Specialist James Price, Junior was the son of James and Florence Threadgill Price and he grew up just outside Monroe, North Carolina. He attended Indian Trail Elementary School and he graduated from Sun Valley High School.
James Price, Senior stated that after his son graduated from high school, he started working at Allvac in Monroe. He was more interested in cars than he was in girls, according to his father. Since his father worked as an automotive mechanic with Parks Nash, he helped his son rebuild the engine of a 1956 Ford, which became his son's car. His father said that he washed and waxed that car all the time because he was so proud of it.
Price remembers that his son never gave any trouble to his parents, his teachers, or anyone else. He made straight A's in school and he played football at Sun Valley High School.
James Price, Jr did not have any aspirations to be in the military nevertheless, he was drafted into the Army. His father said that he had never traveled outside of North Carolina until he was drafted.
He went through basic training at Ft Jackson, South Carolina, completed his advanced training and was sent to Vietnam as an infantry soldier. Price was killed in Vietnam eight months after he entered the military.
SSGT Price was killed by sniper fire on June 3, 1967 when his company was on a mission to find the enemy. He had just turned 20 years old when he was killed. His father, who is 88 years old, said that is about all he can remember about what the Army told him concerning his son's death.
He received the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and other medals.
Price stated that his wife and he had two children and their daughter, Barbara Jean, died when she was three and one half years old. He said that when their remaining child was killed in Vietnam, it was a blow from which his wife never recovered. He stated that his wife died a few years back and he is all alone in the world now.