 Prussman joined the Army from Brighton, Massachusetts in October 1942 and by September 8, 1944 was serving as a private first class in the 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division.On that day, near Loscoat (now an industrial district of Brest) in Brittany, France, Prussman advanced ahead of his unit and single-handedly captured several enemy soldiers and destroyed a machine gun nest before being killed.He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor seven months later, on April 17, 1945.