Guy Louis Gabaldon (March 22, 1926 – August 31, 2006) was a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

who, at age 18, captured or persuaded to surrender over 1,300 Japanese soldiers and civilians during the battles for

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 est ...

and

Tinian Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of t ...

islands in 1944 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Though Gabaldon was recommended for the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

, he received the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an ...

, which was upgraded by the Marine Corps to the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

in 1960. In 1960, a friend of Gabaldon's with Hollywood connections influenced the industry to make a movie about Gabaldon's version of events on Saipan called ''

Hell to Eternity ''Hell to Eternity'' is a 1960 American World War II film starring Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone and Patricia Owens, directed by Phil Karlson. This film biopic is about the true experiences of Marine hero Pfc. Guy Gabaldon (played b ...

''. He was called 'Gabby' by his friends, but he became known as "The Pied Piper of Saipan" for his heroism on that island. In 1964, he unsuccessfully ran for US Congressman in his Southern California district. In 1990, he authored a book entitled, ''Saipan: Suicide Island''.

Early years

Gabaldon was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. Gabaldon, who was of

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

descent, was one of seven children. He was raised in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010, when it was 126,496. For statistical purpo ...

and, as a ten-year-old, he helped his family by shining shoes on Skid Row.War Times Journal
Retrieved November 4, 2007 Gabaldon became a member of a multi-ethnic gang known as the "Moe Gang".
Retrieved November 4, 2007 At age 12, he moved out of his home to live with the Nakano family, who were of

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

heritage and whom he considered his extended family. He attended language school every day with their children and learned to speak

. He also learned about their customs and culture.Honolulu Star, Sunday, June 6, 2004
Retrieved November 4, 2007

World War II

At the outbreak of World War II the Nakanos, his "adopted""Gabaldon was not legally adopted by the Nakano family per se, he considered them his adopted family" family, were sent to a

relocation camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

named the

Heart Mountain Relocation Center The Heart Mountain War Relocation Center, named after nearby Heart Mountain and located midway between the northwest Wyoming towns of Cody and Powell, was one of ten concentration camps used for the internment of Japanese Americans evicted d ...

, in

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...

. He traveled to

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

to work in a cannery. On March 22, 1943, Gabaldon's 17th birthday, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He received his basic training at

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by ...

, completed the Enlisted Marine Japanese Language School at Camp Elliot in San Diego, and was assigned to

Headquarters and Service Company A headquarters and service company is a company-sized military unit, found at the battalion and regimental level in the U.S. Marine Corps. The U.S. Army equivalent unit is the headquarters and headquarters company. In identifying a specific ...

, 2nd Marine Regiment,

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeu ...

, as a scout and observer.

The Pied Piper of Saipan

The capture of

was considered essential for the establishment of airfields which would accommodate the

B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 ...

bombers to be used in what was then the planned full-scale invasion of the Japanese mainland. On June 15, 1944, an armada of 535 ships, carrying 127,570 U.S. military personnel which included Marines from the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions, began the invasion of Saipan. Japanese soldiers seldom surrendered during World War II and, as the American military invasion went badly for the Japanese, they were ordered by their superiors on Saipan to kill seven American Marines or

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

for every soldier they lost, or commit suicide. According to Gabaldon, he began taking and bringing in prisoners the night of the first day that he arrived on Saipan. According to Gabaldon: Gabaldon 1944

Gabaldon was reprimanded by his superior officers, and threatened with a

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of mem ...

for leaving his post. However, according to him the next night he went out and did it again. He carefully approached a cave, shot the enemy guards outside, moved off to one side of the cave, and yelled in Japanese, "You're surrounded and have no choice but to surrender. Come out, and you will not be killed! I assure you will be well-treated. We do not want to kill you!" The next morning he says he returned with 50 Japanese prisoners. As a result, Gabaldon was permitted by his commanding officer to act as a "lone wolf" operator. The next day, on July 8, Gabaldon captured two more enemy guards. He convinced one of them to return to his cave, with an offering of surrender. Shortly thereafter, a Japanese officer showed up. After speaking to Gabaldon, the officer accepted the conditions of surrender—and over eight hundred Japanese soldiers and civilians surrendered to Gabaldon, who turned them over to the U.S. military authorities. For his exploits, according to Gabaldon, he became known as ''The Pied Piper of Saipan''.

Contrary opinions on Gabaldon's actions on Saipan

In the book, ''One Marine's War: A Combat Interpreter's Quest for Mercy in the Pacific'' by Gerald A. Meehl, about USMC Japanese Language Officer Lt. Robert B. Sheeks, who also served on Saipan, Gabaldon is described by Sheeks as a relentless self-promoter who grossly exaggerated his exploits on Saipan and Tinian and that most of the Japanese he captured were civilians, not soldiers as he claimed. The book states that the number of Japanese captured by Gabaldon was likely about half of the 1,500 that he claimed. A total of 15,000 Japanese military and civilians and Pacific Islanders were captured or detained by the US during and after the battle. Many others besides Gabaldon were involved in those efforts, but according to Sheeks, Gabaldon minimized the involvement of others when talking about his exploits during and after the battle. Author Gerald A. Meehl in interviews with Saipan veterans and in other records, found reports of abusive behavior by Gabaldon towards Japanese civilians and soldiers he encountered on Saipan. In one instance, witnessed by Sheeks, Gabaldon struck and broke the jaw of an elderly Japanese civilian who did not answer one of Gabaldon's questions quickly enough.

Tinian

Gabaldon continued to capture more Japanese people on

. While back on Saipan fighting Japanese

guerrillas Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tacti ...

still on the island, he was seriously wounded in an enemy

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifl ...

ambush. Gabaldon claimed he was credited with the capture of approximately 1,500 Japanese soldiers and civilians on Saipan and Tinian and was recommended for the Medal of Honor by his commanding officer Captain John Schwabe, who noted that Gabaldon single-handedly captured more than ''ten times'' the number of prisoners taken by legendary Medal of Honor recipient, Sgt. Alvin C. York, in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. Despite this recommendation, Gabaldon was awarded a

Silver Star Medal The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

Post-war

Gabaldon received an

honorable discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

from the Marine Corps as a result of his

combat Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, o ...

wounds. In 1960, the Marine Corps elevated his Silver Star Medal to the

, the second highest US military decoration for valor. After returning to civilian life, he moved to

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

and ventured into various businesses such as a furniture store, fishing, and the import-export of Mexican goods. When his first marriage to June Gabaldon ended in divorce, he met the woman who became his second wife, Ohana Suzuki, while working in Mexico. Gabaldon's World War II exploits became public when in 1957, he was the invited guest of '' This Is Your Life'', a popular television program aired by

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

in the 1950s. Hosted by

Ralph Edwards Ralph Livingstone Edwards (June 13, 1913DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 86-87. – November 16, 2005) was an American radio ...

, the show presented the life stories of entertainment personalities and "ordinary" people who had contributed in some way to society. Later, Gabaldon appeared as himself on the September 1, 1960 episode of the CBS game show '' To Tell the Truth''. The fact that Gabaldon captured at least 1,500 Japanese prisoners was verified on the national program by Marines Corps intelligence officers Colonel Walter Layer, Colonel John Schwabe, Major James High, and several enlisted men from military intelligence.Guy Gabaldon, American Hero of the 20th Century
Retrieved November 4, 2007 Hollywood producers became interested in Gabaldon's story and in 1960 released the film ''

'' where his actions on Saipan were memorialized. He was portrayed by actors

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings''. On television, Hunter ...

as an adult and by Richard Eyer as a boy. Gabaldon himself served as an adviser in the filming of the movie.Guy Gabaldon, 80, Hero of Battle of Saipan, Dies; New York Times; By Richard Goldstein; Published: September 4, 2006
Retrieved November 4, 2007

Later years

In 1964, Gabaldon unsuccessfully ran for the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washi ...

as a Republican in

. In 1970, he moved to Saipan with his wife where he established a seafood business and ran a youth camp. He lived there for 20 years. He was an avid pilot and flew small planes all over the CNMI. In 1990, he authored and self-published a book; ''Saipan: Suicide Island'', also re-printed as ''America Betrayed''. In 1995, he returned to California. In 2003, he moved to

Old Town, Florida Old Town is an unincorporated community in Dixie County, Florida, United States, located at US 19– ALT 27- 98 and State Road 349. The ZIP Code for Old Town is 32680. Geography Old Town is located at (29.6011, -82.9819), about 40 miles sout ...

. In September 2004, Gabaldon was honored by

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metonym ...

, in a ceremony which recognized the contributions of Hispanic American World War II veterans. Various organizations have requested the

for Gabaldon, but their requests have been rejected. After lobbying by the Hispanic community, the case to upgrade his Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor is currently under review by the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...

Death

On August 31, 2006, Gabaldon died in

, of heart disease. He was buried with full military honors at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. Gabaldon is survived by his wife, Ohana; his sons Guy Jr., Ray, Tony, Yoshio, Jeffrey and Russell; his daughters Aiko, Hanako and Manya. Two members of his "adopted" family were actor

Lane Nakano Lane Nakano (March 16, 1925 – April 28, 2005) was a former American combat soldier turned actor. Early life Nakano grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Nakano has two brothers, Frank and Lyle and two sisters, ...

and his twin Lyle.

Awards and recognitions

During his lifetime, Gabaldon received many awards and recognitions, including resolutions honoring him from the City of Los Angeles, the City of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas. On November 12, 2005, he was the recipient of the

Chesty Puller Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller (June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was a United States Marine Corps officer. Beginning his career fighting guerillas in Haiti and Nicaragua as part of the Banana Wars, he later served with distinction in World War ...

Award from the World War II Veterans Committee, a prominent organization which showcases the veterans of World War II and their history.
The Washington Times, ''WWII Veterans Honored'', Nov. 30, 2005. Retrieved March 8, 2014. On July 7, 2006, he was honored by Mayor

Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa (; né Villar Jr.; born January 23, 1953) is an American politician who served as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Villaraigosa was a national co-chairman of Hillary ...

of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles City Council. The Mayor and the city council sent a resolution to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

requesting the Medal of Honor for Gabaldon. That same year the World War II Veteran's Committee in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, featured Gabaldon on the cover of their quarterly magazine. Also in July, Gabaldon was honored by the

National Council of La Raza UnidosUS, formerly National Council of La Raza (NCLR) ( La Raza), is the United States's largest Latino nonprofit advocacy organization. It advocates in favor of progressive public policy changes including immigration reform, a path to citizen ...

, a national organization and a leading Latino civil rights advocate. In addition to the Hollywood movie ''Hell to Eternity'', which recounted Gabaldon's heroism during World War II, Hollywood producer Steve Rubin made a 2008 documentary film about Gabaldon titled ''East L.A. Marine: The Untold True Story of Guy Gabaldon''. Military artist Henry Godines also unveiled a commissioned portrait, titled ''The Pied Piper of Saipan, Guy Gabaldon''.

Navy Cross citation

Military awards and decorations

Gabaldon's military awards include:

Notes

References

* * * * *

External links

*
"East L.A. Marine– Full Movie"

Guy Gabaldon's Website

Get Guy Gabaldon the Medal of Honor

* * * ttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053901/ ''Hell to Eternity''on

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

.
Medal of Honor Nominees on Film
*. Resolution supporting the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Guy Gabaldo * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gabaldon, Guy 1926 births 2006 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II American people of Mexican descent Burials at Arlington National Cemetery History of the Northern Mariana Islands People from Los Angeles Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers People from Dixie County, Florida