Honoring Our Grand Marshal: Colonel Steven E. Price, USAF (Retired)

Every year, the Local Heroes Parade gives our community a chance to stop, look around, and recognize the extraordinary people who live among us. This year, we are proud to announce that the 2026 Grand Marshal is a man whose life of service spans continents, decades, and generations: Colonel Steven E. Price, United States Air Force, Retired.

Steve has called Tahoe home for over 40 years, eventually settling in Incline Village full-time in his retirement. During that time, he has woven himself into the fabric of this community as naturally as he once navigated the skies. 

A Life of Extraordinary Service

Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1940, Steven E. Price came of age in an era that asked everything of young Americans, and he answered without hesitation. After graduating from Hobart College in 1962 and earning his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, he went on to complete Air Force Navigation School in 1963, launching a military career that would span three decades and take him to the far corners of the world.

Over nine years of active flying duty, Steve logged an extraordinary 7,655 flight hours, including 1,056 hours of combat. He flew a remarkable range of aircraft, including the SA-16, C-54, C-124, C-141, EC-121R, and the massive C-5 Galaxy, from bases as varied as Goose Bay in Labrador, Canada; McChord AFB in Washington; Elmendorf AFB in Alaska; Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand; and Travis AFB in California.

In the Thick of It: Combat, Command, and Leadership

Steve’s career was defined not just by miles logged, but by the weight of the moments he flew through. His combat tour at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base from 1970 to 1971, serving with the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing (known as the “Bat Cats”), placed him at the center of one of the most demanding chapters of the Vietnam War era.

His leadership trajectory was equally distinguished. He served as Base Commander at Rhein Main Air Base in Germany from 1981 to 1982, overseeing a critical hub of U.S. European operations. As a Principal Staff Officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J-4), he played a direct role in the creation, approval, and establishment of USTRANSCOM, the United States Transportation Command, a logistical achievement that reshaped how the American military moves people and materiel around the globe. He later served as Vice Commander of the Keesler Training Center at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, shaping the next generation of Air Force professionals.

His assignments also took him through the highest levels of military planning and policy: Headquarters Military Airlift Command, U.S. European Command, the Air War College (where he graduated with distinction), the Pentagon’s J-4 directorate, and AFSOUTH.

Decorated for Valor

Colonel Price’s service earned him some of the United States military’s most respected honors, including:

• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Legion of Merit
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and “V” for Valor
• Joint Service Commendation Medal
• Air Force Commendation Medal
• Vietnam Campaign and Service Medals

The “V” device on his Air Medal is not a routine decoration. It is awarded specifically for acts of valor in direct combat, and it speaks to the courage Steve brought to the most dangerous moments of his career.

He retired from the Air Force in 1992 after thirty years of service.

Home in Incline Village

After a career that took him around the world, Steve and his wife Claire, married for 60 years, found their way to the shores of Lake Tahoe and never looked back. Steve has given back to this community with the same commitment he brought to his military career – continuing a life of service on a different, quieter scale: neighbor to neighbor, community to community. 

Join Us to Celebrate

On Friday, July 3, we invite the entire Incline Village community to come out, wave a flag, and cheer for a man who has spent his life in service to others. Colonel Steven E. Price is our 2026 Local Heroes Parade Grand Marshal, and there is no one more deserving of the honor.

Thank you, Steve, for your decades of sacrifice, your years as our neighbor, and your example of what it looks like to show up, every single time.

See you on the parade route.