Fred Clyde "Fritz" Price
S/SGT in 406th Engineer Combat Co
Military occupational specialty: 651
ASN#35335798
Born 1915 in OH
County of residence at enlistment: Mahoning County, OH
Other residence(s): Youngstown, OH in 1942
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: semiskilled occupations in mechanical treatment of metals (rolling, stamping, forging, pressing, etc.), n.e.c.
Fred Price was born on November 18, 1915 in Youngstown, OH. He was the older of two sons; his father was a house painter and later a bank custodian.
Sometime after Fred graduated from high school, he went to work for the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company, a local steel mill. He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 and enlisted on August 13, 1942, with his enlistment record describing his occupation as “semiskilled occupation in mechanical treatment of metals.” He was assigned to Company A of the 293rd Engineer Combat Company. On March 17, 1944, while his unit was stationed at Camp Forrest, TN, he married Martha "Marty" Mahar in the Camp Forrest chapel. A few weeks later, Company A was reassigned and renamed as the 406th Engineer Combat Company.
Fred saw service in Europe with the unit during the war. The history of the 406th compliments him in the following paragraph. "There were some good non-coms in the cadre too, and everyone soon learned to respect men like S/Sgts Lighty, Price, and Murray for the efficient soldiers and 'good guys' that they were." And later, once they'd arrived in Europe: "The captain’s party contained the cream of the non-coms headed by Sgts. Toth, Price and Jordan."
Later in the war, Fred was decorated for his bravery: "Lt. Col. Schroeder, the operational commander, was highly pleased – nay even awed, by the manner in which S/Sgt. Price, Sgt. Cattani, and Sgt. Sauro braved the enemy shells and posted their guard while under enemy observation. Bronze Stars were requested for all three, but only the Certificate of Merit was authorized. . . . When the citations were read all three were proud, not to say amazed, at the great heroism they had shown on this mission."
Fred was discharged from the Army on October 18, 1945 with the rank of S/SGT and returned to Ohio. He and Marty became the parents of a daughter, Cynthia, born in 1946.
By 1950, Fred was working in construction and he and Marty had enlarged their family. Children Fred, Jr. and Kathleen had been born, and Marty's parents were also living with them.
Daughter Janet joined the family in 1956. Very little else is known of his life or work. His Ohio death record reports that he had two years of college and worked as a heavy truck driver for a trucking service.
Fred died on January 3, 1992 in Youngstown, OH and is buried at Lake Park Cemetery there.
Sources
1930 census
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/70719414:6224?tid=&pid=&queryid=db7b899f-bedd-4c00-966e-dd9fe35eebdf&_phsrc=HjU32&_phstart=successSource
1940 census
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30819644:2442?ssrc=pt&tid=188987433&pid=412458562561
1940 draft card
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/200392258:2238?tid=&pid=&queryid=a741baf6-ca91-49eb-81c7-078529dd2f21&_phsrc=HjU23&_phstart=successSource
1942 enlistment record
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/364265:8939?tid=&pid=&queryid=9d607de7-3ca8-4b1b-82f6-58fb21681101&_phsrc=HjU7&_phstart=successSource
1944 marriage record
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12058024:60722?ssrc=pt&tid=188987433&pid=412458562561
1950 census
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/203326047:62308?ssrc=pt&tid=188987433&pid=412458562561
1992 Find a Grave record
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209415014/fred-c.-price
1992 Ohio death record
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4274796:5763?ssrc=pt&tid=188987433&pid=412458562561
1992 Social Security death index
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/49962280:3693?tid=&pid=&queryid=2325c392-4e97-441f-a544-a96e2fc681f9&_phsrc=HjU34&_phstart=successSource
1992 VA death record
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/11802338:2441?tid=&pid=&queryid=b6437a79-02c3-4762-a65d-6ece4aed198a&_phsrc=HjU37&_phstart=successSource
406th Unit History
https://ghostarmy.org/thearchive/history-406th-civil-to-servile/