Oviel Edgar Greenlee was born on November 25, 1894 in Kurtz, Jackson County, Indiana; he was the son of George W. and Sarah (Utterback) Greenlee. The family later moved to Bedford, Indiana where he was employed as a railroad worker.

He entered the service on September 22, 1917 in Bedford and was sent to Camp Taylor, Kentucky. He was transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi and was assigned to Company A, 251st Infantry. He was deployed overseas in June 1918 and was transferred to Company M, 26th Infantry, 1st Division. He was killed in action July 18, 1918 at Chateau-Thierry, France but was declared Missing in Action on his death date. He is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing, Aisne-Marne American Cem., Belleau, France. His name is inscribed on the Buzancy monument as a Private.

He has a cenotaph in Wrays Church Cemetery, Brownstown, Jackson County, Indiana, USA. There is a second cenotaph for him at the World War Memorial, Beech Grove Cemetery, Bedford, Indiana; the Beech Grove cenotaph spells his surname, 'Greenlea.'

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov