World War II Honoree

Owen Francis Price

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

El Paso, Texas

Honored By

Charlie Price

Relationship

Son

JOINED THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN JANUARY 1942. PILOTED 240 COMBAT MISSIONS THAT TOTALED OVER 1000 COMBAT HOURS OF FLYING WITH THE 14TH AIR FORCE UNDER GENERAL CLAIRE CHENNAULT IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER, MAY 1943 TO AUGUST 1944. FLEW A C-47 AIRCRAFT. MOST OF HIS FLYING WAS OVER THE 'HUMP', BETWEEN CHINA AND INDIA AND OVER THE COMBAT AREAS OF CHINA-BURMA-INDIA WITH THE ARMY'S TROOP CARRIER COMMAND. HIS CARGO INCLUDED PARACHUTE TROOPS, AIRBORNE INFANTRY, GASOLINE, BOMBS, AMMUNITION AND FOOD. ALSO SUPPLIED SECRET OUTPOSTS BEHIND ENEMY LINES BY AIR WITHOUT FIGHTER ESCORT IN HIS UNARMED C-47 PLANE. STATIONED IN KUNMING, CHINA WITH THE 14TH TRANSPORT SECTION, WHICH LATER BECAME THE 322ND TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, THE AIR MEDAL WITH 4 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS AND A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FROM GENERAL STILWELL FOR HIS UNIT'S PART IN DEFEATING THE JAPANESE ARMIES IN NORTHERN BURMA. ALSO AWARDED 3 BATTLE STARS FOR THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS. SERVED 4 YEARS AND WAS DISCHARGED AS A CAPTAIN AFTER THE WAR.