pɹɪdʒˈɜːsən wʌzɐ juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts mɚɹˈiːn kˈɔːɹ fˈɜːst luːtˈɛnənt ɪn wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː, dˈʊɹɹɪŋ wˌɪtʃ hiː wʌz sᵻvˈɪɹli wˈuːndᵻd ɪnðə bˈæɾəl ʌv ˌɑːkɪnˈɑːwə fˈoːɹ mˈeɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv.
Pregerson was a United States Marine Corps First Lieutenant in World War II, during which he was severely wounded in the Battle of Okinawa (4 May 1945).