Saturday ceremony will honor only black R.I. soldier killed in World War I

[TomSea]

Saturday ceremony will honor only black R.I. soldier killed in World War I

NEWPORT, R.I. — Perhaps some stories should stay buried with the dead, but in the case of Pvt. Arthur Burton, his is a story that needs to be told.

Born in Providence on July 23, 1897, and killed 100 years ago today on Sept. 28, 1918, at the age of 21, Burton was the only African-American soldier from Rhode Island killed in action during World War I, according to Matthew McCoy, commissioner and state coordinator with the Rhode Island World War One Centennial Commission, and Deborah Jones of Middletown, a great-great-great-cousin of Burton’s.

Burton is buried in Braman Cemetery on Farewell Street in Newport; his aunt Nellie Burton and uncle Benjamin Burton lived on 11 Filmore St. in Newport, and Arthur had listed Nellie as his next-of-kin should he be wounded or killed in war. A document from the War Department issued after his death lists Burton’s address as 85 Washington St., Providence.

Read more at: http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20180928/saturday-ceremony-will-honor-only-black-ri-soldier-killed-in-world-war-i