World War II Chronicles A Quarterly Publication of the World War II Veterans Committee ISSUE XXXIV, Spring, 2006 The Pied Piper of SAIPAN World War II Chronicles A Quarterly Publication of the World War II Veterans Committee WWW.WWIIVETS.COM ISSUE XXXIV, Spring, 2006 Articles -In This Issue- A Lone-Wolf Marine by The Pied Piper of 5 Guy Gabaldon The story of how one man, dubbed the “Pied Saipan Piper of Saipan,” single-handedly captured By July 7, 1944, Japanese hopes to turn back the 1,500 Japanese American invasion of Saipan had been crushed, A Dramatic Rescue in the South China Sea by and defeat was inevitable. Lt. General Yoshitsugu 14 Rear Admiral Robert W. McNitt Saito, commander of the Japanese forces, ordered An act of heroism aboard one of the most his remaining men to attack the American posi- legendary submarines of World War II tions in one final massive Banzai charge. As the Japanese gathered their forces for this suicide mis- What I’ve Learned by sion, little did they know that hidden among them 28 Hunter Scott was a young American Marine, watching their every move… Reflections on the World War II generation from a member of the latest generation In this issue of World War II Chronicles, Guy Gabaldon, the “Pied Piper of Saipan,” recounts his remarkable story… Features More Chronicles In Their Own Words 17 Highlighting Soldiering For Freedom: A GI’s Account of World War II by Herman J. 31 World War II Book Club Obermayer A Dangerous and Hazardous Mission 32 Committee Activities 23 An excerpt from the radio documentary series Listen to World War II Chronicles on-the-go Veterans Chronicles, featuring an interview with Yank correspondent Dave Richardson Still Available from the World War II Veterans Committee World War II Veterans Committee 2006 Commemorative Calendar Makes a great collector’s item! Still available from the World War II Veterans Committee is our 2006 commemorative calendar. This glossy oversized calendar features colorized reproductions of some of the most famous and legendary moments of World War II, including the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, General Eisenhower addressing the troops prior to D-Day, and General MacArthur returning to the Philippines. The calendar is now available for a reduced price of $5 (plus $2 each copy for shipping). To order, please send a check payable to the World War II Veterans Committee to the following address: Reduced Price! World War II Veterans Committee / 1030 15th St., NW Suite 856 / Washington, DC 20005 World War II Chronicles - Spring, 2006 - 2 From the Editor A Time for Courage By Tim G.W. Holbert Recently, in my spare time, I have been reading the book, Manliness The story of the USS Barb is one that every American should know. by Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield. A combination of his- Led by Medal of Honor recipient Eugene B. Fluckey and his ex- tory, philosophy, and sociology, Mansfield’s book is a “modest de- ecutive officer Robert W. McNitt, the Barb sank more enemy ton- fense” of the quality of “manliness,” a trait that can be present in nage than any other U.S. ship during the war. “Lucky” Fluckey’s both men and women (Britain’s Margaret Thatcher is a prime ex- daring and leadership were invaluable to the Allied war effort in the ample of a woman exhibiting these traits), and in its best forms Pacific. Here, Robert W. McNitt tells another story of courage, features confidence in risky situations, self-assertion, and an in- only this time it is to save Allied prisoners of the Japanese, ma- tense loyalty to cause and comrades. rooned in the water when the freighter carrying them was sunk. Meanwhile, in the jungles of Burma, Dave Richardson, a corre- It struck me while reading the book that no other time in our nation’s spondent for Yank magazine, insisted that he stand alongside the history embodied the qualities of “manliness” than that of World men of Merrill’s Marauders in order to personally tell their story, War II. War is the riskiest of situations, and to prove victorious, when he could have easily taken an assignment in much less brutal confidence in the face of possible destruction is constantly called conditions. upon. In the darkest of days, “manliness” is a quality much in demand, though sometimes hard to find. Fortunately, the Allied While each of these men embodied the characteristics of “manli- nations of World War II had leaders who rose to the challenge. ness” at its best, Hermann J. Obermayer saw them at its worst. Winston Churchill, who embodied manly confidence, said to his Obermayer, in his book Soldiering for Freedom, recounts being in the fighting men upon taking control of the government, “Arm your- courtroom at Nuremberg when the first evidence was presented of selves, and be ye men of valour, and be in readiness for the con- the Nazis liquidating six million Jews. While “manliness” at its best flict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the features courage and self-sacrifice, at its worst it consists of a lust outrage of our nation and our altar.” Clearly, this was a man who for power, and to dominate all in its path. It can be overly obsessed would never bow to Nazi tyranny. with honor, and cannot tolerate shame. The Nazis rise to power is partly attributable to the collective sense of shame felt by the Ger- The half-American Churchill would be joined by millions of his man people following World War I. Channeling their aggression led countrymen, and his cousins across the Atlantic. These brave he- Germany to lash out, with disastrous consequences. Meanwhile, roes knew their duty, and when faced with two of the most evil Japanese fanatics, bent on preserving their honor, died needless forces in history, Nazism and Japanese Imperialism, they did not deaths in suicide attacks rather than suffer the shame of defeat. flinch. Many were willing to sacrifice themselves so that others Today, in some parts of the world, these same symptoms of collec- might live in freedom. Theirs is a form of “manliness” that one tive shame have led some people to lash out in similar ways. How cannot help but admire. disastrous their consequences may be have yet to be fully seen. This issue of World War II Chronicles features several stories from All of this shows exactly why it is imperative that the history of veterans who typify the best qualities of manliness, and one by a World War II, and the legacy of its veterans, be preserved for man who had a front row seat to witness some of the worst. Guy future generations. The era of the Second World War saw the very Gabaldon, a poor but tough kid from the streets of Los Angeles, best in mankind, the courage and character necessary to make the fought with the 2nd Marines in the battle for Saipan. Throughout world a better and safer place. It also demonstrated the potential the battle, he consistently strayed behind enemy lines, where he for human evil, how and why it can take hold of a people, and what could have easily been killed, in order to convince many of the must be done to stop it. The lessons of World War II are ones that doomed Japanese defenders to surrender, rather than throw their should never be forgotten. It is up to us to make sure that they are lives away in futile suicide charges. Gabaldon’s tremendous courage not. in the face of danger not only saved the lives of hundreds of WWII Japanese, but also the Marines they would have otherwise attacked. World War II Chronicles World War II Chronicles, Issue XXXIV, Spring 2006. World War II Veterans Committee A quarterly publication of the World War II Veterans Committee, 1030 15th St, NW David Eisenhower - Honorary Chairman Suite 856, Washington, DC 20005. Telephone: 202-777-7272. Fax: 202-408-0624. James C. Roberts - President The World War II Veterans Committee is a project of the American Veterans Center, Michael Paradiso - Publisher a 501(c)(3) non-profit public education foundation. World War II Chronicles is mailed Tim G.W. Holbert - Editor/Program Director to donors to the World War II Veterans Committee who make a contribution of $50 or more per-year. Contributions help to fund the Committee’s various speaker con- ferences, student programs, the National Memorial Day Parade, documentary and Visit the Committee’s web site at www.wwiivets.com. oral history projects, and this publication. To make a contribution or subscribe, call 202-777-7272 or e-mail [email protected] World War II Chronicles - Spring, 2006 - 3 Only from the World War II Veterans Committee The Road to VictorY: 2006 An Exclusive Tour of the Western Front of the European Theater in World War II London - Portsmouth - Normandy - Paris - Bastogne - Munich - Nuremberg - Berlin September 17 - October 1, 2006 Over sixty years ago, the Allied armies in the West stormed across Eu- rope, into the heart of Hitler’s Third Reich. This September, you have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps. In the wake of the World War II Veterans Committee’s successful 2005 tour, we are once again proud to sponsor an exclusive tour of all of the major war sites on the Western Front. This year, we welcome special guest tour guide Donald Burgett, who with the legendary 101st Airborne Division, traveled a similar route six decades ago. A celebrated author, Burgett’s book Currahee!, which recounts his parachute jump into Normandy, is one of the great stories of World War II, and the only book on the war per- sonally endorsed by Dwight D.