four years old.
* * *
Lt. Alberto Aranzaso (1916/1917 – May 1942; mentioned and/or appeared on Chapters 41: Open-skies, 45: Adverse Yaw, and 51: Landing)
After the fall of Corregidor on 6 May 1942, Aranzaso and Lt. Damian Pavon, together with other American and Filipino soldiers, preferred to escape and fight on, choosing to escape the horrors of the Death March to Tarlac. They tried convincing Lieutenants Tomas Tirona and Bartolome Cabangbang to escape with them to Cavite by small boats; but they didn't come. Aranzaso and Pavon, however, took separate boats.
Aranzaso was wounded while riding a boat he used to escape to Cavite (together with an American officer, Capt. Damon Gause, and an unnamed Filipino enlisted man) after the boat was shot at and destroyed by the Japanese. The Filipino enlisted man volunteered to swim ashore and get a boat but never returned. Realizing that he's a liability, Aranzaso diverted the senior American officer's attention by pointing toward the shore at an obscure object and when Capt. Gause looked back at him, he was nowhere in sight. The action was a deliberate effort to spare Capt. Gause of the additional burden.
In tribute, the American officer later eulogized, "No cross will mark Lt. Alberto Aranzaso's watery grave, but I will remember him. He was a gallant officer and a true gentleman."
Lt. Aranzaso was only twenty-five years old.
Pavon suffered the same fate when his boat capsized and sank. He was only twenty-six years old.
* * *
Lt. Florencio Flores (mentioned and/or appeared on Chapters 41: Open-skies, and 42: Spoiler)
Being able to escape to the United States for the creation of a pool of Filipino military pilots for revitalizing PAAC, he volunteered for intelligence missions back in the Philippines instead. His group was to land in Mindanao by submarine, but during the mission, two of his companions drowned in a river while he was captured by the Japanese. He was immediately imprisoned at a Japanese prison camp in Bukidnon and his family said that he stayed at the same prison cell with President Manuel Roxas. During the American liberation, he returned to military service and was shipped to the US for refresher course in flying. He attained the rank of major during the Korean War, left the military to join the airline industry, and became a CAA test pilot. He died in a plane crash with two other pilots.
* * *
Lt. Bartolome Cabangbang (23 October 1917 – 12 September 1985; mentioned and/or appeared on Chapters 45: Adverse Yaw, and 46: Course)
Deciding not to join Lt. Alberto Aranzaso and countless other Filipino and American soldiers from escaping at the fall of Corregidor, he and other prisoners of war marched through the streets of Manila to incarceration at Fort Santiago and Bilibid Prison, and later then be transferred to Camp O'Donnell, the Capas concentration camp. Having survived throughout the horrors of World War II, he returned to active duty as a member of the Philippine Air Force, a colonel upon his retirement, and a major of the United States Air Force. Later on, he ran for office as the representative of Bohol's second district; and later ran for presidency against the incumbent Ferdinand Marcos in 1981, but was placed third behind the latter and Alejo Santos.
Col. Cabangbang died at the age of sixty-seven.
* * *
Lt. Geronimo Aclan (30 September 1917 – 20 July 1984)
As Batangas Airfield was devastated, he decided to go to Maniquis Airfield in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija where his girlfriend resided. He was first thought to be an enemy for his P-26 to suffer hits in several areas, and he was quite mad after he landed. He managed to borrow fuel from the PAAC 10th Bombardment Squadron based at Maniquis and flew back to Zablan, which was also heavily damaged by the Japanese. Once, he came upon Japanese soldiers pushing trolleys along the railroad tracks between Naga and Legazpi and strafed them several times.
"I must have killed hundreds of them. I felt no emotion as I made my passes. I was killing people who were killing mine."
After the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, he escaped the Death March, headed to Mindanao and later went back to his hometown at Calamba, Laguna. He became a guerrilla and soon worked as an intelligence operative and was almost captured by the Japanese. When Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed at Leyte in 1944, he immediately went back to the military and was sent to the United States for refresher course in flying.
After World War II, when Capt. Jesús Villamor was made the Director of the Bureau of Aeronautics, the latter chose Aclan to become the administrator of the construction of Cebu Airport in the late 1940s. In the 1950s, he joined and flew with Philippine Airlines. In 1984, he died of cancer.
Col. Aclan died at the age of sixty-six.
* * *
Lt. Godofredo Juliano
After the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, he was taken prisoner and spent time in one of the Japanese concentration camps where he contracted malaria and was soon released. After recovering in Manila, he decided to join the Allied Intelligence Bureau and traveled by sailboat from island to island until he reached Negros, where he was assigned as Air Warning Officer. He set up a post on Mount Kanloan, overlooking the airstrip at Bacolod.
After World War II, he became the first commander of the 1st Fighter Squadron as captain. He became one of the major figures in ushering the jet age to the Philippine Air Force. He was sent to the United States to take up advanced training on jet operations, and became the first and only full colonel to graduate from the USAF jet fighter school. He later became a commander of the 5th Fighter Wing of the Philippine Air Force, which was stationed at Basa Air Base.
* * *
Lt. Manuel Conde
No record was further attributed to him aside from the fact that he survived beyond World War II.
* * *
Lt. Antonio Mondigo (10 April 1918 – 20 October 1982)
After the fall of the Philippines, he was among the PAAC pilots who were evacuated to the United States to take refresher courses in flying in preparation for the creation of a Filipino flying unit. Afterwards, he stayed in the Philippines for a while after World War II before becoming a US citizen and served in the US Air Force.
He later fought in the Korean War and retired with the rank of Major.
Maj. Mondigo died at the age of sixty-four.
* * *
Lt. Victor Osias (13 August 1917 – 1969/1989)
When Corregidor surrendered, he was sent to join the Bataan prisoners at Capas and was first held as hostages until his parents and countless others were told to be helping organize the pro-Japanese government, as he was the son of Senator Camilo Osias, Sr. Two months later, he was released and found himself in a difficult situation. He first took refuge as an instructor in his father's pro-Japanese Kalibapi, but when he learned that the Japanese were after him to join the constabulary, he started a jazz band that became the sensation of wartime Manila—Vic Osias and the All Stars. After recruiting Manila's top musicians, he became the band's drummer and arranger.
"It was something to do without having to be under those guys. I didn't want to be under those Japanese."
In early 1944, when words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's successful feats spread, he evacuated his family to Baguio and made contact with the guerrillas through his classmate and fellow aviator Pedro Baban. Later on, he was flown to safety behind American lines when Baguio City became dangerous as Japanese forces began to retreat.
After the war, he became the Public Information Officer of the Philippine Army Air Force. By 1950 and the Korean War, he was the Military Air Attaché to Japan and the Republic of Korea, and with the United Nations Command-Philippine Liason Group in Tokyo. He supported the requirements of the 10th Battalion Combat Team during their tour of duty as the first Philippine Contingent of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK).
He then became the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for A-3 (Operations) of the Philippine Air Force with the United Nations Command, and was the Senior Planner at the Military Planning Office at the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. After which, he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs (J-5) at the General Headquarters, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo.
On 21 January 1967, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, serving for 206 days until 15 August 1967.
For his Korean War Service, he was awarded the Korean Campaign Medal, United Nations Service Medal and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Badge.
There had been a debate about when he died. Gen. Osias could've died at the age of fifty-one to fifty-two or seventy-one to seventy-two. (The photo was a portrait of his during the latter years of his life as there hadn't been a known photograph of him during WWII compared to the others.)
* * *
Capt. Jesús Villamor (7 November 1914 – 28 October 1971)
After the end of the Sixth Pursuit Squadron, he continued his war against the Japanese as an intelligence officer until he escaped the fall of the Philippines to Australia; though he volunteered and received orders to return. He was then promoted to major and served as a commander in the Allied Intelligence Bureau. After making contact with Roy Bell on Negros, he coordinated the activities of various guerrilla movements in the country, becoming a direct link to Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Australia. Later on, he returned to Australia; and despite his reports being met with indifference by the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), his reports were later publicly lauded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
After World War II, he was made the Director of the Bureau of Aeronautics in the late 1940s and served with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in the State of Vietnam during 1951, 1952 and 1955. Later on, he settled in the United States and died in Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. in 28 October 1971, and was buried with military honors at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, two kilometers away from the Philippine Air Force Headquarters which bears his name.
Col. Villamor died at the age of fifty-six.
* * * * * *
Lt. César Basa (21 June 1915 – 12 December 1941)
Though there had been an inconsistent data about his actual death, the prevalent one had mentioned that he was able to land his crippled plane at Nichols Field, and a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero ground strafed him and his plane. Lt. Victor Osias rushed to save him but found him mortally wounded on the head and stomach. He died in his arms few moments later.
Basa was posthumously awarded the Silver Star at the same time that the other members of the Sixth Pursuit Squadron received theirs on 16 February 1942. On 21 August 1948, the Armed Forces of the Philippines posthumously awarded him an equivalent of it: the Gold Cross Medal.
The Floridablanca Airfield, which was transferred to Philippine control by the Americans on 2 May 1947, was renamed "Cesar Basa Airfield" on 20 April 1948 in his honor, and converted into an air base on 15 January 1949.
He was regarded as the first Filipino fighter pilot casualty of war killed in aerial combat. Lt. Basa was only twenty-six years old.
* * *
A/N: Here, it ends. Like any story, Artificial Horizon finally came to a close. After three years since the completion of the Dead Reckoning, I dared to take the leap of creating another Philippine history-inspired story. If you've read the chapter entitled Timeline of AH's creation and also read the Author's Note per chapter, you'll definitely know that I've put so much time, effort, blood and tears for the sake of research and writing. Not to mention that I've decided on an unsung Filipino hero compared to DR having del Pilar; and now, with AH delivering its last period, I hope that I've given the bravery of Lt. César Basa justice.
With all of that being said, I'd like to thank everyone who've been my avid supporters of the story. I know that you know who you are, and every vote and comment with every chapter made me giddy like a kid. I love the interactions, and thank you. I came to such a low point with AH, to be honest. I guess it was because of the hype that DR had set that made me hopeful that AH would also have the same hype; unfortunately, we couldn't push readers to read stories that they won't enjoy, right? By then, for those who've took a chance with me and read this, thank you so much! I couldn't thank you all enough, and I hope that I didn't disappoint you with the ending. There will definitely be a few bonus chapters to come, so I hope that you'll just have to wait and watch out for it.
I've left a message for every reader through DR, so it was only fitting for me to leave a lingering message with AH. For AH and the life of Lieutenant César Basa, it would be this: "Don't let anyone turn your sky into a ceiling." Many people, along the road, would doubt and question you; instead of using them to keep your feet on the ground, use them as an inspiration to excel. Throughout the writing of AH and learning more about his life, I realized that the only one who could control our lives was ourselves. No one was going to live it for ourselves, and very much no one will die for it. I pray that even if you don't find aviation as appealing as it had been for me, we have too many quotes that were actually life lessons that I've incorporated in the story to be wisdom that César and the Sixth Pursuit Squadron lived on.
Thank you for all the congratulations that I've received along the way. During the times that I've shared to you my sacrifices in becoming a pilot, completing the necessary 200 flying hours, and passing the crucial instrument rating skill test, thank you. Thank you for being with me along the way, and incorporate the three things I love the most: aviation, history and writing. Just simply reading AH gave me a chance to share to you my insight of the industry I love, and definitely, César and the Sixth Pursuit Squadron had loved the most despite the danger. After all, I knew that they would agree with me to consider that the sky is never the limit, it is home.
I am currently on a laid-back of writing Wattpad stories aside from AH, but I'll soon be back in continuing the rest of my original FLIGHT series. For more background of my experience in flying, and aviation-related ones, you can try out Flight Plan and Flight Deck. It could be much more technical than AH but aviation is exactly like that; despite all the glory and glittery life that the public know of, there's the hardship, bloodshed, tears, pain, sacrifices and disappointments. I guess, it was also evident with how César and the Sixth Pursuit Squadron struggled despite the presence of the war.
For another time, I'd like to say that Artificial Horizon - A César Fernando Basa x Reader story had officially come to a close. As mentioned above, bonus chapters would definitely be available once in a while. For now, this ending is a fitting one for the short and tragic life of an unsung hero only known by a very few, but had been an icon for us in the field.
I hope to one day meet all of you, have a chance to talk to you, and one day fly with you. You may continue reaching me out through DM and Twitter at @23meraki. See you on my next projects, and I thank and love you with my everything.
Fly high, and reach your dreams through the restless winds and happy landings to uncertain destinations. Dream fearlessly, fiercely and freely.
—Capt. J
143528-CPL/IR
Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates and trivia. ;)
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