Big Stoop and Little Stoop: The Story of Two VMI Brothers

This is the story of brothers who were born in Pemberton, West Virginia, a small coal mining community. Their house was always full of coal dust, no matter how hard their mother cleaned. Their father ran the company store for the local mine. Their mother’s father had just died of black lung disease, and their mother, Gladys, was determined to move her family away from the mines and that dreaded disease. They moved to Martinsville, Virginia, and their father, John Henry, took a cut in pay.

When Richard Prillaman ’49B entered VMI in fall 1945, no one would have predicted that he would become a much-decorated soldier of two wars, a commander of Patton’s “Hell on Wheels” 2nd Armored Division, and a three-star general. “Stoop,” as he was known to friends, was a “sorry” cadet in his words. He said he was good at sleeping behind a wall locker on a blanket and checking out the women at the local girls’ schools.

When he joined his first unit, a tank battalion, Prillaman was shocked that every company commander asked for him—an untested second lieutenant. His battalion commander told him it was because “I never knew a VMI man I couldn’t depend on.” There was a lot of cheating with gunnery scores, but Richard was never questioned about his scores because he was a VMI man—and thus, an honorable man. Richard knew he owed that reputation to VMI men who came before him and many who came after, as well.

Richard was the first of three brothers who went to VMI. They all came from Martinsville, Virginia, High School. Their dad worked for the DuPont chemical company. Richard was not known for his academics at VMI and was in the pre-med program. He graduated after nine semesters and two summer schools. He was a happy 1st Class private, for the most part, but worried what the future would hold. First, he would marry Jackie Hale, the love of his life for more than 50 years. They would have two children.

After Richard’s first assignment, he found himself in the Korean War. He commanded a company in the 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. There, he earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart before rotating back to the States. He had a unique career path: Attending the Armor Basic Course, transferring to the Infantry, then attending the Infantry Advanced Course, Ranger School, then commanding a howitzer battery. Next, he taught ROTC at West Virginia University and graduated from the Command & General Staff College before three tours to Vietnam.

His Vietnam service included serving as regimental adviser to an ARVN regiment, command of an Infantry battalion in the Big Red One, and G3, 4th Infantry Division. A Silver Star and four more Bronze Stars, plus numerous other awards, were added to Richard’s resume.

While Richard was in command of the ½ Battalion in Vietnam (1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry) his unit captured a large quantity of black cotton cloth used to make Viet Cong uniforms. Richard used this to make black scarves for his entire battalion, and they were known as the “black scarf battalion.” His mother kept her black scarf until the day she died.

A few years behind Richard came younger brother John Paul Prillaman ’53, who, unlike his brother, excelled at VMI, graduating distinguished as a history major, serving as a battalion commander, and being selected as a distinguished military graduate. He also was called “Little Stoop,” as Richard was always “Big Stoop.” They carried those monikers their entire lives, thanks to Richard. During his time as a cadet, Paul worked at his local post office over the holidays to help his family. He took loans as a state cadet while his parents continued to pay off loans that helped Richard attend VMI. They were a close family.

Paul was commissioned as a regular Army armor officer. He married Barbara Davis, and four children would follow. After time with the 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, Paul went to Thailand for a year in the mid-1950s as an adviser. He returned to the States for a tour with Army Intelligence before heading to Germany for a troop command with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. He got all the right assignments, including Command & General Staff College, an assignment to the Armor branch, then orders to Vietnam and command of the 2nd Squadron, 11th ACR. In August 1968, Paul’s battalion came under attack by two North Vietnamese regiments over a three-day period as he tried to retake Loc Ninh airfield north of Saigon. He exposed himself continually until they retook the airfield. Like his brother, Paul earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart in Vietnam, among other awards.

A third Prillaman brother also attended VMI but did not stay. Skip Prillaman entered VMI in 1958 with the Class of 1962 but left after one semester. He went on to a successful career in sales and was always close to his older brothers.

After Vietnam, careers took off for Paul and Richard. Paul went to the U.S. Army Armor School, where he managed school instruction, and then the weapons department. He was sent to the Middle East as an observer during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Then came command of the 2nd brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, followed by appointment as G3, III Corps also at Hood, now Fort Cavazos.

Richard commanded a training brigade at Fort Ord after Vietnam and was promoted to brigadier general in September 1974. He was assigned as deputy commander at Fort Jackson before promotion to major general and command of Fort Jackson. He would go on to command the 2nd Armored Division at Hood in 1980. The Joint Chiefs of Staff needed Richard as G3, and that came with promotion to three-star in time for the invasion of Grenada in 1983. Cuban forces were on the island, which had more than 600 American medical students detained there. Richard had little intel for this risky operation but planned and then signed the orders sending in the Rangers, Delta Force, Seals, Marines, and 82nd Airborne Division. The Naval and Air Forces played a large part, as well. The operation was successful, with some bumps due to poor coordination between services, which was later addressed with the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. The act reworked the command structure of the U.S. military. Richard would retire soon after in 1984 as a lieutenant general with 35 years of service. Pretty good for a 1st Class private.

In 1977, Paul Prillaman was assigned as VMI commandant, succeeding Buck Buchanan ’50B. Some cadets avoided him, as he had a stern look about him and could be very serious at times. His graduating VMI Bomb had referred to Paul as the “great stone face.” Paul’s assignment at VMI was short-lived, as he was promoted to brigadier general and assigned as commander of the 2nd ROTC region. Promotion to major general and assignment as chief of staff, Combined Field Army, Korea, followed. Paul’s career wasn’t over, as he would command the Army ROTC and act as chief of staff, NATO Forces, Turkey. In 1988, Paul retired with 35 years of service. Together, the two brothers served the U.S. Army for 70 years. Few families have given so much.

Sadly, neither brother would live what we now consider a long life. In 1992, at age 61, Paul died suddenly of a heart attack in Lexington, Virginia, only months after relocating there. He is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, formerly Stonewall Jackson Cemetery. Richard lived until 2000, passing away at age 72. His ashes were spread over his beloved farm by the Tye River in Nelson County, Virginia.

When Gen. Richard Prillaman spoke to the Class of 1976 during their commissioning ceremony, he said, “You’ve been given a precious set of invisible credentials with your diploma and with your commission … you owe other VMI men for that … you owe George C. Marshall [Class of 1901] and the New Market cadets.” Richard and Paul Prillaman more than repaid any debt they thought they owed VMI through their service both to VMI and our nation.

VMI has had other general officer brothers, including U.S. Army Gen. Leonard T. Gerow, Class of 1911, and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Lee S. Gerow, Class of 1913, who played major roles during World War II.

Author’s Note: Thanks to the VMI Archives for assisting with this article.

Sources:
Prillaman, Charles. 1 Jun 18 article.
Prillaman, Charles. Two Brothers, Two Generals: From Pemberton to the Pentagon. Bassett, VA: Bassett Historical center, 1 Jun 2018.
Prillaman, Richard. Commissioning Address to the Class of 1976, VMI: May, 1976.
VMI Archives, Silver Star citation for LTC John Paul Prillaman