Captain Harry J. Price

Captain Harry J. Price, USN (retired) passed away at home on Saturday, September 17 in Bluffton, South Carolina at age 68 after a long illness. The son of Franklin and Arletta Price, Harry was originally from Mohnton, Pennsylvania and graduated from Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington. Harry retired from the US Navy in 1996 after a 31-year career, earning dozens of medals, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Distinguished Service Medal, and Legion of Merit. He was commissioned in 1965 after completing the NROTC program at Penn State, where he graduated with a degree in Secondary Education. Harry's military career began as the gunnery officer on the destroyer USS O'Hare, supporting US Aircraft Carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin. From there he advanced to the position of Executive Officer and Navigator for the USS Page County, which supported many missions, including being the afloat base of operations for Swift Class boats in Vietnam. He served seven tours in Vietnam, spanning over four years. In 1970, he led 94 combat patrols while in command of River Division Five Fifty Four at Song Ong Doc, during which he earned both the Silver Star and Bronze Star for gallantry and heroism in combat. Later in the same year, while leading River Division Five Nine Four, he added the Navy Commendation Medal and Vietnamese Staff Service Medal for operations he led during the final re-supply of Phnom Penh. In 1971, Harry was assigned to the US Pacific Fleet, Ocean Surveillance Center, where he began to further his career in Naval Intelligence. He earned Navy Achievement Medals for his duties as a Soviet Naval Analyst and later for supervising the deep-water salvage of a crashed helicopter with live ordnance aboard. His Naval Intelligence career advanced during the 1970s and 1980s, with stints as a Soviet Maritime Analyst, Intelligence Specialist, and eventually Intelligence Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations, Command and Control Planning and Program Division. He was awarded three additional Meritorious Service Medals for the development of innovative fleet support procedures, helping to write the Ocean Surveillance Master Plan, and developing a comprehensive reverse engineering capability against foreign naval threat hardware. From 1983 to 1990, Harry was involved with numerous innovative intelligence missions under the Chief of Naval Operations and the commander, Naval Intelligence Command, which earned him the Legion of Merit. Later in 1990, he reported to the National Security Agency, where his innovative style earned him a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Distinguished Service Medal. Harry's numerous awards include the following: Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal Navy Commendation Medal Navy Achievement Medal Vietnam Service Medal Navy Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit Commendation Vietnam Campaign Medal Defense Service Medal Vietnam Honor Medal Vietnam Staff Service Medal Harry was intensely devoted to his family and his favorite dog, Timber. He devoted much of his spare time to his amateur radio hobby. He owns several patents for innovative antenna designs. He also had a vast collection of military books, miniature warships, and German and other European artifacts. He had a passion for travel, and his favorite places to visit were Austria, Italy, and Spain. Harry is survived by his wife of 20 years, Mary Price; daughter and son-in-law Alicyn and Ed Campbell of Edgewater, MD; daughter Jennifer Price of Lake Oswego, OR; stepchildren John Powers of Arlington, VA and Wendy Swisher, currently of Hanoi, Vietnam; grandchildren Finn and Poppy Campbell; step-grandchildren Jenna and Maggie Swisher; sister and brother-in law Debbie and Roy Himelfarb of Chambersburg, PA; nephews Mark Himelfarb of Lititz, PA and Aaron Himelfarb of Chambersburg, PA; and Maltese Cricket Price of Bluffton, SC. Harry will be honored by a service at All Saints Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island on Monday, September 26 at 11am, and will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on December 30 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the USO, one of Harry's favorite causes.