Born on 27 january 1920, Nagano Prefecture
Home there
Joined IJN in June 1936
Completed flight training in March '39
With Oita, Omura & Suzuka AG's prior to outbreak of War
With the Chitose AG (Air Group or "Kokutai") in 1941
Joined 4th AG in Feb. '42
First kill - 3 February '42 over Rabaul - while flying a 'Claude'
Transferred to the 2nd Sq. / Tainan AG in April '42
There he met Saburo Sakai and Toshio Ota
- they would become known as the "Cleanup Trio"
7 August '42 - best day - claimed 6 Hellcats of VF-5
Transferred to the 251st AG in November
Summer '43 - Awarded "Sword" by Admiral Jinichi Kusaka
Transferred to the 253rd AG in September
Sent to Japan in October '43 to become an instructor
- he hated his new job "baby sitting" & after
many requests,
- he was reassigned to the 203rd AG in November '43
Subsequently promoted to W/O (Warrant Officer)
25 October 1944 - flew cover for the 1st Kamikaze mission
Zeros about to make the very 1st Kamikaze suicide attack
October 25th 1944 - Mabalacat Airfield, Luzon
During this attack he "saw" his own death & upon
returning
- to base requested a Kamikaze mission.
He was flatly refused. Men of his calibre were not expendable
The next day, October 26th, Nishizawa boarded a transport plane
- to pick up some replacement Zeros. The transport was attacked
- by two F6F's and was shot down.
At 25 years of age, the Devil of Rabaul was dead.
Posthumously promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade
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