World War II Honoree

Theodore J. Price, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

San Francisco, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private 1st Class. Japanese Prisoner of War for 30 Months. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps May 31, 1940 and received his Basic Combat Infantry Training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California. Served in the Southwest Pacific Theater and experienced combat as a Rifleman assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment stationed at Fort Mills located on the Island of Corregidor ‘The Rock’ Philippine Islands. Wednesday, May 6, 1942 he was captured by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces, when General Wainwright was forced to surrender Corregidor to the invaders during the invasion of the Philippine Islands (Invasion Date, December 8, 1942). As a prisoner of war, he was evacuated to the Manila area and incarcerated in a civilian Prisoner of War Camp on the Island of Luzon, Philippine Islands. 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. In memory, he is memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, located at Fort Bonifacio, Philippine Islands. Decoration and Citation: Purple Heart. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.