ARMY
1941-1945

Charles Nelson Price Private First Class believed there was no place better than American soil. He never encouraged overseas travel. His one dream in life was owning his own restaurant/bar. He served in the US Army during WWII for 4 years, 2 months and 26 days. His last letter home was dated October 10,1942. Initially he was reported MIA until a telegram arrived on April 24, 1945, informing his parents Rosa and Roswell Price that he was a POW in a German prison camp. It stated, “a letter from the Provost Marshall would follow”. On April 28, 1945, on Private Price’s birthday, a letter from the Provost Marshal confirmed his status and informed his family how they could communicate with him. Charlane Price was discharged to return home on August 2, 1945. Private Price was captured in Northern Algiers (North Africa). Taken by ship to Italy. While in Italy he and another soldier escaped from their German captures. They were hiding in the basement of an Italian family’s house when the 2 soldiers bolted out of the basement and out a back door. Charles Price never looked back when he heard a gunshot. Three days later Charles was re-captured when he was found hiding in a cement culvert and afraid the Germans would fire a round of ammunition into the culvert. Next Price and a multitude of other prisoners were taken by rail cars and marched over 800 miles to a German Prison Camp, Stalig BII. There they planted potatoes, picked potatoes, and fought with prison guards when the Red Cross would make food drops. They were malnourished and ate grass soup and potatoes to survive. The cattle cars were without heat, bathroom facilities, and crowded to the point that each person could only stand. At night prisoners were taken out of the cattle cars and kept in barns where they would cow and horse manure piles to keep their feet warm. He had malaria and mumps. His ribs were broken when he questioned work detail and he took shrapnel to the leg. “Those Red Cross boxes saved our lives”, Price would state throughout his life. He went on to marry and raise three girls. They lived in several Iowa towns before returning to Cedar Rapids. He operated his dream restaurant and bar in Mt. Vernon.

Honored by: Your daughters and family