Charles T. Obourn

Private Charles Taylor Obourn is remembered for his sacrifices to our country during WWI. He was born on February 18, 1892 in Jacksonville, Pennsylvania. Mr. Obourn was 25 when he applied for the draft on 

June 5, 1917. Before joining the army, Charles Obourn was a self-employed piano teacher. He was a young, single, and brave man ready to face the war. Once in the war, he was apart of the 112th Infantry Regiment. The 16th Regiment was re-designated as the 112th Infantry Regiment and became part of the 28th Infantry Division. It was the first war-strength National Guard regiment in the United States. In May 1918, the regiment reached France as part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). During World War I, the AEF consisted of United States Armed Forces sent to Europe under command of General John J. Pershing. Obourn sent a letter to his sister from somewhere in France on Saturday 17, 1918. On July 4, 1918, the regiment went onto the line in the Second Battle of the Marne. They established liaison with the 109 Infantry and together, on October 4, 1918, they were the attacking parties. The German soldiers succeeded in flanking Company G and Company. H. Only 3 out of 700 men returned. Sadly, Mr. Charles Obourn was one of the brave men killed in action. He was reported killed in action in the Official US bulletin on Friday December 6, 1918. We will be forever thankful for Mr. Obourn’s supreme sacrifice to our country. Today, Charles Obourn’s grave can be found in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in West Leechburg.