Private First Class Prater was a member of Company A, 14th Engineer Combat Battalion. On 14 November 1952, he was a passenger aboard a C-119C, "Flying Boxcar" from the 63rd Troop Carrier Squadron, 403rd Troop Carrier Group. The aircraft was enroute from Ashiya Air Base, Japan to Seoul, Korea when it crashed into Hill 683 near Cho-ok and about 15 miles east of Airfield K-19, killing all 44 servicemen on board.

Prater was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.