The Pied Piper of Saipan: the True Story of an American War Hero

In 1960, the year of The Alamo, The Magnificent Seven, Exodus and The Apartment, Allied Artists released an intensely realistic, gut-wrenching U.S. Marines-in-action combat film called Hell To Eternity.  It was the incredible true story of Guy Gabaldon, an orphan raised by Japanese-Americans in the 1930s in the Los Angeles suburb of Boyle Heights.  When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Gabaldon’s adoptive family was sent to internment camps and he enlisted in the Marines.  What followed was the stuff of myth:  Over two months in 1944 during the bloody battle for Saipan, Gabaldon single-handedly captured more than 1,500 Japanese soldiers and civilians.  In one day alone, he captured 800 people, earning him the nickname “The Pied Piper of Saipan.”  In the history of the U.S. military, no soldier has ever single-handedly captured so many prisoners.  However, Hell to Eternity—which starred Jeffrey Hunter as Gabaldon and David Janssen, Vic Damone and Sessue Hayakawa in supporting roles—was “Hollywoodized” and a lot of the truth never came to the surface.  When I met Gabaldon in 1999, I decided that a true characterization needed to be made, correcting the errors of what was essentially a good but inaccurate movie.  That’s how East L.A. Marine:  the Untold True Story of Guy Gabaldon came to be.

East L.A. Marine, a 76-minute documentary, was produced with the cooperation of the late Gabaldon, who, sadly, passed away on August 31, 2006.  One inaccuracy made clear at the film’s outset is Gabaldon’s Hispanic heritage; his ancestors were conquistadores who arrived in New Mexico in the 16th century.  This background is in contrast to Hunter’s portrayal of him as an Italian-American.  Another is that standing 5' 3¾" tall, the real Gabaldon wasn’t as imposing as Hollywood beefcake Hunter.

The story of Gabaldon is one of racial injustice.  Captain John Schwabe, his commanding officer, recommended him for the Congressional Medal of Honor.  But Schwabe was transferred off the island before the honor could be awarded, and Gabaldon’s decoration was downgraded to a Silver Star.  To add insult to injury, he wasn’t promoted.  Although there could be a number of reasons why Gabaldon was ignored, there is no question that there was prejudice toward Hispanics in the Marine Corps during World War II, and Gabaldon’s ethnicity worked against him.  The corps awarded him the Navy Cross the year the film came out, but it wasn’t the Medal of Honor.  Thus began a nationwide campaign by the Hispanic community and veterans of all backgrounds to correct the snub, which continues today with lobbying of Congress, the White House and the Pentagon to accord Gabaldon his due.

East L.A. Marine features an extensive interview with Guy Gabaldon, plus interviews with retired Marine Colonel Schwabe, prominent military historians, veterans, and many Gabaldon friends, admirers and family members.  It was filmed on Saipan on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Saipan.  In addition to behind-the-scenes footage of the island as it looks today, the documentary also features extensive archival combat footage of the Saipan campaign, including one memorable shot in which Gabaldon appears on camera.  The film also contains scenes from Hell to Eternity and a 1957 episode of This is Your Life paying tribute to this authentic American war hero.

East L.A. Marine:  the Untold True Story of Guy Gabaldon is available on DVD for purchase ($24.95 includes S&H).

*Henry Godines, artist "The Pied Piper of Saipan"