Pfc. Roland Everett Schaede was born in Maywood, Illinois on March 24, 1921, to Emil L. Schaede and Edna M. Schlager-Schaede, and had to sisters and a brother. His family resided at 2010 South 3rd Avenue in Maywood. Roland was a graduate of Emerson School and Proviso Township High School in 1941. After high school, he moved to California and went to work for the United States Engineering Department, Camp Callan, California. He resided at the Federal Hotel, 237 F Street, San Diego, California.
Roland registered with Selective Service on July 1, 1942, and named his mother as his contact person. Knowing he would be drafted into the US Army, he enlisted in the US Marines on November 27, 1942, and was issued the serial number 49 88 53. It is known he trained at Camp Gillespie, California, and Camp Elliott, California. At some point, he was sent to Wellington, New Zealand, where he joined Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. The division remained and trained in New Zealand from February 10, 1943 to November 1, 1943.
The 2nd Marine Division left New Zealand and sailed for the Tarawa Atoll in a convoy made up of 200 ships. The 2nd’s job was to take the largest of the islands in the atoll, Beito Island. The Japanese had spent a year fortifying the island defenses and had excellent firing lanes on the beaches into the water. On November 20, 1945, the Marines landed on the island. The US wanted the airfield on the island so that it could launch attacks on islands closer to Japan. It was stated that the first wave, that attempted to land at Beito Island, suffered 75% casualties. Instead of the normal five foot tide, the tide that day as only three feet preventing the Higgin boats from reaching the beach. This also caused the following boats to go further out to land their troops. Many of the Marines were killed when the ramps dropped down at the front of the LCVP landing crafts – which are known as Higgins boats – never leaving the boats. Roland was one of the Marines killed.
Sometime in December 1944, his parents received a telegram from the War Department.
MRE AND MRS EMIL SCHAEDE=
2011 SOUTH 3RD AVE=
MAYWOOD IL
DEEPLY REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SON PRIVATE ROLAND E SCHAEDE USMC AS KILLED IN ACTION IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY AND IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY. TO PREVENT POSSIBLE AID TO OUR ENEMIES PLEASE DO NOT DIVULGE THE NAME OF HIS SHIP OR STATION PRESENT SITUATION NECESSITATES INTERMENT TEMPORARLY IN THE LOCALITY WHERE DEATH OCCURRED AND YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED ACCORDINGLY PLEASE ACCEPT MY HEARTFELT SYMPATHY LETTER FOLLOWS=
T HOLCOMB LIEUT GENERAL USMC THE COMMANDANT US MARINE CORPS
The content of the confirmation letter is not known.
After the war, the grave containing the remains of the 35 Marines who died on Tarawa were not recovered. One reason this happened was that after Beito Island had been secured the US Navy Seabees began building runways and removed the grave markers showing where the men were buried. At some point, Roland’s parents were informed that his remains were non-recoverable. His name was placed on the Honolulu Memorial Courts of the Missing in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, At the cemetery, over 100 members of the 2nd Marines were buried as unknowns.
History Flight Inc. whose mission is to recover the remains of Americans buried in unknown graves discovered the grave of 35 Marines in June 2015. To do this they removed a foundation of an abandoned building. Among those recovered were the remains of Pfc. Roland E. Schaede. In many cases, dental records confirmed preliminary identification. DNA was used to positively confirm each man’s identification. On May 6, 2016, the Defense Department and on June 17, 2016. it reported that Roland’s remains had been identified.
On September 14, 2017, Pfc. Roland E. Schaede was buried in the Union Cemetery, St. Charles, Illinois. On the Honolulu Memorial Courts of the Missing, a rosette was placed in front of his name indicating that he had been recovered.
