Briefing Document: Glenn Owen Price

Date: October 26, 2023

Subject: Biographical information and military service of Glenn Owen Price, US Navy

Sources: Excerpts from "Pasted Text" (Provided)

Executive Summary:

This document summarizes the life and military service of Glenn Owen Price, who was born in Texas in 1920 and served as a Motor Machinist's Mate Second Class Petty Officer in the US Navy during World War II. He was assigned to the USS Kete submarine and was declared missing in action in 1945. The information provided includes key biographical details, his military enlistment and assignments, and details surrounding his disappearance.

Key Findings:

Early Life and Family:Glenn Owen Price was born on January 8, 1920, in Zephyr, Brown County, Texas.

His parents were Nellie Viola Wright and Morrison Candler Price, both born around 1900.

He had at least one brother and three sisters, indicated by the 1930 and 1940 census data.

The family moved around Texas, living in Brown, Coke, and Comanche counties at different times.

Early Employment & Draft:In 1940, at age 20, he worked as a fence builder.

By 1941, he was a farmer and registered for the draft in Comanche County, Texas.

Military Enlistment & Training:Glenn O. Price enlisted in the US Navy on December 14, 1941, as an apprentice seaman at Dallas, Texas, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

His next of kin were listed as his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison C. Price.

He is given the non standard navy number of 6160830.

He was described as a single white male born in Texas in 1920, working as a farmer, with four years of high school education.

Marriage:Glenn Price married Juanita Crisp on June 22, 1943, in Phillips, Hutchinson County, Texas.

USS Kete Assignment & Mission:On July 31, 1944, he was assigned to the USS Kete (SS-369) as a Motor Machinist's Mate Second Class Petty Officer.

The USS Kete’s mission included regular patrols, submitting special weather reports, and carrying out rescue service during air strikes.

The USS Kete was commissioned on 31 July 1944 from S/M Maintenance Activity, Manitowac, Wisconsin.

USS Kete’s Final Actions:On 10 March 1945, the USS Kete reported sinking three medium-sized freighters.

On 14 March, she reported firing four torpedoes, which missed a cable-laying vessel, leaving her with only three torpedoes remaining.

She was directed to depart her patrol area for Pearl Harbor on 20 March 1945, stopping at Midway for fuel.

Disappearance and Presumed Death:The last message received from the USS Kete was a weather report on March 20, 1945, from position latitude 29°-38'N, longitude 130°-02'E.

The USS Kete failed to arrive at Midway or make any further contact and was presumed lost by April 16, 1945.

The crew, including Glenn O. Price, was declared dead by the Navy on April 1, 1946.

Memorialization:Glenn O. Price is memorialized in the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Key Quotes:

"Motor Machinist's Mate Second Class Petty Officer Glenn O. Price 6160830 US Navy USS Kete SS-369, location Ryukyus Islands, missing, date of loss 31 March 1945."

"On 19 March 1945, she acknowledged receipt of these orders. On 20 March she sent in a special weather report from position latitude 29°-38'N, longitude 130°-02'E. This was the last message received from her."

"When she was neither sighted nor heard from by 16 April 1945, she was reported as presumed lost, and a year later, the crew was declared dead on 1 April 1946 by the Navy."

Analysis & Implications

This document provides a detailed overview of the life of Glenn Owen Price, from his birth in rural Texas through his enlistment and ultimate loss at sea. It underscores the sacrifice made by countless individuals during World War II. The specific details about the USS Kete’s final days paint a picture of the challenges faced by the submarine service in the Pacific theater. The lack of further communication after the last message and the presumed loss of the vessel emphasize the danger of submarine duty during the war. This document serves as a record of Price's life, service, and sacrifice.

Further Research:

Further research might be done to find additional information, including:

More details about the USS Kete and its wartime patrols.

Additional information about Glenn Price's family life and his wife, Juanita Crisp.

Any potential explanations for the loss of the USS Kete

Specifics of his service during his time with the Navy.

Conclusion:

The information presented here provides a comprehensive overview of Glenn Owen Price's life and service. He is among the many brave Americans who served and sacrificed during World War II. The documentation serves as a reminder of the individual human stories embedded within the larger narrative of conflict.