Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan "Kyle" Price

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan Kyle Price, 19, of Woodlawn, Illinois.

Lance Cpl Price was killed as a result of enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Price was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based in Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Southern Illinoisan -- WOODLAWN - The hallways of Woodlawn High School will be empty on Friday.

The school is closing so that students, faculty and staff may attend the funeral of Lance Cpl. Jonathan Kyle Price, a member of the WHS graduating class of 2004.

In the small community of Woodlawn, in rural Jefferson County, Price is being remembered for who he was and who he would have become.

"He was just a great man," said Kelly Owens, a Woodlawn native and technology coordinator at the high school. "He was a really important part of our community - of who Woodlawn was and who Woodlawn was becoming. I could envision him becoming a great father and being here, helping out, coaching Little League. He would have been that kind of person," she said.

Price was killed Friday as a result of enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Price was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based in Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Woodlawn High School Superintendent Alan Estes remembers Price as "a cooperative young man who had a goal and a purpose each day" as he walked through the school's hallways.

"You can't have enough Kyle Prices in your school. He was always smiling and always ready to do anything that you asked of him," Estes said.

Price's baseball coach Shane Witzel, who is also the school's athletic director, said that attitude carried over onto the baseball field, where Price was the consummate team player.

"He worked hard and came ready to play with a good attitude," Witzwel said. "As a coach, you appreciate kids like that. He was always willing to do whatever it took to make the team better. He wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself."

And it was that desire that brought Price to the U.S. Marine Corps, Owens said. "That has been his plan for a long time and he had no hesitation and no fear. He was serving his country and that leaves us with a good feeling, knowing he was where he wanted to be," she said.

"For all the feelings we are feeling, there is no anger or bitterness or anti-war feeling here. We all loved Kyle and we know he loved what he was doing. Everyone is very supportive and very respectful toward Kyle, his family and the military in general."

Black and yellow ribbons tied on signs and posts around the town attest to that support. The yellow shows support for the war effort, while the black represents a fallen hero.

Owens said community members have rallied to support Price's family by tying ribbons, displaying flags and preparing meals. The community effort "doesn't surprise me at all. There is a sense of togetherness here, a feeling of trust and caring for each other that you may not find in bigger towns or cities," Owens said.

Visitors to the school's Web site, www.woodlawnhs.org, will also find evidence of that community support. A color photo of a uniformed Price rests against a black backdrop while other photos show Price as a WHS student. A look at the guestbook reveals comments from those who wanted to honor Price's memory.

Price's Spanish teacher, Debbie Wilson, left a message mentioning Price's "fierceness of conviction."

"If I were in any battle, I would have wanted Kyle by my side, and somewhere a mother is whispering a prayer of thanks that Kyle was there," she wrote.

Price is survived by his fiancee Brea Tate who is expecting the couple's baby in March, his mother and stepfather, Cheryl Price Hunsell and John Hunsell of Woodlawn, father David Price of Indianapolis, Ind., one brother and two sisters.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan Kyle Price was killed in action on 01/13/06.