Theodore Marolda was born May 1923 in Winsted, Connecticut. He was born to a family of Italian immigrants and was the youngest of nine children. Life was tough for his family as it was for the country during the Depression [Annotator's Note: The Great Depression, a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1945]. His father had his own business in New York [Annotator's Note: New York, New York] but, after he had a stroke, the family moved to their second home in Winsted. It was disastrous. His father could no longer manage the heavy work he performed previously. Everyone in the family had to pitch in to make ends meet. Marolda worked at odd jobs since he was nine years of age to make extra money. The family cultivated an acre of land to provide food. They always had wholesome food from the garden. The family followed the events that unfolded in Europe. They did not keep in touch with relatives back in Italy. When Marolda heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], he first thought it was another Orson Welles radio story about the end of the world [Annotator's Note: George Orson Welles, American director, actor, screenwriter, and producer]. After realizing it was true, Marolda and a buddy went to Waterbury [Annotator's Note: Waterbury, Connecticut] and enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Theodore Marolda enlisted for four years in the Marine Corps. He went to Parris Island [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Port Royal, South Carolina] where it was not very pleasant for the new recruits. The treatment was harsh and hard. Marolda found out years later from a drill instructor that the training was designed to weed out the weak who could not take it. Better to find that out in training rather than on the battlefield. He understood better what the drill instructors were trying to achieve. Marolda was in an early training group on Parris Island. He was a member of a 60-man contingent in platoon number 15. Only 900 Marines had reached the training center at that point. Many thousands would ultimately be instructed there. Next, he was ordered to Quantico, Virginia. He trained there on the World War 1 Springfield rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber Model 1903, or M1903, Springfield bolt action rifle]. Marolda carried an '03 [Annotator's Note: Springfield] all through Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands]. The Army meanwhile was issued the M1 rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand]. The 1st Marine Division was not issued any new equipment. Even their helmets were First World War vintage. Only at overseas deployment were new helmets provided. They only received the M1 rifles after leaving Guadalcanal despite the fact that the semi-automatic weapon would have been very beneficial in the early combat. Despite inclement weather, Marolda qualified as an expert on the Springfield rifle at Quantico. Somehow, he never received the extra pay normally afforded by that ranking. Orders next took him to New River, North Carolina. He was still with his buddy, Phil [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling; no last name given]. After training, Marolda asked for action and was sent to North Carolina to become part of the first group of crewmen for amphibian tanks[Annotator's Note: Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT), LVT-1 Alligator]. He and his buddy were inadvertently separated. The tank was controlled by left and right levers for the tracks. It was like driving a tractor. Crewmen had to be trained on both the .30 [Annotator's Note: Browning M1919 medium machine gun] and .50 caliber machine guns [Annotator's Note: Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun] that mounted on the vehicle. The training was fast. Marolda served with Company A, 1st Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 1st Marine Division and headed to the Pacific. They landed at Wellington, New Zealand after a 31-day unescorted voyage. The ship was the Manhattan. It was a luxury liner that had only minor changes incorporated to make it a troopship [Annotator's Note: the SS Manhattan was renamed USS Wakefield (APA21) in 1941]. The assigned location for Marolda's company was well below the waterline of the ship. The men were locked in by watertight doors during dawn and dusk while the ship was vulnerable to submarine attack. It felt like a trap. The long route taken by the ship avoided Japanese submarines. The men worked out and had drills to stay in shape during the voyage. Wellington was a nice city. The Marines began setting up a camp with an expectation to stay there but they did not stay long.

Theodore Marolda received orders to board a transport bound for the Solomon Islands after it was discovered the Japanese were building a big airfield there. The airfield could have resulted in the capture of Australia and New Zealand. Most of the troops from those countries were fighting the Germans in North Africa. That left them defenseless. Consequently, Marolda's training was cut short, and he was thrown into action along with his outfit [Annotator's Note: Company A, 1st Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 1st Marine Division]. After loading the transport ship for combat, the ship sailed despite the division never having trained together as a whole division. They landed there [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal Campaign, 7 August 1942 to 9 February 1943, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands] on 7 August 1942. The landing was uneventful with little opposition in capturing the airfield. The Jap [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] fleet arrived and drove the American ships away. Admiral Ghormley [Annotator's Note: US Navy Vice Admiral Robert Lee Ghormley] advised General Vandergrift [Annotator's Note: US Marine General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, commander 1st Marine Division] of the unplanned departure of the warships and support vessels. The Marines only had a seven-day supply for their needs. Marolda's amphibian tank [[Annotator's Note: Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT), LVT-1 Alligator] outfit was tasked with carrying supplies to the men onshore. The ships left without loading heavy and long-range artillery, food or heavy equipment. The Americans had to complete the airfield using Jap equipment. Rations were cut drastically resulting in the men losing considerable weight. Battles went day in and day out. There was incessant shelling and bombing by the enemy aircraft and ships. When Admiral Ghormley was finally relieved, he was replaced by Admiral Bull Halsey [Annotator's Note: US Navy Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey]. Things started to turnaround. The 7th Marines [Annotator's Note: 7th Marine Divisions] departed American Samoa and landed on Guadalcanal. Marolda's friend was with the 7th Marines and after experiencing several air raids, Marolda told him it was like that everyday [Annotator's Note: Marolda laughs]. Shelling at night was terrible. Japanese bombers with unsynchronized engines made a racket and dropped bombs every night to the consternation of the Marines on the receiving end. Nevertheless, the Marines held on to their positions. The Joint Chiefs of Staff [Annotator's Note: panel of high-ranking military officers who advise the President of the United States] and MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] determined that the Marines could not be supplied but Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States] refused to accept that position. The President did not want to suffer another defeat in the war. MacArthur had planes in Australia, but he would not send them to Guadalcanal. After two and a half months, supplies began to come in. The enemy controlled the air and sea for the first months. Ultimately, an Army National Guard unit from Wisconsin arrived. The unseasoned unit was subdivided and assigned to various combat veteran Marine outfits. The new men were told that if a Marine sergeant gave an order, it was to be followed. The new men did so well with their M1s [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand] that they were reconsolidated as a unit to fight on their own. The capability of the troops using M1s gave the Marines confidence of their ultimate success. The introduction of the 7th Marines under Chesty Puller [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller] also boosted the spirits of the 1st Marine Division. Chesty Puller was 7th Marine commander. Marolda's outfit was relieved after Christmas [Annotator's Note: in 1942] due to their poor physical and equipment conditions. They were withdrawn to Brisbane, Australia. The men were sick with multiple illnesses from the tropics. Marolda was in bad shape himself. Some men could not even climb the cargo net to embark the transport ship. Instead of Brisbane, they were sent to Melbourne, Australia to receive better medical treatment. They were sent to an Army hospital filled with Marines. The Australians were wonderful to the Marines. Marolda was treated nice by the young ladies who had few young Australian men around. The ladies' men were all in North Africa. He felt like he was in hell on Guadalcanal but had reached heaven in Australia.

Theodore Marolda had busy days [Annotator's Note: with Company A, 1st Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 1st Marine Division] during the Guadalcanal campaign [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal Campaign, 7 August 1942 to 9 February 1943, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands]. He was a crewman on an amphibian tank [Annotator's Note: Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT), LVT-1 Alligator] tasked with carrying supplies to the men onshore. The vehicle could traverse swamps or other rough terrain particularly after the heavy rains on the island. The Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] never fought during the day. The major battles were at night. The Japanese were never defeated on land or sea in 300 years until Guadalcanal. The Japanese commander of the newly deployed soldiers had his dress uniform and surrender papers drawn up for General Vandergrift [Annotator's Note: US Marine General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, commander 1st Marine Division] but that night they attacked and the whole regiment was gone. The Marines wiped them all out. The attackers would not stop their banzai charges [Annotator's Note: Banzai charge; Japanese human wave attacks] until they were all chopped down. Marolda was part of the reserve behind the main line of resistance. The next morning, he saw the 1,200 enemy dead from the attack. The colonel in charge of the enemy regiment was never found, but his surrender papers and uniform were discovered. Marolda was not sickened by the scene, but he remembers the grotesque ways the Japanese fell. Their bodies were buried in mass graves using bulldozers. There were several Congressional Medal of Honor [Annotator's Note: the Medal of Honor is the highest award a United States service member can receive who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor] recipients as a result of the combat. John Basilone of New Jersey [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone] was one of them. He was sent back to the United States for tours but he requested to be sent back into action. He was subsequently killed on Iwo Jima [Annotator's Note: Iwo Jima, Japan]. Marolda had his first taste of combat on Guadalcanal from enemy bombings. At first, the Japanese had no troops on the island. Every day, 30 or 40 bombers would come in and drop their ordnance on the small area occupied by the Marines near the island airfield. The enemy planes' arrival at noon every day over the airfield was predictable. There was no defense against the bombing raids. A World War 1 Medal of Honor recipient was in charge of a mortar unit that fired on an enemy submarine and nearly hit it. The submarine never came as close again after that. Marolda was not afraid during the air raids. They had dugouts protected by coconut logs. Only a direct hit would be fatal. Fighters did strafe them after the bombers departed. There was an intense naval bombardment from enemy ships offshore. Marolda had several close calls during those times. He was nearly hit by shrapnel on one occasion. Another time, he had malaria [Annotator's Note: mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite] on the beach and was not able to move despite nearby strafing. Many bombs and shells came close to him. There was no rear area to go to. Marolda lost men he was close to. Some were missing in action and never discovered. During an air raid, he and two others were running to shelter when an explosion killed his two companions. Marolda had a hearing loss as a result, but he could have just as easily been killed by that bomb. That was the scariest incident. During air raids and naval bombardments, there was nothing to fight back with. Marolda could only try to protect himself and take it. The Navy corpsmen were the bravest of the brave. They had to respond to a call for aid no matter how seriously wounded the Marine was or dangerous the situation was. They even went out when a Marine was near death. They stayed with the dead because of their dedication. There are some things Marolda does not want to remember.

Theodore Marolda returned to the United States via San Francisco [Annotator's Note: San Francisco, California]. It was the first time they had seen Marine girls. The returning Marines enjoyed the experience of seeing the girls dance to jitterbug music as a reception. The returnees were quarantined to assure that they did not carry disease. They were returned home on leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] on flatcars and boxcars. They were sent a long circuitous route to return to their homes. He felt good reaching home in Connecticut for his 30-day leave. Afterward, he was sent to Newport, Rhode Island to serve guard duty at a factory making torpedoes. It was good duty and a good way to meet girls. Shortly after, he was sent briefly to North Carolina for training but then on to California to join the 5th and 6th Marine Divisions. Before getting the word that he was going overseas, he called his new wife to join him. He tried to get out of deployment but was told to go see the chaplain. That was not a positive indication. When his first sergeant found out how much time Marolda had been overseas, he was given a casual company assignment so he could be with his wife. Before he could go back overseas, the bomb was dropped [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945]. He would have been involved with the invasion of Japan if the bombs had not been used. Prior to the atomic bombs falling, he returned his pregnant wife to their home. He was going to be part of the invasion of Japan. He may not have survived as a million men were expected to be lost during the invasion and the fight against military as well as combatant civilians. Marolda did not think much of the Japanese at the time. They were tenacious fighters who would rather die than surrender. No quarter was asked or given while fighting them. On Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal Campaign, 7 August 1942 to 9 February 1943, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands], Marines went to obtain the surrender of some Japanese troops and were butchered viciously instead. Only two men escaped. That incident turned the Marines attitude into no quarter asked and none given. Marolda felt that only a good Jap [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] was a dead one. In January [Annotator's Note: 1946], his enlistment was up. He decided to return home and start back to work. He returned to civilian work in a hurry in order to get his life in order. He had to start life over again. He had bad times with dreams. He and his wife had two children and then 13 years later had two more. After his first dead-end job, he and his brother started their own business. Marolda and his three brothers would discuss their time in the military. One brother served with Joe Kennedy [Annotator's Note: US Navy Lieutenant Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr.] who was a test pilot with Navy drones. Marolda only talked of his combat experience with other veterans until recently when requests for interviews have come into him. He has lunch with other veterans once a week. The group includes a decorated soldier from Korea named George Demaris [Annotator's Note: US Army Corporal Constantine George "Gus” Demaris]. Marolda used the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment] recently for hearing aids but has taken nothing else for his service. He was just ready to go back to work.

Theodore Marolda has had to pay out of his own pocket for medical expenses because veteran benefits would take too long to obtain. Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal Campaign, 7 August 1942 to 9 February 1943, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands] was his most memorable experience of the war. After two and a half months without aid, the Marines felt they would die there. He decided to serve in the Marines after the Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] bombed Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He hated them and wanted to sign up. The war and his Marine training toughened him and gave him strength. He was able to live through civilian life hardships. He will always be a Marine. You just live through tough times. He dug in and started over again without giving up after floods or other hardships. He gave that direction to his children also. He is proud of his service and being in the first offensive of World War 2 in August 1942 [Annotator's Note: the invasion of Guadalcanal]. Marolda was given a medal by the Secretary of the Navy. He has always been proud of his family and his life and of being a Marine. When he told a colonel that after the ceremony, the officer got close to Marolda's face and said he felt the same. There should be institutions like The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana] and the Memorial in Washington [Annotator's Note: the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.]. He attended a ceremony at the Memorial in Washington while wearing his uniform and campaign medals. When one of his medals came loose, a four-star Marine general came over and fixed it. Future generations should be taught about World War 2 because there is a lack of knowledge about it. When Marolda attended a history class in high school, no one knew about Pearl Harbor or Guadalcanal and only one knew of D-Day [Annotator's Note: D-Day; the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944]. The schools are to blame for that.

Theodore Marolda got rest and then trained in Melbourne, Australia [Annotator's Note: with Company A, 1st Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 1st Marine Division]. His outfit was issued the new M1 rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand]. The Marines had to be trained on its use. Replacements had to be obtained and trained for the men lost in combat and to disease. Initially, they were then sent to a very small island in the Russell Islands called Banika. When he heard taps being played across the island, it was sad as he thought of home. Despite feeling inclined to favor the Springfield [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber Model 1903, or M1903, Springfield bolt action rifle] and its ability to fire even after being dropped in the sand, the Marines eventually approved the M1. It provided more firepower. Marolda carried an M1. It was used for decades as a sniper rifle. After Banika, the 1st Marines were sent to Goodenough Island [Annotator's Note: Goodenough Island, Papua New Guinea] which is so small it is not found in history books. After organizing and training there, the amphibian tanks [Annotator's Note: Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT), LVT-1 Alligator] were sent to New Guinea and Cape Gloucester [Annotator's Note: Cape Gloucester, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea] to land Army units. On Christmas Eve 1942, they loaded up and landed on Cape Gloucester [Annotator's Note: Battle of Cape Gloucester, New Britain, Papua, New Guinea, 26 December 1943 to 16 January 1944]. It was a miserable place where it constantly rained. It was the last jungle combat for the Marines. After Cape Gloucester, they were sent to a barren island where they had to build all their facilities themselves. At that time, 50 noncommissioned officers and two Marine officers were selected to return to the United States to help in the formation of the 5th and 6th Marine Divisions. Other combat veterans were to join the two new divisions and be sent to Iwo Jima [Annotator's Note: Iwo Jima, Japan]. The boats that were used to land troops at Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands] were Higgins boats [Annotator's Note: LCVP; landing craft, vehicle, personnel]. The men had to jump over the sides to get to the beach. At Cape Gloucester, the amphibian tanks [Annotator's Note: Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT), LVT-1 Alligator] would unload troops without them having to jump in the water. The amphibian tanks would then return to the ship to bring ammunition and supplies to the troops ashore. It was hard work with artillery shells coming in and cargo nets used to load troops aboard. The .50 caliber machine guns [Annotator's Note: Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun] provided some antiaircraft protection. One of the tanks was converted to a flame thrower. Another was modified to fire rockets. The American Navy shelling of beaches prior to landings was quite a show. The enemy was dug in deep, and few casualties resulted even after the heavy shelling and bombing.