Theodore Jolley was born on May 30, 1924 in Courtdale, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He resided in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on August 17, 1943 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in manufacturing and also as Single, without dependents. Theodore served as a Staff Sergeant and Gunner on B-24J "Shootin' Star" #42-73249, 374th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-24J #42-73249 took off, with a crew of 10, from Luliang Airfield, China on a long range reconnaissance mission over the South China Sea and Indochina Coast (Vietnam). After takeoff they were not heard from nor seen again, it was January 12, 1945. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until January 13, 1946, 1 year and 1 day after he went missing as was the custom.

Later documents noted that they thought they were being attacked, along the Indochina Coast, by Japanese fighter aircraft and fired at them. However the planes were actually three F4U-1D Corsairs from VMF-124, U.S.S. Essex (CV-9). The Corsairs, since being fired on and due to overcast weather conditions, thought the plane firing at them was a Japanese H8K2 Emily flying boat. They successfully shot down the aircraft and it crashed into the sea. The Corsairs camera footage later unmistakably identified the bogey as a B-24 Liberator.

Theodore was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash caused by friendly fire during the war. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov