Name/Title
Navy Officer Dress Blue Cap of Calvin PriceDescription
A US Naval service dress blue officers' combination cap with an eagle, shield, and fouled anchors cap device, gold braid chin strap, a plain visor, and a leather interior headband.
"Ens. C.M. Price" is handwritten on the identification tag inside the cap.Use
Issued to and worn by Ensign Calvin Price as a part of his US Naval aviator uniform.Context
From the Collection of Calvin "Cal" Price, who served as an aviator in Fighting Squadron 13 (VF-13) during World War II. While assigned to the USS Franklin (CV-13), Ensign Price flew multiple missions off the aircraft carrier in his F6F Hellcat.
During one such mission, Price was the wingman of VF-13's Commander, Chas Howerton. Howerton was trying to untangle himself from a rubber raft that had wrapped itself around his plane's tail and evade a Japanese pilot at the same time.
As Howerton tells it: "I saw Price, my wingman, start for him. Then all of a sudden one of the planes went down in flames; I couldn't tell which one...I broke radio silence and hollered "Price, Price --is that you or that other son of a bitch!" When I heard his answering drawl it was might reassuring."Collection
USS FRANKLIN CV13/CVA13/CVS13/AVT8Acquisition
Accession
2002.00022Source or Donor
USS FRANKLIN CV-13 Museum Association, Inc.Acquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Manufacturer
BancroftDate made
1943Update Date
April 16, 2025
