LA Locals push for posthumous Medal of Honor to be rewarded to Hispanic Marine. 'Rightful reward den
16 replies, posted
[url=http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/09/27/many-want-to-see-wwii-hero-awarded-congressional-medal-of-honor-posthumously/]CBS[/url]
[quote]LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Years after his death, there is now a push to award Pfc. Guy Gabaldon the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Credited with single-handedly convincing 1,500 soldiers and civilians to surrender during World War II, the East Los Angeles native died in 2006 never having received the nation’s highest honor.
It was there Gabaldon learned to speak Japanese. Most of his friends were “Nisei” as he called them, and when he had trouble at home, a Japanese family took him in.
Then came Pearl Harbor, which resulted in Gabaldon’s adoptive family and friends being sent to internment camps – a story he recounted in the documentary.
“They sent my family to a concentration camp,” he said. “If I give my life, maybe I’ll make my country, my President, and all the authorities regret what they did to other American citizens.”
At the age of 18, Gabaldon joined the Marines and landed on the shores of Saipan with a warning: The Japanese would die before surrendering.
His commanding officer called him the “Pied Piper of Saipan.” Even on the battlefield, he remembered the enemy was human and, like him, was tired of the war.[/quote]
The man was already awarded the Navy Cross and Silver Star which is pretty damn high already, but the community feels that he deserved more. His Navy Cross citation reads
[quote]The Navy Cross is presented to Guy L. Gabaldon, Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism while serving with Headquarters and Service Company, Second Marines, Second Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan and Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands, South Pacific Area, from 15 June to 1 August 1944. Acting as a Japanese Interpreter for the Second Marines, Private First Class Gabaldon displayed extreme courage and initiative in single-handedly capturing enemy civilian and military personnel during the Saipan and Tinian operations. Working alone in front of the lines, he daringly entered enemy caves, pillboxes, buildings, and jungle brush, frequently in the face of hostile fire, and succeeded in not only obtaining vital military information, but in capturing well over one thousand enemy civilians and troops. Through his valiant and distinguished exploits, Private First Class Gabaldon made an important contribution to the successful prosecution of the campaign and, through his efforts, a definite humane treatment of civilian prisoners was assured. His courageous and inspiring devotion to duty throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service[/quote]
His background was pretty unique though.
While, it is a amazing feat. I don't think it deserves the medal of honor.
Article almost sounds as if he captured all those troops and civilians in one sitting while he most likely caught a handful at a time throughout the whole campaign.
Everything is got to be about race.....
[QUOTE=MR-X;42356562]Everything is got to be about race.....[/QUOTE]
It's the American Way.
I'm not into the military stuff here but iirc each branch has its version of the medal of honor.
Navy Cross is the navy's medal of honor.
I dont know if theres [I]another[/I] one specifically set for congress to give though
[QUOTE]Gabaldon began bringing in prisoners the very first day that he arrived on Saipan. According to Gabaldon:
"The first night I was on Saipan, I went out on my own...I always worked on my own, and brought back two prisoners using my backstreet Japanese."
— Guy Gabaldon
Gabaldon was reprimanded by his superior officers, and threatened with a court-martial for leaving his post. However, the next night he went out and did it again. He carefully approached a cave, shot the guards outside, moved off to one side of the cave, and yelled in Japanese, "You're surrounded and have no choice but to surrender. Come out, and you will not be killed! I assure you will be well-treated. We do not want to kill you!"
PFC Guy Gabaldon (right) poses with a few of the 1,500 Japanese soldiers and civilians who surrendered to him, during World War II
The next morning he returned with 50 Japanese prisoners. As a result, Gabaldon was permitted by his commanding officer to act as a "lone wolf" operator.
On July 7, 1944, after spending a night near Saipan's northern cliffs, Gabaldon heard and listened to thousands of Japanese troops and civilians preparing for a large "banzai charge." Gabaldon quickly reported this information, which enabled the U.S. troops to prepare an overwhelming defense. The attack was disastrous for the Japanese, and the surviving Japanese returned to their positions.
The next day, on July 8, Gabaldon captured two more guards. He convinced one of them to return to his cave, with an offering of surrender. Shortly thereafter, a Japanese officer showed up. After speaking to Gabaldon, the officer accepted the conditions of surrender - and over eight hundred soldiers and civilians surrendered to Gabaldon, who turned them over to the U.S. military authorities. For his exploits, Gabaldon became known as The Pied Piper of Saipan.
Gabaldon continued to capture more Japanese soldiers until he was wounded in a machine gun ambush. He was credited with the capture of 1,500 enemy personnel and was recommended for the Medal of Honor by his commanding officer, Capt. John Schwabe, who noted that he single-handedly captured more than ten times the number of prisoners taken by Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Alvin C. York in World War I. Despite this recommendation, Gabaldon was awarded a Silver Star.
The fact that Gabaldon captured at least 1,500 Japanese prisoners was verified on the national program by Marines Corps intelligence officers Colonel Walter Layer, Colonel John Schwabe, Major James High and several enlisted men from military intelligence.[/QUOTE]
dude sounds incredibly badass.
[QUOTE=areolop;42358047]I'm not into the military stuff here but iirc each branch has its version of the medal of honor.
Navy Cross is the navy's medal of honor.
I dont know if theres [I]another[/I] one specifically set for congress to give though[/QUOTE]
cough cough it's called the [B]congressional[/B] medal of honor
How could he not be Medal of Honor material.
He got rid of shitloads of enemy forces without using lethal force.
Something tells me he would have gotten it if he had killed all those people, instead of putting them in a situation where they could possibly survive.
I feel these things are considered more in the face of violent acts. What this man did seems nothing short of extraordinary. Although I kinda doubt it has much to do with race, it may a little.
[QUOTE=LordCrypto;42358391]cough cough it's called the [B]congressional[/B] medal of honor[/QUOTE]
Yea, all medals of honor have to go through congress. They dont give them out willy-nilly
[quote]Although the medal is sometimes erroneously referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor, the original and official name is simply the "Medal of Honor"[/quote]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor#Appearance[/url]
So unless they want the Congressional Gold Medal, he already has the highest medal possible for him to receive in the military. His children have a no-compete clause to go to any military academy they want.
[QUOTE=MR-X;42356562]Everything is got to be about race.....[/QUOTE]
that's because they are trying to right a past wrong. it's about sending a message.
America! The melting pot of the world's cultures! Just... don't let them touch. Ew ew ew ew ew my asians and my hispanics are touching ew ew make it stop
[img]http://sarahmeyerwalsh.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/dreamstime_1482828-lunch-tray.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;42358740]America! The melting pot of the world's cultures! Just... don't let them touch. Ew ew ew ew ew my asians and my hispanics are touching ew ew make it stop
[img]http://sarahmeyerwalsh.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/dreamstime_1482828-lunch-tray.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
what the fuck are you going on about
Racial prejudice. We go on about how america is the melting pot of culture, but racial discrimination is so fucking prevalent its almost like we're foods in a lunch tray. We're all there, but when they touch people get all grossed out.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;42358546]that's because they are trying to right a past wrong. it's about sending a message.[/QUOTE]
By saying it is racial prejudice without proof?
[QUOTE=areolop;42358534]Yea, all medals of honor have to go through congress. They dont give them out willy-nilly
[URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor#Appearance[/URL]
So unless they want the Congressional Gold Medal, he already has the highest medal possible for him to receive in the military. His children have a no-compete clause to go to any military academy they want.[/QUOTE]
He has the Navy Cross, the second highest award the Navy and Marine Corps can give to a Marine or Sailor. They want to give him the Medal of Honor, the highest award a service member can receive in their career which is awarded by the President. Depending on your branch of service the medal looks different.
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;42359108]Racial prejudice. We go on about how america is the melting pot of culture, but racial discrimination is so fucking prevalent its almost like we're foods in a lunch tray. We're all there, but when they touch people get all grossed out.[/QUOTE]
May or may not be that applicable to this case, but certainly true, and not just of America.
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