Guy Gabaldon

American World War II hero

• Born: March 22, 1926
• Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
• Died: August 31, 2006
• Place of death: Old Town, Florida

A Chicano who had been adopted by a Japanese American family as a teenager, Gabaldon used his knowledge of the Japanese language to singlehandedly capture more than one thousand enemy soldiers in the battle for Saipan.

Early Life

Guy Louis Gabaldon (gah-bahl-DOHN) was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 22, 1926. One of seven children, he worked as a shoeshine boy in Skid Row at the age of ten. Gabaldon became a member of a multiethnic gang known as the Moe Gang and soon left home. At the age of twelve, he was taken in and adopted by a Japanese American family, the Nakanos. Because he attended language school daily with the Nakano children, he eventually learned to speak Japanese and became versed in their culture and customs.

When World War II broke out, Gabaldon’s adoptive family was sent to a relocation camp in Arizona, but the Nakano sons joined the U.S. armed forces. Gabaldon went to Alaska, where he worked in a fish cannery and as a laborer. When he turned seventeen, Gabaldon joined the Marine Corps. At Camp Pendleton, he received basic training and was assigned duty at the Headquarters and Service Company.

Gabaldon was a mortar crewman and scout observer. Because of his fluency in Japanese, he qualified to be a translator. He also received amphibious training and eventually was sent to the Japanese-controlled island of Saipan in June, 1944. It was there that his heroic acts would occur.

Life’s Work

During World War II, the United States considered the capture of Saipan as critical. The island was needed for airfields to accommodate various aircraft and bombers. In June, 1944, more than five hundred ships carrying more than 125,000 U.S. military personnel began the invasion of Saipan. The troops had been informed that the surrender of Japanese was unlikely; Japanese troops had been instructed by their superiors to commit suicide if captured and to kill as many Americans as possible.

On his first day on Saipan, Gabaldon ventured out alone and used his knowledge of Japanes to capture prisoners. Because of his unorthodox tactics, Gabaldon’s superiors reprimanded him and threatened a court-martial. Undeterred, Gabaldon went back out, this time capturing fifty prisoners. His supervisors were persuaded to allow him to continue.

On July 7, 1944, Gabaldon heard the unmistakable drone of hundreds of soldiers and civilians preparing to attack American troops. After an unsuccessful attempt, they returned to their positions to regroup. The next day, Gabaldon captured two guards. He discussed with them the conditions of surrender and they agreed, bringing with them more than eight hundred Japanese soldiers and civilians, who were given over to United States military authorities. For these exploits, Gabaldon became known as the “Pied Piper of Saipan.” He set a military record for most captures.

Gabaldon continued to capture Japanese soldiers until he was wounded in a machine-gun ambush. By that time, he had been credited with the capture of approximately fifteen hundred Japanese soldiers and civilians. He retired from the military as a result of his war wounds.

Gabaldon was recommended for the Medal of Honor by his commanding officer, Captain John Schwabe, the very man who initially reprimanded him for going out to patrol on his own. For unknown reasons, the Marine Corps downgraded the award to a Silver Star.

Gabaldon returned to civilian life and moved to Mexico, where he set up various businesses. His war experiences became public when he was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life, a popular television program in the 1950’s. Hollywood producers likewise became interested in his life and exploits and released the film Hell to Eternity (1960), which immortalized his heroic feats. Because of this new exposure, Gabaldon’s award from the military was upgraded from a Silver Star to a Navy Cross, but the Medal of Honor eluded him. Gabaldon died on August 31, 2006, of heart disease and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Significance

Gabaldon was a hero in various ways. During World War II, he took a practical approach in subduing the enemy: He had only to talk to them, to communicate in their language, mindful of their pride and cultural beliefs. After the war, he worked with troubled youths in Saipan and became an advocate for veterans of foreign wars. Although he received the Silver Star and then the Navy Cross, Gabaldon believed that his race played a part in the military’s decision not to award him the Medal of Honor; various groups have campaigned for the award on his behalf.

Bibliography

Fernandez, Virgil. Hispanic Military Heroes. Austin, Tex.: VFJ, 2006. Presents a clear explanation of Gabaldon’s military exploits and makes the case that he deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Gabaldon, Guy. Saipan: Suicide Island. Saipan: Author, 1990. Gabaldon’s self-published memoir details the tactics he used to capture scores of Japanese prisoners on Saipan.

Goldstein, Richard. “Guy Gabaldon, 80, Hero of Battle of Saipan, Dies.” The New York Times, September 4, 2006. Obituary that summarizes Gabaldon’s achievements and includes statements he made in interviews.