Believe it or not, from WW II.

[Gregory Matthews]

Hollywood: 1960, "From Hell to Eternity"

Book: Guy Gabaldon, Saipan: Suicide Island

Marine Corps Private: Guy Gabaldon

Date: July, 1944

Place: Saipan Island

Periodical: " Lone-Wolf Marine: How one man captured 1,500 Japanese on Saipan," WORLD WAR II CHRONICLES, Spring, 2006, pp. 5-13

It is with mixed feelings that I post this story. It is not a nice clean one where everything works out according to asceptic conditions. It is a story that gives some of the horror of WW II, like many of you have never immagined. It has death, blood, guts, and destruction. The lead character, GG takes the lives of many Japanese. If you read it, you will say: "Oh Lord, never agin." But, it has a twist to it that is almost unbelieveable.

Guy Gabaldon was born Hispanic in the gang area of East Los Angelos. He was raised by a Japaneese-American family, and learned fluent Japaneese. At an early age, he joined the U.S. Marines, and in July of 1944, he found himself on Saipan Island, in what became the last battle for control of the island.

Gabaldon had early one developed a facility for going back behind the Japaneese battle lines, talking to the Japaneese soldiers, and persuading them to surrender to him, and allow him to turn them over to the American military. All in all, he is personally credited with individually persuaading about 1,500 to surrender to him.

His greatest exploit occured on July 8. He had gone behind the Japanese lines on the 6th. He found himself in the midst of the Japanese planning for a suicide attack on the American forces in which the people pledged to kill seven Americans before they were killed themselves. The battle on the 7th lasted for 15 to 18 hours.

On the 8th, Gaabaldon took two Japanese prisoners. He attempted to talk them into talking other Japenese who were in hiding into surendering. One agreed, and left to attempt to do so. He returned with four fully armed Japanese soldiers. Remember, there was only one Amarican Marine. They talked for a while, and then the soldiers left and returned with a dozen fully armed Japenese. That was repeated by the return with a group of 50. After much discussion, they agreed to surrender, and went to bring the other Japanese back. This time they returned by the hundreds. Gabaldon, still remained the sole American, seperating the Japaneese into groups--military, civilian, those needing medical attention, etc. By this time U.S. Marine forces had come into the area, and were observing the lone Marine taking charge of hundreds of armed Japanese.

The transfer of the Japanese to the American military took place without bloodshed. NOTE: There were some who refused to join the others, and committed suicide rather than to be taken captive. It was later determined that 800 had surendered to him that day.

Gagaldon was given the Navy Cross for his exploits, and is currently being considered for the Medal of Honor.

There are a lot of issues raised with me by this story. War is said to be hell, and that is close to the truth. People died defending in combat on the island. Yet, a lone private, when able to do so, one who had also killed many, was able to probablly save the lives of some 1,500 men, women, and children.