Saburo Sakai: The One Eyed Flying Samurai Ace

64 Victories Never Stopped Fighting

Saburo Sakai was one of Imperial Japan’s leading aces at 64 planes shot down and dozens of other probables. On one of his missions against a squadron of TBM Avengers, Saburo was shot in the head by a tail gunner .30 cal machine gun, the bullet bouncing off his goggles and destroying his eye. With the left side of his body paralyzed and bleeding, his cockpit window shattered, wind battering his face, he managed to lean his engine fuel to make it back to base. There he underwent surgery for his wounds with no anesthetic. His eye destroyed, he continued to fly missions and was involved in the last aerial combat in WW2 against two B-32 Dominator bombers. After the war, Saburo vowed to never again take a life including a mosquito and became a Buddhist Acolyte. After the war he eventually met up with the TBM gunner, Lt. Harold Jones, who shattered his eye. He sent his daughter to college in the US and died at age 84 in 2000: a Samurai to the end. Honor and Valor cannot be separated.

Valor is in you. Set it free.