Gabaldon

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Happy 236th birthday, America.
 Today I would like to share with you a story about a hero of WW II that very few people know about. His name was Guy Louis Gabaldon. He was one of seven children in a Mexican-American family in East Los Angeles. As a pre-teen, he shined shoes to contribute to the family's income.  He was a member of a gang that was multi-ethnic.  At the age of 12, he moved out of his house and was "adopted" by a Japanese family.  When Guy was 17, the family he lived with was taken to an internment camp at the start of WW II. Guy joined the Marine Corps at the age of 17.  He was fluent in Japanese. 
As a Marine, he was in fierce combat in Saipan.  His exploits will probably never be equaled.  To make a long story short, he captured over 1500 Japanese prisoners......and I know this is hard to believe.  But he  used his fluency in the Japanese language to convince Japanese soldiers that they would be fed well, get medical attention, and have favorable accommodations.  Gabaldon was wounded in combat.  He was known as a "lone wolf" operator.  Guy Louis Gabaldon was awarded the Silver Star and the Navy Cross for his feats in battle. Many claim he should have been awarded the CMH, considering he captured more than 10 times the number of prisoners that Sgt. Alvin York captured in WW I.  For his exploits, he was known as the "Pied Piper of Saipan."  He passed away in 2006, at the age of 80.  I consider him a hero for what he did.  I also consider him a hero for capturing more than he killed.   Rest in peace, Guy.