Yoshinao Kodaira

Yoshinao Kodaira
Born	1918 Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Died	July 14, 2008(2008-07-14) (aged 89–90)
Allegiance	Japan
Service / branch	Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN)
Years of service	1935-1945
Battles / wars	Second Sino-Japanese War World War II Battle of the Coral Sea Solomon Islands campaign Guadalcanal Campaign Battle of the Eastern Solomons Battle of the Philippine Sea Battle of Leyte Gulf Battle of Leyte
Other work	Japan Air Self-Defense Force

Yoshinao Kodaira (小平 好直, Kodaira Yoshinao, 1918–2008) was an officer and 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, including the fighter units of the aircraft carriers Shōkaku and Chiyoda, Kodaira was officially credited with destroying 13 enemy aircraft. After the war, he served with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. In 2008, Tsubasa-kai ("Wings Association"), the veterans' organization of the JASDF, reported his death on its website.