The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, PFC Oliver Lee Pruitt, RA18253679, who died in the service of his country on November 27th, 1950 in North Korea. The cause of death was listed as Captured-Died POW. At the time of his death Oliver was 20 years of age. He was from Alamagordo, New Mexico. Oliver's Military Occupation Specialty was 4745-Light Weapons Infantryman.
The decorations earned by PFC Oliver Lee Pruitt include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Corporal Pruitt was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on September 23, 1950 and returned to duty on October 10, 1950. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in North Korea on November 27, 1950 and died while a prisoner on January 23, 1951. His remains were not recovered. Corporal Pruitt was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
El Paso Herald-Post, August 17, 1953, El Paso, Texas, Page 1.
Prisoner Reported Dead Was Captured in 1950 Pfc Oliver L. Pruitt, reported as having died in a prisoner of war camp in North Korea, was reported missing, two years and nine months ago. He was captured in November of 1950.
This was revealed here today by his mother Mrs. John Polk.
"Even though he has been missing so long, and is now reported to be dead, I still cling to the hope that he is alive and that the Communists' records are wrong," Mrs. Polk said.
Oliver was born in Asheville, N. C. His father died when he was very young. He quit school at Alamagordo when he was 15 and went to work, on a ranch to help his mother, now remarried.
"He was a good son," Mrs. Polk said. "He was always dependable."
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