Iba Airfield has the distinction of being one of the first targets struck by Japanese aircraft in the opening hours of the Pacific War. On 8 December 1941 — the same day as Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian time zone — Japanese planes destroyed the airfield and the P-40 fighters of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron based here, killing dozens of American and Filipino servicemen. The attack effectively neutralised American air power in central Luzon within hours of the war's beginning.
Today the site is occupied by the modern Iba Airport, which handles only private and charter traffic. There is no formal memorial or museum, but the location carries a quiet historical weight that is easy to overlook. For visitors interested in the Pacific War, this is one of the less-visited but genuinely significant sites in the Philippines.