Lt. Col. Gilbert Mills Slaughter

Lt. Col. Gilbert Mills Slaughter died on Friday, March 22, 2013 at Lane Regional Medical Center at the age of 97. He was preceded in death by his father, William Shewen Slaughter, Jr., his mother, Sudie Hawkins Mills Slaughter, two brothers; Dr. William Shewen Slaughter III and Mansel Spenser Slaughter, and a sister Dorothy Slaughter Foote. He is survived by his wife of 70 years; Elinor Williams Slaughter, two sons and daughters-in-law: Gilbert Mills Slaughter, Jr. and wife Theresa Holten, and their children Kathryn Holten Slaughter and Mills Holten Slaughter; and Thomas Williams Slaughter and wife Trudy Annette Millet Slaughter and their children Thomas Williams Slaughter Jr. and wife Mindy Ashmore Slaughter and children Katelynn, Hannah and Jackson, Tonya Annette Slaughter Bailey and husband Nicholas C. Bailey and great grandchildren Lily Annette Bailey and Owen Bailey. Col. Slaughter was born in Port Hickey, LA (a river port in East Baton Rouge Parish) on the 25th of September 1915. He was born to parents William Shewen Slaughter Jr. and Sudie Hawkins Mills, the daughter of Capt. G. C. Mills, officer of the Confederacy, of Irene, LA. Col. Slaughter's family moved from Port Hickey to Baker, LA in 1919, which is his present home, the plantation of the Slaughter Family. Educated at Baker High School, graduate class of 1933, entered LSU in 1933, and received his commission from the ROTC in 1938 as 2nd Lt. in Field Artillery. Graduate of the Civilian Pilot Training at LSU, both primary and advanced. Served on active duty in numerous locations as 1st Lt. from that time to August 1941, when he was recalled to duty with the USAF at Turner Field, Albany, GA. He was promoted to Captain in March 1942, a rank he was very proud of because his grandfather Mills was a Captain in the Civil War. In May 1942, he was transferred from Turner Field, GA to Monticello, MN for pilot training in Gliders. He received his Glider Pilot Wings in August 1942 at Lockbourne, OH. He received further training in combat CG4A Gliders at Stuttgart, AR. He was a Wing Glider Officer of the 52nd Troop Combat Wing at Pope Field, NC. He received further training in Combat Operations at Maxton Airbase in Maxton, MC and was part of the training program under USAF at McCall, NC with Airborne Units 82nd and 101st AB. In 1943 he was re-assigned to 53rd TC Wing at Green Commons Air Force Base, England. Col. Slaughter made three glider combat missions with the 436th T.C. Group at Membury, England. His last duty assignment was with the 1403 Air Transport Group, Mobile, AL as Personnel Officer A-1. He retired as Lt. Col. on the 25th of September, 1975. Col. Slaughter resided at 17001 Twin Oaks Drive in Baker, LA. He received the following awards: Air Medal Oak Cluster, Unit Citation, ETO Ribbon with Combat Star plus the Indian Arrowhead for landing behind enemy lines. Col. Slaughter married Elinor Williams of Baton Rouge, a great-great-granddaughter of Dr. Ambrose Williams, a Medical Officer of the Civil War at Port Hudson, LA. Both of Col. Slaughter's sons served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict and grandson Thomas W. Slaughter Jr. served 19 months in Afghanistan. Mills Holten Slaughter is now in the National Guard and has served a year so far in Afghanistan. Col. Slaughter was a Past National Chairman of the World War II Glider Pilots Association, 1992-1998, and a Past President of Canal Development Corporation. He had a lifetime membership in the following: Reserve Officers Association, Lions International, where he was the longest active member in the state of Louisiana, Air Force Association Baton Rouge Chapter, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Social Fraternity, and the American Legion. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the G.C. Mills Home Place LLC and a founder of the Zachary Community Church where he was an Elder Emeritus. He worked for the Dept. of Louisiana Agriculture Supply Company and Sales Manager of Dolese Brothers. He was inducted into the Hall of Honor on behalf of Louisiana State University and Cadets of the Ole War Skule. Louisiana Honor Air, Inc. of Lafayette, LA honored him by flying him to Washington, DC to visit the World War II Memorial. Visitation at Zachary Community Church on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 from 9am until service time at 11am. Interment will be at Young Family Cemetery with full military honors. Pallbearers will be Parrish Foote, Thomas W. Slaughter, Jr., Mills Holten Slaughter, Mansel Slaughter Jr., William Slaughter Jr. and Bill Gaines. Honorary pallbearers will be Officers of Zachary Community Church. Share sympathies, memories, and condolences at www.CharletFuneralHome.com.