Marine Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt

Died April 28, 2012 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

38, of Gautier, Miss.; assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died April 28 in Nimroz province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.

Pruitt to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery

The Associated Press

GAUTIER, Miss. — Marine Corps Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt, a decorated 38-year-old from Gautier, Miss., who was killed this past weekend in Afghanistan, will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on May 8.

The Department of Defense said Pruitt was killed Saturday by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.

Pruitt was assigned to First Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Camp Pendleton, California.

Pruitt graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1992 and lived in Gautier when he enlisted in 1993.

Authorities say Pruitt was awarded the Purple Heart and other medals including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Scott Pruitt is survived by two daughters, ages 9 and 4, who live in California.

Scott Pruitt Memorial Highway honors fallen Marine

The Associated Press

GAUTIER, Miss. — The Mississippi Department of Transportation has designated a section of U.S. Highway 90 in Gautier as Scott E. Pruitt Memorial Highway.

Pruitt was killed in action by enemy fire when his vehicle struck an explosive device in Afghanistan on April 28, 2012.

The dedication ceremony was held Tuesday at the Gautier Convention Center.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1kF5y0L) the Highway 90 designation begins at the intersection of Mississippi 57 and continues east to Beasley Road.

Pruitt grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and graduated high school in Pascagoula in 1992. He joined the Marine Corps in Gautier in 1993, serving in Japan, Iceland and several locations across the United States.