Today in Wheeling History: March 1–Clarence Virgil Slack Jr., Korean War hero, 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. Growing up in the Richland District, 9th Ward, Wheeling, he attended Warwood Elementary School and graduated from Warwood High School in 1942. His father worked as an accountant at Cloverdale Dairy. Clarence 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, his F-80C Shooting Star was hit by anti-aircraft fire near Pyongyang, North Korea, 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 several medals, including 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 Virgil Slack Memorial Bridge in Wheeling was named in his honor.
To learn more: West Virginia GenWeb (https://shorturl.at/OOuRg), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2hhc8uuu), Military Hall of Honor (https://tinyurl.com/4suzsx8f), West Virginia Veterans Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/5ccjnftw)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, West Virginia Veterans Memorial
Clarence Virgil Slack Jr. was born on March 1, 1925, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Clarence Virgil Slack Sr. and Elizabeth Gehring Slack. Growing up in the Richland District, 9th Ward, Wheeling, he attended Warwood Elementary School and graduated from Warwood High School in 1942. His father worked as an accountant at Cloverdale Dairy. Clarence 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, his F-80C Shooting Star was hit by anti-aircraft fire near Pyongyang, North Korea, 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 several medals, including 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 Virgil Slack Memorial Bridge in Wheeling was named in his honor.
To learn more: West Virginia GenWeb (https://shorturl.at/OOuRg), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2hhc8uuu), Military Hall of Honor (https://tinyurl.com/4suzsx8f), West Virginia Veterans Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/5ccjnftw)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, West Virginia Veterans Memorial
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