Rattler/Firebird Association


Robert L. Pruhs

Name Robert L. Pruhs
Rank/Grade WO - W1 - Army - Reserve
Age 21
Marital Status Single
Race Caucasian
Gender Male
Date of Birth Apr 15, 1945
From Norfolk, Virginia
Length of Service {Service}
Tour Began Oct 07, 1966
Casualty Date Oct 14, 1966
Location SOUTH VIETNAM
Hostile/Non-Hostile   HOSTILE
Classification HELICOPTER - PILOT AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body Recovered Yes
Religion Methodist

Vietnam Memorial

 

Panel 11E - - Line 74
Robert L. Pruhs

Visitor Comments

Posted by:Ron Seabolt
Date:Saturday, June 8, 2002 11:13 AM UTC
Relationship:In the same unit
From:Terrell, TX
Comments:Bob Pruhs was taking his in-country check ride with 1LT Dennis Hand when they were ordered to report to the race track in Saigon for a hastly formed combat assault. The mission was not supposed to be especially hot. Lt. Hand was ordered to fly lead on the mission. It was normal procedure for the lead aircraft to have two qualified aircraft commanders on board. Not only was there only one for this mission, the other guy had never flew a combat mission in his life. The powers that be knew that the Rattlers had NO BETTER PILOT alive than Dennis Hand, so he was it. To read the rest of this story, go to our "Stories" page, and scroll down to "The Last Check Ride" by Dennis Hand.

Posted by:Charles D. Barton
Date:Thursday, April 20, 2006 5:29 PM UTC
Relationship:In same unit
From:Georgetown, TX
Comments:On 13 Oct 1966, as the senior Captain in the first platoon, I was scheduling pilots for the next day's missions. I had been in country just a month, but had 140 hours flight time. I placed my name on the aircraft that Dennis Hand was to be the AC as the pilot. A short time later the platoon leader asked why my name was on this flight. I responded that I felt I needed to be on the mission, since it needed someone with some in country experience. He directed me to remove my name due to my excessive flight time to date, and substitute another pilot.(Policy required pilots to be down for 3 days after reaching 140 hours flight time).
I put WO Pruhs name on the flight. The next day around 10AM I received a call to "secure WO Pruh's room and effects." I knew right away what had happened. That night @ our bar, I was a nervous wreck-knowing I was supposed to have been in that aircraft. Maj "Ace" Morris, the CO provided the necessary compassion to me that was sorely needed at that time.

Posted by:Roger Pruhs
Date:Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:38 PM UTC
Relationship:Brother
From:Lake Gaston North Carolina
Comments:I saw the above articles by accident on the internet the other day. Robert Pruhs was my younger brother. We offend wondered what exactly had happened to him since we didn't receive any details from the army. I would love to talk to someone in his unit that knew him even though he was only there a short time.

 

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