Thurman Rice

Service #: 35795188

Entered Service From: Kentucky

Rank: Technician Fourth Grade, U.S. Army

Unit: Headquarters Company, 5209th Engineer Service Group

Date of Death: 06 November 1944, died from wounds received in action after the ship he was on, the U.S. Merchant Cargo Ship S.S. Matthew P. Deady, was hit by a Japanese kamikaze at about 0535 hours on 03 November 1944, while at anchor in Tacloban Bay, Leyte Gulf, Eastern Visayas, Philippines.

Buried: Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky

Awards: Purple Heart

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1920 United States Federal Census (07 January 1920): Forks of Elkhorn, Franklin County, Kentucky (sheet 7B, family 180, Spring Hill Pike) – Thurman Rice (3 Kentucky).

1930 United States Federal Census (03 April 1930): Bridgeport, Franklin County, Kentucky (sheet 1B, family 17, Pea Ridge Road) – Thurman Rice (14 Kentucky).

Thurman Rice (21 Frankfort, Kentucky), a resident of Newport, Kentucky, married Ruth Pearl Vaughn (21 Liberty, Kentucky), a resident of Frankfort, Kentucky, on 23 June 1938 in Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky. He was the son of H.S. and Carrie Rice; Ruth was the daughter of Alva and Cora Vaughn. Thurman was a houseman.

Thurman Rice (23 Kentucky) is found in the 1940 United States Federal Census (17 April 1940) for Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky (sheet 11B, household 277, 214 East Fourth Street) along with his wife, Ruth Rice (20). He had lived in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky in 1935; Ruth lived in rural Casey County, Kentucky in 1935. Both had completed 8th grade. He was a porter for a hotel.

1938-1943 Newport, Kentucky, City Directory – Thurman Rice (Ruth P), houseman, Netherland Plaza (Cincinnati, Ohio), h214 E 4th.

Thurman Rice (23, 20 November 1916, Frankfort, Kentucky), a resident of 214 East 4th Street, Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky, signed up for his World War II Draft Registration Card (Serial No. 1427, Order No. 1064) on 16 October 1940 at Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky. He was employed at the Netherland Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thurman listed his wife, Mrs. Ruth Pearl Rice, as the person who would always know his address. He was described as 5' 7" in height, 140 lbs., with a ruddy complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.

Thurman Rice (1916 Kentucky), a resident of Campbell County, Kentucky, enlisted as a Private (S/N 35795188) on 23 March 1943 at Fort Thomas, Newport, Kentucky. He was married, had completed Grammar School, and had been employed as a "bellmen and related occupations."

He was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana where he received his basic training.

He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 5209th Engineer Group, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and sent to the South Pacific in October 1943, first to New Guinea, then a year later, in October 1944, to Leyte, Philippine Islands.

On 23 October, the U.S. Merchant Cargo Ship S.S. MATTHEW P. DEADY sailed from Hollandia, New Guinea, in convoy and arrived at San Pedro Bay, Leyte, P.I. on 29 October. On 02 November, the convoy moved to Tacloban Bay, Leyte, Philippines. The ship was carrying 5,500 tons of troops' gear, general military supplies, trucks, gasoline, sulphuric acid and acetylene tanks. Total complement on board was 744, including 37 merchant crew, 27 Armed Guard and approximately 680 U.S. Army troops as passengers from the 796th Engineer Forestry Battalion, 813th Military Police Company and 5209th Engineer Group. About 220 troops were discharged that day – 02 November.

The next day, 03 November 1944, an air raid alert sounded just before daybreak, and several Japanese planes began attacking the nearly 100 ships in the harbor. At 05:30 one of the planes made a dive-bombing run without scoring any hits, dropping her bombs about 100 yards astern of the Liberty ship. The plane then circled around aft and returned to strafed her with machine gun fire as it passed over the stern. The armed guards maintained an intense fire as this plane returned, passed over the stern, flew alongside then swerved and crashed into the port side of the DEADY and exploded on top of the #2 20mm gun tub. Parts of the plane also hit the #1-gun tub. Two explosions rocked the ship igniting the gasoline range fuel for the Army mess stoves, 300 acetylene tanks, and oxygen tanks stowed on board. The terrific heat caused the 20mm ammunition in the #2 boxes to explode, spraying the entire ship with fragments. The explosions blew some of the crew overboard; other jumped into the water to avoid the flames. Within 15 minutes, five Japanese planes came in to strafe and drop anti-personnel bombs on the men swimming in the water. The firefighting parties brought the fire under control within an hour. The burning acetylene accounted for most of the deaths. Two of the Armed Guard gun crew in #2 gun tub (S1c John L. Corbell & S1c Robert W. Lollar) and twenty-eight members of the troops on board died. Another seventy-seven men were injured (8 of them died later).

Technician Fourth Grade Thurman Rice was one of the wounded. He was hit with with multiple fragments in the upper part of his body and was treated by "Debridement without closure." He died three days later on 06 November, 1944. Thurman was first buried in the USAF Cemetery #1, Tacloban, Leyte, P. I.

Newport Sergeant Is Killed; Covington Soldier Wounded; Another, Hurt, Recovering

T/Sgt. Thurman Rice, 28, husband of Mrs. Ruth Rice, 214 E. Fourth St., Newport, was killed in action on Leyte on *November 3, the War Department notified the widow yesterday. *He died from wounds on 06 November received in action on 03 November, 1944.

Sergeant Rice was a native of Frankfort, and live in Newport for nine years. He formerly was employed at the Hotel Netherland Plaza, Cincinnati. He entered the Army 20 months ago and had been overseas since October 1, 1943.

He is survived by his widow and two brothers, T/Sgt. Robert Rice and S/Sgt. Hollie B. Rice, both overseas. Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio · Saturday, 18 November 1944, page 1.

After the war, his remains were disinterred and reburied in 1945 in 7740 USAF Cemetery, Leyte #1, Palo, Leyte, Philippines Islands. In the autumn of 1947, his remains (along with 8,568 other American soldiers) were disinterred again and brought to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum. From there, according to the wishes of his family, Technician Fourth Grade Thurman Rice's remains were returned to the U.S. and he was buried in his final resting place on Saturday, 27 August 1949 (along with his brother, Staff Sergeant Hollie B. Rice) in Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky.

Rice Funeral Services Set

Last Honors To Be Paid Saturday

Double funeral services for Sgt. Hollie B. Rice and his brother, T/4 Thurman Rice will be held Saturday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock from the Harrod Brothers Funeral Home. The bodies will arrive in Frankfort this morning at 10:05 and will be taken directly to the funeral home. The Rev. J. S. Thompson, of Burnside will officiate, assisted by the Rev. Homer Burke.

Interment will take place in Bethel cemetery, with military rites at the graveside by Frankfort Post No. 7, American Legion.

The Rice brothers were killed in service in 1944, Sgt. Hollie B. Rice died on 28 September 1944, two days after being wounded on 26 September near Seaverees, France and T/4 Thurman Rice dying in action on 06 November 1944 on Leyte in the Philippines...

Mayor Asks Flags Be At Half Staff

Mayor Arthur C. Jones last night called upon local merchants to join in the city's last honors to the Rice brothers by displaying their flags at half mast Saturday... Source: The State Journal (Frankfort, Kentucky) Saturday, 20 August 1949, page 7 and Friday, 26 August 1949, page 1.