Obie Bryant Rice

Gravesite of Obie B. Rice Gettysburg National Cemetery

NPS photo

Quick Facts

Significance:

African American veteran of World War I, died of disease while serving in the U.S.

Place of Birth:

Pinehurst, GA

Date of Birth:

March 5, 1893

Place of Death:

New Cumberland, PA

Date of Death:

October 19, 1918

Place of Burial:

Section VIII, Row B, Grave 29

Cemetery Name:

Gettysburg National Cemetery

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, 403^rd Reserve Labor Battalion. In September, he transferred to Company C, 425^th 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.