World War II Honoree

Guy Gabaldon

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Los Angeles, California

Honored By

A Grateful American

AS AN 18 YEAR OLD MARINE PRIVATE, HE SINGLE-HANDEDLY CONVINCED MORE THAN 1,000 JAPANESE SOLDIERS TO SURRENDER IN THE WWII BATTLE FOR SAIPAN. USING AN ELEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE OF JAPANESE, BRIBES OF CIGARETTES AND CANDY, AND TRICKERY WITH TALES OF ENCAMPMENTS SURROUNDED BY AMERICAN TROOPS, GABALDON WAS ABLE TO PERSUADE SOLDIERS TO ABANDON THEIR POSTS AND SURRENDER. HIS PLAN, AS IMPOSSIBLE AS IT SEEMED, WAS TO GET NEAR A JAPANESE EMPLACEMENT, BUNKER OR CAVE, AND TELL THEM THAT I HAD A BUNCH OF MARINES WITH ME AND WE WERE READY TO KILL THEM IF THEY DID NOT SURRENDER. HE USED PIECEMEAL JAPANESE HE PICKED UP FROM A CHILDHOOD FRIEND TO EARN THE TRUST OF THE ENEMY, WHO BELIEVED HIS STORY OF HUNDREDS OF TROOPS. IN A SINGLE DAY IN JULY 1944, GABALDON WAS SAID TO HAVE GOTTEN ABOUT 800 JAPANESE SOLDIERS TO FOLLOW HIM BACK TO THE AMERICAN CAMP. HIS EXPLOITS EARNED HIM THE NICKNAME THE PIED PIPER OF SAIPAN. HE RECEIVED THE NAVY CROSS, THE MARINE'S HIGHEST HONOR. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HIS PLAN WAS FOOLISH AN IF IT HAD NOT WORKED, IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COURT MARTIAL FOR DISOBEDIENCE. HIS FAMILY SUSPECTED HIS INITIAL DISOBEDIENCE MAY HAVE KEPT HIM FROM RECEIVING THE MEDAL OF HONOR, THOUGH THEY SAY OFFICERS LATER APPROVED.