BRUCE BOBBY G

CW4 Bobby G Bruce was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 08/22/2008 at the age of 75.5 from Pancreatic cancer
Enterprise, AL
Flight Class 55-F
Date of Birth 02/10/1933
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with 57 TC CO in 62-63, 229 AVN 1 CAV in 72
Call sign in Vietnam 1ST HOSS
This information was provided by Don Joyce

More detail on this person: CW4 Bobby Gene Bruce, U. S. Army (retired), a resident of Enterprise, passed away Friday, Aug. 22, 2008, at his home. He was 75.

Visitation for Bobby will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at Providence Funeral Home in Enterprise. The date of burial is pending the opening of the National Cemetery at Fort Jackson South Carolina.

Bobby was born in Rossville, Ga., on Feb. 10, 1933, son of Raymond Jesse Bruce and Exie Elizabeth Tate.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Sallie Lou Bruce and sister, Betty Ruthe Pauls.

He is survived by his wife, Ann Bruce of Enterprise; daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Gene Morrow of Riverdale, Ga.; two sons and daughters-in-law, Mike Bruce and Michelle Spino of Leland, N.C., Alan and Liz Bruce of Cape Coral, Fla.; adopted son and daughter, Eric and Ashley Bruce of Enterprise; stepsons, Scott Morrow and Joshua Farris of Enterprise; nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; brother, Jerry Bruce of Columbia, S.C.

Providence Funeral Home, (334) 393-2273, is in charge of arrangements.

Bobby and Sallie Bruce were placed at their final resting place at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, on May 22nd, 2009.

The following is an e-mail Bobby sent out to his friends when he learned he had cancer:

"TO ALL OF MY VALUED AND PRECIOUS E-MAIL FRIENDS.

TO ALL OF YOU, BUT TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT HEARD, I WAS DIAGNOSED IN LATE MARCH 2008 WITH PANCREATIC CANCER.

I HAVE BEEN HAVING STOMACH PROBLEMS SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR AND IT PERSISTED. MY DOCTOR DECIDED TO SEND ME FOR AN ABDOMINAL CT SCAN ON MAR 17.. THE SCAN RESULTS ON MAR 21 SHOWED SEVERAL LESIONS ON MY LIVER. THEN THE DOCTORS DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO DO A "SKINNY NEEDLE" BIOPSY OF MY LIVER ON MAR 26. THIS SHOWED POSITIVE PANCREATIC CANCER THAT WAS STARTING TO SPREAD TO MY LIVER. RESTUDYING MY CT SCAN AND SOME ULTRA SOUND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT I HAVE A LESION ON THE HEAD OF THE PANCREAS THAT WAS SPREADING TO THE LIVER. NEXT STEP WAS FOR MY FAMILY DOCTOR TO SCHEDULE ME WITH AN ONCOLOGIST (CANCER DOCTOR) IN DOTHAN, AL. I SAW DR DUNN ON APR 2..DR DUNN AND MY FAMILY DR (DR RHYNE) DECIDED THAT DR RHYNE SHOULD GIVE ME AN EGD (A LOOK DOWN MY THROAT INTO MY STOMACH WITH A TINY CAMERA) ON APR 4). THAT ANSWERED SEVERAL QUESTIONS IMMEDIATELY. NO CANCER IN THE STOMACH, BUT AN ULCER THAT WAS PROBABLY THE STOMACH PROBLEM I HAD HAD SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR. STRAIGHT TO RUCKER TO THE PHARMACY FOR STOMACH ULCER PILLS.NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE WAS FOR A CHEST CT SCAN AND A NUCLEAR BONE SCAN ON 7 APR TO SEE IF THE CANCER HAD SPREAD TO ANY OF THESE AREAS. THE BONE SCAN WAS NEGATIVE. NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE CHEST SHOWED NO CANCER, BUT THE PANCREATIC CANCER HAS CAUSED SEVERAL BLOOD CLOTS IN MY LUNGS AND I AM WAITING NOW FOR THE HOME HEALTH CARE NURSE TO COME BY AND START ME ON MY COUMADIN AND GIVE ME THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF 5 SHOTS IN 5 DAYS. TO DISSOLVE AND MELT AWAY THE BLOOD CLOTS. NEXT ON SCHEDULE IS TO BE IN DR DUNN'S OFFICE MON APR 14 TO HAVE MY BLOOD THICKNESS MEASURED. THEN WED APR 16 FOR MY NEXT CHEMO. MOVE ON FROM THERE. VIVA CANCUN MAY 24 TO JUNE 4. HOME 4 JUNE FOR "OLD AVIATORS" REUNION JUNE 6, 7, & 8. AND WHO KNOWS FROM THERE.

I LOVE ALL OF YOU,

BOBBY"

Second e-mail:

HI TO ALL OF MY E-MAIL FRIENDS.

I HAVE FINISHED MY FIRST ROUND OF CHEMO AND HAD MY CT SCAN DONE WED 11 JUNE. MY DOCTORS CAMPARED THIS CT SCAN WITH THE ONE DONE MON 7 APR. THE RESULTS WERE NOT GOOD. THE CANCER OF THE PANCREAS AND LIVER HAS GROWN SINCE THAT CT SCAN. IT HAS ALSO SPREAD TO THE LOWER PART OF MY LUNGS. FRI 13 JUNE, I STARTED ON A NEW TREATMENT. I WILL BE ON AN ORAL CHEMO FOR THE NEXT 8 WEEKS, AND THEN ANOTHER CT SCAN. I STARTED ON THIS NEW TREATMENT ON FRI 13 JUNE. I AM NOW TAKING THE SAME THING NORM COX IS TAKING. "XELODA". 1500 MG'S 30 MINS AFTER BREAKFAST (3 500 MG PILLS) AND 1500 MGS (SAME) 30 MINS AFTER DINNER. THERE WILL BE SOME SIDE EFFECTS BUT THEY HAVE NOT STARTED YET. XELODA HAS BEEN FDA APPROVED FOR BREAST CANCER AND COLON CANCER, BUT SEEMS TO WORK ON SOME PANCREAS AND LIVER CANCER..SINCE NORM COX STARTED TAKING XELODA HIS CANCER HAS DONE SOME SHRINKING. I PRAY THAT I WILL HAVE SOME POSITIVE RESULTS. THATS WHERE I AM NOW AND WILL KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED OF MY PROGRESS. PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR PRAYER LIST.

LOVE TO ALL, BOBBY

This information was last updated 05/18/2016

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Date posted on this site: 08/31/2024


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