World War II Honoree

Hugh L. Price

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

McHenry County, Illinois

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Sergeant. Japanese Prisoner of War for 31 Months. Served with the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, V-Interceptor Command, U.S. Far East 5th Air Force, stationed at Nichols Field in the Philippine Islands. While engaged in combat during the Defense of Luzon and retreating to the Bataan Peninsula, the Japanese Invading Forces captured him April 9, 1942 during the invasion of the Philippine Islands. Forced to participate in the Bataan Death March and incarcerated at the Prisoner of War Camp #4 O’Donnell Tarlac, Luzon. On October 11, 1944 he boarded the Japanese ‘Hell Ship’ Arisan Maru along with hundreds of other prisoners, whose destination was a Prisoner of War Camp in Japan. Reported Missing in Action, Lost at Sea Tuesday, October 24, 1944 when the transport was torpedoed and sunk by a United States Submarine. He is memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, located at Fort Bonifacio, Philippine Islands. In Memory and Honor, a cenotaph memorial has been placed in the Hillside Cemetery, Genoa City, Wisconsin as his body was never recovered. Decoration and Citation: Purple Heart. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.