Last updated: March 6, 2025
Person
Obie Bryant Rice

NPS photo
Section VIII, Row B, Grave 29
Obie, a native of Pinehurst, GA, worked as a farm laborer in Georgia prior to serving in the U.S. Army. He was married, his wife’s name was Rebecca the couple lived in Abba, GA.
During World War I, over 380,000 African Americans served in the armed forces of the United States, Obie was one of them, getting drafted into the U.S. Army on August 5, 1918.
By that point, U.S. forces were heavily engaged in Europe, fighting alongside Allies on the Western Front. Domestically, the war effort was kicking into high effort.
Shortly after being drafted, Obie went to Camp Wheeler Georgia to begin his training. He was soon placed into a Reserve Labor Battalion. These units worked on logistics and engineering projects, such as fixing roads and managing supplies and their transport.
He was initially in Company C, 403rd Reserve Labor Battalion. In September, he transferred to Company C, 425th Reserve Labor Battalion, which was stationed at the Quartermaster’s Depot in New Cumberland, PA.
In the fall of 1918, an influenza pandemic was ripping through the United States. The illness struck New Cumberland, and Obie fell ill in October. He died on October 19.
Of the 116,516 Americans who died in World War I, 63,114 deaths were the result of disease.
While Obie was not from Gettysburg, his death at New Cumberland, PA meant that Gettysburg National Cemetery was a viable option for his final resting place. Obie was interred in Gettysburg on October 25, 1918.