World War II Honoree

Ernest L. 'Ernie' Price

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

VOLUNTEERED AND WAS SELECTED FOR PARATROOPER TRAINING AND SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED THE PRESCRIBED PROFICIENCY TEST WHILE ASSIGNED TO AN AIRBORNE UNIT IN THE AMERICAN THEATER. AWARDED HIS SILVER BASIC PARACHUTIST BADGE. JOINED HIS COMBAT REGIMENT IN 1943. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER WITH THE 503RD PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT (SEPARATE), DURING THE WAR. PARTICIPATED IN THE NEW GUINEA, LEYTE, AND LUZON CAMPAIGNS. SERVED IN AUSTRALIA AND THEN MOVED TO NEW GUINEA ON APRIL 14, 1944. FOUGHT ON NOEMFOOR ISLAND IN DUTCH NEW GUINEA FROM ABOUT JULY 2, 1944, UNTIL THE JAPANESE WERE DEFEATED BY AUGUST 31, 1944. LANDED ON LEYTE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ON NOVEMBER 18, 1944. INVADED MINDORO AT SAN AGUSTIN, OFF THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF LUZON ISLAND IN THE PHILIPPINES, ON DECEMBER 15, 1944, AND DEFEATED THE JAPANESE BY JANUARY 15, 1945. HIS REGIMENT PARACHUTED ONTO CORREGIDOR ISLAND, IN MANILA BAY IN THE PHILIPPINES, ON FEBRUARY 16, 1945, WHERE HE WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, COMBAT PARACHUTIST BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD DEVICE, AND 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (3 CAMPAIGNS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS REGIMENT IN COMBAT AT CORREGIDOR IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FOR SERVICE BY HIS UNIT IN THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN DURING THE PERIOD OCTOBER 17, 1944 TO JULY 4, 1945. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.