Price D. Rice

Tuskegee Airman (1916–1999)

Colonel

Price D. Rice

Price D. Rice

Birth name| Price D. Rice
Born| (1916-10-22)October 22, 1916
Shelby, North Carolina, U.S.
Died| February 21, 1999(1999-02-21) (aged 82)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Buried|

Arlington National Cemetery Section 68, Grave 2255

Allegiance| United States
Service/branch| United States Army Air Forces
Years of service| 1942-1965
Rank| Colonel
Unit| 99th Pursuit Squadron, 332nd Division, Tuskegee Airmen
Battles/wars| World War II
Awards|

* Congressional Gold Medal

Price D. Rice (October 22, 1916 – February 21, 1999) was a U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force officer and combat fighter pilot of the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen.[1][2] He was one of 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.[3]

The Tuskegee Airmen's aircraft had distinctive markings that led to the name, "Red Tails."[N 1]

## Early life

[edit]

Born on October 22, 1916, in Shelby, North Carolina, Cleveland County, Rice was raised in Montclair, N.J.

Though there is little information on Price's first wife, Price had four daughters with her: Delabian, Diana, Daphne, and Debra.[5]

In 1962, Rice married Ohio State University alumnus and Howard University-trained physician Ellamae Simmons after meeting through a mutual friend.[5] In 1964, Price and Simmons relocated from Ohio to the San Francisco Bay Area in California. In 1967, the couple purchased a home in San Francisco's exclusive Presidio Heights, becoming the first African American family there. In 1977, Rice and Simmons divorced.[5]

## Military career

[edit]

Class 42-I Left to right: Nathaniel M. Hill, Marshall S. Cabiness, Herman A. Lawson, William T. Mattison, John A. Gibson, Elwood T. Driver, Price D. Rice, Andrew D. Turner

Early 1942, Rice volunteered for service in the U.S. Army Air Corps.[6] On October 9, 1942, Rice graduated from Tuskegee's cadet pilot training class 42-I-SE, receiving his wings and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.[3][7]

After graduation, the U.S. Army Air Corps assigned Rice to the Tuskegee Airmen-99th Fighter Squadron where he flew patrol, strafing and bomber escort missions in World War II's Mediterranean and European Theater. Rice also served during Korea War and Vietnam War, retiring as a Colonel in 1965 after 23 years of active duty military service. He resided in the San Francisco Bay area until his death in 1999.[6]

## Awards

[edit]

* Congressional Gold Medal (2007)[8]

## Death

[edit]

Rice died on February 21, 1999, from complications from diabetes. He was 82.[6] He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 68, Grave 2255, in Arlington, Virginia.[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Tuskegee Airmen
* List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
* List of Tuskegee Airmen
* Military history of African Americans
* Dogfights (TV series)
* Executive Order 9981
* The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ PUBLIC LAW 109–213—APR. 11, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN". https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ213/PLAW-109publ213.pdf
2. ^ "Andrew D. Turner". CAF RISE ABOVE. 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
3. ^ a b "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". CAF Rise Above. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
4. ^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
5. ^ a b c "Dr. Ellamae Simmons". Geni. 26 March 1918. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
6. ^ a b c Larry D. Hatfield (24 February 1999). "Col. Price Rice of the famed Tuskegee Airmen". San Francisco Examiner.
7. ^ Star Wars. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://www.starwars.com/news/tuskegee-airmen
8. ^ Rojas, Josh. "Tuskegee Airman George Hardy, 87, Broke Down Racial Barriers". postnewsgroup. Post News Group. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
9. ^ Arlington National Cemetery. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Notable-Graves/African-Americans/Tuskegee-Airmen

### Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.[4]

## External links

[edit]

* Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
* Herman A. Lawson Black Eagles
* Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
* Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
* Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
* Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
* Tuskegee Airmen National Museum

* v
* t
* e

Tuskegee Airmen

Units|

* 99th Fighter Squadron
* 100th Fighter Squadron
* 301st Fighter Squadron
* 302nd Fighter Squadron
* 332d Fighter Group
* 477th Bomber Group

Air fields|

* Chanute Field
* Mather Field
* Moton Army Air Field
* Oscoda Army Air Field
* Selfridge Air Field
* Tuskegee Army Air Field

Pilots
and crew|

* Paul Adams
* Rutherford H. Adkins
* Halbert Alexander
* William N. Alsbrooka
* William Armstrong
* Lee Archer
* Robert Ashby
* Willie Ashley
* Charles P. Bailey
* William Bartley
* Howard Baugh
* Henry Cabot Lodge Bohler
* George R. Bolling
* Herbert V. Clark
* Granville C. Coggs
* Woodrow Crockett
* Harold Brown
* George L. Brown
* Roscoe Brown
* William A. Campbell
* Herbert Carter
* Eugene Calvin Cheatham Jr.
* Milton Crenchaw
* Lemuel R. Custis
* Clarence Dart
* Alfonza W. Davis
* Benjamin O. Davis Jr. (C/O)
* Charles DeBow
* Robert W. Deiz
* Gene Derricotte
* Lawrence Dickson
* Elwood T. Driver
* Charles W. Dryden
* Wilson V. Eagleson
* John Ellis Edwards
* Joseph Elsberry
* Raymond Cassagnol
* James Clayton Flowers
* Julius Freeman
* Robert Friend
* Willie H. Fuller
* Edward C. Gleed
* Joseph Gomer
* Alfred Gorham
* Oliver Goodall
* Charles B. Hall
* Vernon V. Haywood
* George Hardy
* Raymond V. Haysbert
* Percy Heath
* Mitchell Higginbotham
* Daniel "Chappie" James Jr.
* Clarence C. Jamison
* Alexander Jefferson
* Carl C. Johnson
* James H. Harvey
* William Lee Hill
* Lincoln Hudson
* William H. Holloman
* George J. Iles
* James Johnson Kelly
* James B. Knighten
* George L. Knox II
* Herman A. Lawson
* Walter I. Lawson
* Clarence D. Lester
* Wilmore B. Leonard
* John Lyle
* Hiram Mann
* Walter Manning
* Robert Martin
* Armour G. McDaniel
* Charles McGee
* Walter L. McCreary
* John Mosley
* Fitzroy Newsum
* James O. Plinton Jr.
* Wendell O. Pruitt
* Louis R. Purnell Sr.
* Price D. Rice
* Lawrence E. Roberts
* George S. Roberts
* Curtis C. Robinson
* Isaiah Edward Robinson Jr.
* John W. Rogers Sr.
* Mac Ross
* Robert Searcy
* David Showell
* Wilmeth Sidat-Singh
* Graham Smith (pilot)
* Eugene Smith
* Calvin J. Spann
* Vernon Sport
* Lowell Steward
* Harry Stewart, Jr.
* Charles "Chuck" Stone Jr.
* Percy Sutton
* Alva Temple
* Roger Terry
* Lucius Theus
* Edward L. Toppins
* Robert B. Tresville
* Andrew D. Turner
* James A. Walker
* Spann Watson
* Luke J. Weathers
* Sherman W. White
* James T. Wiley
* Malvin "Mal" Whitfield
* Oscar Lawton Wilkerson
* Yancey Williams
* Romeo M. Williams
* Henry Wise Jr.
* Coleman Young

Incidents|

Freeman Field mutiny

Aircraft|

* Bell P-39 Airacobra
* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
* North American B-25 Mitchell
* North American P-51 Mustang
* Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Media|

| Fictional films|

* The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)
* Hart's War (2002)
* Red Tails (2012)

|

Documentaries|

* Flight of the Red Tail (2009)
* Red Tail Reborn (2007)
* Wings for This Man

Other|

* Fly (play)
* Henry Browne, Farmer
* "Wingmen"

Legacy|

* Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk
* Red Tail Squadron
* Tuskegee University
* Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Other|

* Leslie Edwards Jr.
* Wilfred DeFour
* Maycie Herrington
* Buford A. Johnson
* Thomas Ellis
* Theodore Johnson
* Noel F. Parrish
* Wallace P. Reed
* Willie Rogers
* Thomas Franklin Vaughns

Related|

* African American military history
* Buffalo Soldier
* Golden Thirteen
* 366th Infantry Regiment
* U.S. Army Black Panthers
* United States Colored Troops

* Category
* aviation portal

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