97c9957e-1188-4c41-bd08-31488b5e1f95

Delacruz, Christino_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4.mp4

Cristino Sablong DelaCruz was born on December 15th, 1926 to Jose S. DelaCruz and Consuela Sablong. He had one older brother, Gabriel Sablong DelaCruz. Cristino was raised in Garapan. When he was 14 he was forced to join the cooperation forces for the Japanese for one year. They worked ten hours a day, Monday through Saturday. He found that the Japanese treated them fine until the war started and then they became very strict. Cristino recalls that before the war, life in Saipan was very good. They worked at harvesting sugar and tapioca. Cristino first heard about the war when his teachers assembled them in 5th grade and were told. The Chamorro and Carolina people were told not to look around the seaside as the Japanese built their defenses and started to move in big cannons. Cristino forced himself to learn more Japanese, but didn’t tell anyone the extent of his knowledge. During the war, Cristino and his brother were hiding in a foxhole and were being told by Marines to come out. They started to come out when his brother was shot by a Japanese sniper. The Marines helped them get him to the safety zone and to get treatment. Cristino was told his brother was going to die. They took him to a chaplain and with his mother there as well, they had a service and the Maries and two Japanese came to help with the burial at the cemetery. Right before the burial, one of the Japanese pushed the stretcher over so that Cristino’s brother’s body fell in the burial pit. Cristino was furious and started beating the soldier. Cristino and his mother were moved to the internment camp, where they mourned his dead brother. Hours later, Cristino was approached by some Marines and asked him to come with them. He followed them to a tent. They found an interpreter who spoke Spanish and asked Cristino if he was the one who beat the Japanese. When he said yes, they asked him if you would like to help the Marines as a scout. Cristino said he would be happy to. They needed Cristino to show them where the Japanese were hiding. Cristino carried a map and was able to show them. They asked his to take them to these places, but told Cristino to first get his mother’s blessing. His mother gave him her blessing. Cristino was given a uniform by the Marines and was made a guide, a Provisional Marine in the 4th Marine Division. They took him to Finasisu. Cristino rode in the tank with the Marines, making a zig zag, to make sure that the Japanese couldn’t destroy the tank. But only two days later, they come near to the Death Valley. At that time, a Japanese projectile penetrated, and blew up the left top of the tank. The tank was knocked over and Cristino crawled out of the turret. They were able to get in a halftrack and continue on. While stopped to have lunch, they were attacked by 500 Japanese. Cristino, with no weapon, hid behind the wheels of halftrack and pretended to be dead. He watched a lot of hand to hand combat with the bayonets. Cristino was hurt when a Japanese rifle was dropped near him and a bayonet cut his arm. Luckily the Marine reserves came and things got under control. Cristino was taken to a field hospital to have his wound treated. When the Company Commander saw him there and saw that he had been wounded, he told him he could have any weapon he wanted to use when he got out. Cristino chose a bazooka, but they told him no. So he took a Tommy gun and a carbine M-2. It was awkward carrying the two, so he ended up with only the Tommy gun. One thing that Cristino was helpful with was reassuring the native people and getting them out of hiding and to the internment camps. He worked with the Marines for about a month. From Saipan, the 4th Division went on to Tinian and Cristino opted not to go, he needed to be in Saipan for his mother. Cristino was being honored at the 50th anniversary for his help. He felt very honored. Efforts were being made to get more documents and history about the Chamorro and Carolinians who helped during the war in Saipan. Unfortunately there didn’t seem to be any records.

U.S. National Park Service, War in the Pacific National Historical Park

This digital asset is in the public domain. This digital version was made possible through the National Park Service by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support from the Mellon Foundation. When using this asset for any purpose, including online, credit 'Courtesy U.S. National Parks'.

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War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Code: WAPA

Guam , Guam
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam , Guam
Latitude: 13.3905000686646, Longitude: 144.654006958008

ICMS (Interior Collection Managment System) : WAPA-00246
NPS Museum Number Catalog : WAPA 4170

War in the Pacific Oral Histories

2025/03/07

T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, Collections room, Safe and Shelf SLF D-01

Public Can View

Rose Manibusan, Jennifer Craig

Organization: American Memorial Park
Role: Chief Interpretation
Address: Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Mp 96950
Email: wapa_interpretation@nps.gov

Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:11:54 AM

Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:11:54 AM

Delacruz, Christino_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4.mp4

mp4

2298.6 MB

Historic

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