He went to Alaska to work in a cannery. Saipan fit that bill. Guy Gabaldon didn't set out to be a hero. It was part of the Japanese Empire's inner defense perimeter and it had an airfield within striking distance of Japan. [1], Gabaldon continued to capture more Japanese soldiers until he was wounded in a machine gun ambush. List of ranks in the fire, police, jail, and corrections services of the Philippines, People of the American Civil War by state, Articles with dead external links from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Find a Grave.com, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, American military personnel of World War II, Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States), List of Historically Important U.S. Marines, Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Nominees Portrayed On Film, Guy Gabaldon, 80, Hero of Battle of Saipan, Dies; New York Times; By Richard Goldstein; Published: September 4, 2006, Guy Gabaldon, American Hero of the 20th Century, http://web.archive.org/web/20060829123526/http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/1_Citations/03_wwii-nc/nc_06wwii_usmcE.html, "Guy Gabaldon, 80, Hero of Battle of Saipan, Dies", http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/04/us/04gabaldon.html, http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060904-113700-7565r.htm, Film-Forward review of East L.A. Marine - Documentary on Gabaldon's life, "Resolution: Medal of Honor for Guy Louis Gabaldon", http://web.archive.org/web/20060615060038/http://www.lulac.org/advocacy/resolutions/2002/39.html, "Pentagon Hosts Salute to Hispanic World War II Veterans", http://web.archive.org/web/20060625134857/http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2004/n09152004_2004091513.html, "‘Pied Piper’ returning to Saipan: The Chicano recipient of the Navy Cross will revisit the site of a historic WWII battle", http://starbulletin.com/2004/06/06/news/story10.html, House Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Guy_Gabaldon?oldid=5119753. His friends called him, 'Gabby.' Date of Action: June 15 - August 1, 1944 B-29s were now flying and they needed a base to attack Japan. [8], 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. Astonishingly, he was denied the Congressional Medal of Honor - a medal for which he was recommended by Captain Schwabe of the 2nd Marines. [3], Gabaldon's World War II exploits became public when in 1957, he was the invited guest of This is Your Life,[2] a popular television program aired by NBC in the 1950s. At one point, he captured 800 in one day - his commanding officer Captain John Schwabe would later dub him "The Pied Piper of Saipan." But in succeeding days, he began to go on lone-wolf excursions into the countryside and he brought prisoners back. He lived many different lives and most importantly he took it upon himself to help the less fortunate, particularly the wayward teenagers he encountered when he returned to the Mariana Islands in 1980, where he would live for twenty years. Practically adopted by his Nisei school friends, Guy learned about the Japanese culture, its language, and the tight family structure that was alien to him. He was 80. PFC Guy Louis Gabaldon (March 22, 1926–August 31, 2006) was a United States Marine who, at age 18, captured (or persuaded to surrender) roughly 1,500 Japanese soldiers and civilians during the Battle of Saipan (1944) in World War II. It would be measured as a sign of respect, not only to Guy, but to the people in America of Hispanic descent. Citation: Approved by the Secretary of the Navy on November 23, 1960 (Upgraded from Silver Star), Gabaldon ran unsuccessfully for United States Congress in California in 1964. Practically adopted by his Nisei school friends, Guy learned about the Japanese culture, its language, and the tight family structure that was alien to him.  and the [1], PFC Guy Gabaldon (right) poses with a few of the 1,500 Japanese soldiers and civilians who surrendered to him, during World War II, The next morning he returned with 50 Japanese prisoners. That same year the World War II Veteran’s Committee in Washington, D.C., a prominent organization which showcases the veterans of World War II and their history, featured Gabaldon on the cover of their quarterly magazine. Guy Gabaldon grew up in East Los Angeles where he spent more time on the streets than at home. The credo of most soldiers of the Japanese Army was kill or be killed. That May, we met Guy in Corpus Christi, Texas and helped celebrate Memorial Day with him. Guy Gabaldon died on August 31, 2006 and the world lost someone very special. It looks like we don't have a Synopsis for this title yet. We do not want to kill you!" Gabaldon himself served as an adviser in the filming of the movie.[6]. But in succeeding days, he began to go on lone-wolf excursions into the countryside and he brought prisoners back. There he authored and self-published a book; Saipan: Suicide Island, also re-printed as America Betrayed. Among PFC Gabaldon's military decorations are the following: "Gabaldon was not legally adopted by the Nakano family per se, he considered them his adopted family". That program came to the attention of Hollywood and a movie was produced in 1960 entitled "Hell to Eternity." Gabaldon quickly reported this information, which enabled the U.S. troops to prepare an overwhelming defense. According to Gabaldon: Gabaldon was reprimanded by his superior officers, and threatened with a court-martial for leaving his post. He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter as an adult and by Richard Eyer as a boy.    Racism and prejudice was rife throughout the U.S. armed forces in World War II and Guy was not immune to it. His autobiographical book Maverick Marine was published in 1990. He was recommended for the Congressional Medal … Japanese soldiers on Saipan were ordered to kill seven Marines for one Japanese.

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