World War II Honoree

Guy 'Gabby' Gabaldon

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Los Angeles, California

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. SERVED ON SAIPAN AND TINIAN IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC MARIANA ISLANDS. IN THE SUMMER OF 1944, HE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY SINGLE-HANDEDLY CAPTURING MORE THAN 1,000 JAPANESE. HE HAS THE DISTINCTION OF CAPTURING MORE ENEMY SOLDIERS THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. MILITARY. BORN IN LOS ANGELES, THIS HISPANIC AMERICAN WAS ADOPTED BY A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY WHO TAUGHT HIM JAPANESE. WHEN WAR BROKE OUT WITH JAPAN, HIS 'BROTHERS' JOINED THE U.S. ARMED FORCES IN EUROPE AND HIS FOSTER PARENTS AND SISTER WERE SENT TO A RELOCATION CENTER. ON HIS 17TH BIRTHDAY HE ENLISTED IN THE MARINE CORPS. AFTER RECRUIT TRAINING, HE QUALIFIED AS A MORTAR CREWMAN, JAPANESE TRANSLATOR AND SCOUT OBSERVER. HE THEN RECEIVED AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING AND WAS SENT TO SAIPAN ON JUNE 15, 1944. WHILE SERVING AS A JAPANESE INTERPRETER, HE RECEIVED A SILVER STAR ENTERED ENEMY POSITIONS IN CAVES, PILLBOXES, BUILDINGS AND JUNGLE BRUSH AND IN THE FACE OF DIRECT ENEMY FIRE, OBTAINED VITAL INFORMATION AND AIDED IN THE CAPTURE OF OVER 1000 ENEMY CIVILIANS AND ENEMY PERSONNEL. WORKING ALONE IN FRONT OF THE LINES, HE CONTRIBUTED MATERIALLY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE CAMPAIGN. THE WEAKENED JAPANESE SOLDIERS HAD BEEN COMMANDED TO FIGHT TO THE LAST MAN BY THEIR OFFICERS, BUT HE PERSUADED THEM TO SURRENDER. TWICE WOUNDED, HE WAS EVACUATED TO THE U.S. HOSPITAL AT OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA. HIS SILVER STAR WAS ELEVATED TO A NAVY CROSS, THIS COUNTRY'S SECOND HIGHEST NAVY AWARD FOR VALOR, ON DECEMBER 20, 1960.