World War II Honoree

Jack C. Price

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Honored By

Mrs. Sarah M. Pierce

BORN IN GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO ON JULY 26, 1918. HE ATTENDED MESA COLLEGE IN GRAND JUNCTION. BEFORE ENTERING THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS IN MARCH 1941 AS A FLYING CADET, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE WEST COAST TRAINING CENTER AND COMPLETED PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING AT CAL-AERO TECH, BURBANK, CALIFORNIA FLYING P-17 AIRCRAFT. HE COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING AT MOFFAT FIELD, CALIFORNIA, FLYING BT-13 AIRCRAFT AND ADVANCED TRAINING FLYING AT-6 AIRCRAFT AT MATHER FIELD, CALIFORNIA. UPON COMPLETION OF FLIGHT TRAINING AT MATHER FIELD IN OCTOBER 1941, HE WAS APPOINTED A 2ND LIEUTENANT AND ASSIGNED TO THE 50TH PURSUIT SQUADRON, 14TH PURSUIT GROUP AT MARCH FIELD, CALIFORNIA, 40 WAR HAWKS. AFTER PEARL HARBOR, ONE SQUADRON OF THE GROUP FLEW ALERT OUT OF LONG BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. IN JANUARY 1942, THE 14TH PURSUIT GROUP WAS TRANSFERRED TO HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA AND THE 50TH SQUADRON WAS BASED AT OAKLAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHERE THEY CONVERTED TO P-38 LIGHTNING FIGHTERS. IN MAY 1942, THE 78TH FIGHTER GROUP WAS FORMED CONSISTING OF THE 82ND, 83RD AND 84TH FIGHTER SQUADRONS.