Ted Rozmaryn was born on June 17, 1918 in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, Washington to Josef “Joe” Rozmarynowski and Anna Rozmarynowski, nee Gebski. Both parents were Polish immigrants. The surname was shortened to Rozmaryn after they came to the United States. Ted’s siblings were Frank, Helen, Walter, Anne, and Joseph Rozmaryn. Another brother, William, died as an infant. The family lived in Aberdeen, where Joe worked as a shoemaker. Ted’s father died in 1925 and his mother married Wojciech Kolodziej in 1926. Ted graduated from the J.M. Weatherwax High School in Aberdeen.

Ted Rozmaryn registered for the draft October 16, 1940. He was 21 years old, 5’7” tall, and weighed 140 pounds. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and a ruddy complexion. He lived in Aberdeen and was employed by the Whitney Olds Company. He entered the United States Army on March 18, 1941 in Tacoma, Washington. He was single, without dependents, and had a high school education.

Sergeant Rozmaryn served in Company K, 160th Infantry Regiment. The 160th Infantry Regiment trained at Fort Lewis, Washington. It was ordered to Hawaii in September 1942, where it trained in jungle warfare for over a year. From April through December 1944, the regiment fought on New Britain Island in Papua New Guinea. As part of the 40th Infantry Division, they invaded the Japanese-held Philippines on January 9, 1945.

Sergeant Ted Rozmaryn was shot in the shoulder. He died of his wounds in a field hospital on January 23, 1945. His remains were returned to the states in 1950 and reinterred in the Fern Hill Cemetery, Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, Washington (Block 95, Grave 67, 7th Addition). He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

This story is part of the Stories

Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a

national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US

WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these

stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war

memorial or cemetery.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at clock902@aol.com.

SBTSProject/Washington/Grays Harbor

Sources:

U.S. WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, https://www.fold3.com/record/700977203/rozmaryn-ted-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List, https://www.fold3.com/image/310763494?rec=299419085

WWII Army Enlistment Records, https://www.fold3.com/record/90960459/ted-rozmaryn-wwii-army-enlistment-records

Findagrave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129318160/thaddeus-joseph-rozmaryn

1920 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/111332213:6061

1930 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/111683713:6224

1940 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/67442514:2442

Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/498787:2375?tid=&pid=&queryId=eb02306cff03a45304326445adeb587c&_phsrc=xOR59264&_phstart=successSource

School Yearbooks, 1900-2016, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/97061990:1265

World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/37023597:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=eb02306cff03a45304326445adeb587c&_phsrc=xOR59263&_phstart=successSource