LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 by Lynne Belluscio On August 26, I received an email from Terry Krautwurst, a former LeRoyan who spent years doing the research on the World War I men and women from Genesee County who died while in service to their country. He sent a note that President Biden had just signed a bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the World War I 369th Infantry, known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Terry reminded me that Earl Price from LeRoy had been a member of the Harlem Hellfighters and I had written a Pennysaver article about the Price brothers, Clarence and Charles. I remembered a bit about the story and had to do a little searching for the article, but I found it in the files from 2011. There wasn’t much about Earl Price. It was mostly about a letter that his brother had written while he was stationed in France but it did mention that the three brothers, were buried in the Myrtle Street Cemetery. I called Elaine Booten to see if she remembered the Price family, and she remembered that they lived down the street on East Avenue, and she knew that they were buried on the west side of the Myrtle Street Cemetery. A quick trip to the Myrtle Street Cemetery, and the Price family gravestones were located. In the meantime, students from the LeRoy High School Honor Society were trying to finish up their 12 required community service hours before school started. So, it seemed like a great opportunity to have the students clean the stones, and learn about Earl Price, and the recently decorated Harlem Hellfighters of the 369th. A call to Bonnie Coniber, who keeps the D2 gravestone cleaning kits for Machpelah Cemetery, and everything was set. On Saturday, September 4, John Panepento, Ty Strollo, and Molly Mangefrida gathered around the three white marble gravestones of the three Price brothers, who had all fought during World War I. The stones were remarkably clean and white, and later I learned that two years ago, Joan Fernaays had used D2 to clean the stones, and they had continued to whiten during the last two years. The students sprayed the stones, and lightly brushed and then left to whiten again. Then the students started cleaning some of the other Price family stones nearby. While they were waiting for the D2 to start working, I read them the letter that Earl’s brother had written home, about what it was like to be in France during the war. I told them about the Harlem Hellfighters and why it was so important to finally acknowledge the service of these African American soldiers. The 369th regiment was comprised of 2000 African American men who were mostly from New York City. They were formed as a National Guard unit by the governor of New York because no one really knew what to do with the large number of African Americans who wanted to enlist during the war, and who were prevented from serving with white units. There were about 2000 men in the 369th. They were trained in Camp Whitman in Poughkeepsie and in South Carolina and they were ill equipped for what was to lie before them, often training with brooms instead of weapons and provided with ill-fitting uniforms. The 369th arrived in France on January 1, 1918, and were assigned to unload ships and provide logistic support, but they soon were assigned to the French as a combat unit. By April 15, even before the American Expeditionary forces were engaged in their first battle, the 369th, under command of the French, were on the front lines, engaged with the Germans. In fact, it is said that it was the Germans who named the 369th, the “Harlem Hellfighters.” The 369th was engaged on the front for 191 days, more than any other American unit. They participated in the Second Battle of the Marne and the Battle of Meuse-Argonne. According to his record, Earl Price was severely wounded on September 29, 1918, during the Battle of the Meuse- Argonne. The 369th experienced high casualties – some of the worst of the war with 144 dead and nearly 1000 wounded. Very little is known about Private Earl Price. He was one of 14 children and was born in LeRoy, although the exact date is unknown. His family lived on the “Crusher Road” until a fire and they moved to York for a while. In 1910 the family moved to East Avenue in LeRoy. According to Earl’s military record, at the time he enlisted, he was living in Syracuse. He served overseas from December 12, 1917 until February 12, 1919 and was honorably discharged on February 24, 1919. Little is known about what he did after the war. He died in Syracuse in a train accident on October 12, 1924 at the age of 35. It was mentioned in his obituary in the LeRoy Gazette that he had married Emma Brown, only ten days before he died. He was survived by his parents, and five sisters and six brothers. Plans are being made with the Botts Fiorito American Legion Post, to recognize the service of Earl Price at this November’s Veteran’s Day ceremonies. Hopefully students from the LeRoy High School’s Honor Society will be able to participate. The LeRoy Historical Society is searching for more information about Earl Price and the Price family, and hope they can participate in the Veteran’s Day ceremonies. If anyone has information, please contact Lynne Belluscio, 585-768- 7433 or Historicalleroy@ gmail.com. Earl Price – a Member of the Harlem Hellfighters