Today in Wheeling History: March 1--Clarence Virgil Slack Jr., Korean War hero and namesake of the USAF Captain Virgil Slack, Jr. Memorial Bridge, located near Kroger supermarket and Perkins restaurant, born in Wheeling (1925).
Clarence Virgil Slack Jr. was born on March 1, 1925, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Clarence Virgil Slack Sr. and Elizabeth Gehring Slack. At the time of the 1930 census, the family resided on North 21st Street in Warwood and his father was employed as an accountant at a dairy, working at Cloverdale Dairy for decades. Growing up in Wheeling, Clarence attended Warwood Elementary School and graduated from Warwood High School in 1942. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1945, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later became the U.S. Air Force.
During the Korean War, Captain Slack served as a pilot with the 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Group. On March 14, 1951, while flying in an element of four F-80C Shooting Star aircraft, Captain Slack was on a combat mission to provide top cover for the lead element, which was reconnoitering the railroad between Pyongyang and Simiju, Korea. His role was to protect the lead element from enemy fire. During the mission, intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered near the Sunan railroad yards. Captain Slack sighted the gun emplacements and, with complete disregard for his own safety, began a dueling attack with the enemy gun positions. By drawing the concentrated fire upon himself, he enabled the lead element to evade the devastating ground fire. Unfortunately, his aircraft was hit, and he was listed as Missing in Action. He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953, and his name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. Captain Slack was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Captain Slack's legacy is remembered for his bravery and service to his country. In recognition of his sacrifice, the USAF Captain Virgil Slack, Jr. Memorial Bridge, located near Kroger supermarket and Perkins restaurant in Wheeling, was named in his honor.
To learn more: West Virginia GenWeb (https://tinyurl.com/bfpyssuc), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2hhc8uuu), Military Hall of Honor (https://tinyurl.com/4suzsx8f), West Virginia Veterans Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/5ccjnftw), West Virginia Legislature (https://tinyurl.com/3e77936w), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/ewrm5bkh), American Battle Monuments Commission (https://tinyurl.com/39h537cs)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, West Virginia Veterans Memorial, Google Maps, West Virginia GenWeb, U.S. Air Force
Clarence Virgil Slack Jr. was born on March 1, 1925, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Clarence Virgil Slack Sr. and Elizabeth Gehring Slack. At the time of the 1930 census, the family resided on North 21st Street in Warwood and his father was employed as an accountant at a dairy, working at Cloverdale Dairy for decades. Growing up in Wheeling, Clarence attended Warwood Elementary School and graduated from Warwood High School in 1942. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1945, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later became the U.S. Air Force.
During the Korean War, Captain Slack served as a pilot with the 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Group. On March 14, 1951, while flying in an element of four F-80C Shooting Star aircraft, Captain Slack was on a combat mission to provide top cover for the lead element, which was reconnoitering the railroad between Pyongyang and Simiju, Korea. His role was to protect the lead element from enemy fire. During the mission, intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered near the Sunan railroad yards. Captain Slack sighted the gun emplacements and, with complete disregard for his own safety, began a dueling attack with the enemy gun positions. By drawing the concentrated fire upon himself, he enabled the lead element to evade the devastating ground fire. Unfortunately, his aircraft was hit, and he was listed as Missing in Action. He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953, and his name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. Captain Slack was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Captain Slack's legacy is remembered for his bravery and service to his country. In recognition of his sacrifice, the USAF Captain Virgil Slack, Jr. Memorial Bridge, located near Kroger supermarket and Perkins restaurant in Wheeling, was named in his honor.
To learn more: West Virginia GenWeb (https://tinyurl.com/bfpyssuc), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2hhc8uuu), Military Hall of Honor (https://tinyurl.com/4suzsx8f), West Virginia Veterans Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/5ccjnftw), West Virginia Legislature (https://tinyurl.com/3e77936w), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/ewrm5bkh), American Battle Monuments Commission (https://tinyurl.com/39h537cs)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, West Virginia Veterans Memorial, Google Maps, West Virginia GenWeb, U.S. Air Force
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