Guy Gabaldon

American soldier (1926 - 2006)

• || At The Bottom

• 1938 -- Guy Louis Gabaldon was on a fast track to a misspent life.  Born into a poor Chicano family in a barrio of East Los Angeles, Gabaldon was a rebellious youth who spent most of his early years defying his parents and running wild in the streets.  He hung out with older kids who hung around the sleazier points of interest in East L.A; he stole beer and liquor from local saloons; he ran with a multiracial band of ruffians known as the "Moe gang," who stole cars, ripped off grocers and hopped rides on trains.  For a young Mexican American boy growing up in the midst of the Great Depression, opportunities for a decent future were hard enough even for kids who stuck to the straight and narrow.  For a kid like Guy Gabaldon, there seemed to be nothing but rough times ahead.  His parents were exasperated -- nothing they said or did seemed to make an impression on their headstrong son.

• || At The Top

• 1944 -- As the war in the Pacific ground onward, an 18-year-old Marine private named Guy Gabaldon had a peculiar plan.  One night in June, he snuck out of camp on the Japanese island of Saipan and returned several hours later with two prisoners.  His commanding officers were outraged and warned him against pulling a similar stunt again.  The next night, however, he slipped away again; this time, he came back with several dozen Japanese soldiers, all of whom had come voluntarily, without a shot being fired.  Gabaldon's method was simple.  After crawling within earshot of an enemy bunker, he would call out in Japanese, warning the soldiers that American Marines were poised to strike with overwhelming power the next morning.  He would explain, however, that the soldiers could spare their lives by surrendering and coming with him.  The Japanese fighters on Saipan were exhausted, and their supplies were low.  Though they had been trained to fight to the death and never to surrender to the Americans, Gabaldon was able to convince about 1500 Japanese soldiers to follow him back to American lines.  In one night alone, Gabaldon brought back more than 800 enemy fighters.  The struggle for Saipan cost more than 3000 American lives, and ten times as many Japanese.  For his astonishing bravery -- and for saving so many lives (Japanese as well as American) -- "The Pied Piper of Saipan" was awarded a Silver Star, one of the highest military honors given by the U.S.  In 1960, Gabaldon's Silver Star was upgraded to a Navy Cross; that same year, Gabaldon's exploits were portrayed on the silver screen in a film called "Hell to Eternity."  In an interesting twist, Gabaldon returned to Saipan in 1970 and opened a successful seafood business.

• || The Comeback

• At the height of his youthful unruliness, Guy Gabaldon befriended a couple of Japanese American kids named Lyle and Lane Nakano.  Their parents had been born in Japan, but the boys were American citizens.  Gabaldon spent most of his time with kids who had no respect for tradition and authority, who regarded their parents and other elders as fools.  But with the Nakano brothers, Gabaldon saw a different way of life.  They were honest and studious in school, and they respected the law as well as their parents and grandparents.  Gabaldon was fascinated by Japanese culture and began spending time with the Nakano family, who taught him a great deal about their language and customs.  Eventually, Gabaldon moved into their home and lived with them for seven years.  His parents supported his decision, because they recognized the positive effect the Nakanos were having on their son.  When the United States entered World War II in 1941, the Nakanos -- along with 120,000 other Americans of Japanese ancestry -- were sent to an internment camp.  In 1943, the government began offering Japanese-American men like Lyle and Lane Nakano the opportunity to enlist in the armed services; when Gabaldon learned that his friends had joined the fight, he decided to enlist as well.  Drawing on the language skills he'd picked up from his friends, and following their example of patriotism and service, Gabaldon put himself in a position to become one of the war's most interesting heroes.