HUGH SLATER

1922 - 2013

COL. HUGH SLATER U.S. Air Force, Retired Hugh "Slip" Clark Slater, of Henderson, passed away Nov. 26, 2013. He was born Jan. 2, 1922, to parents George and Thelma Slater. He was raised in Los Angeles. He met and married Barbara, the love of his life, in 1945. Slip attended USC and, in 1942, joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and the Aviation Cadet program. After graduation, he flew fighters which included 84 combat missions in the European Theater of World War II. He continued to fly for the U.S. Air Force for 30 years, and flew 7500 hours total. His flying was mainly associated with fighter aircraft. Slip's assignments included tours in Panama, Europe, Okinawa and Taiwan. He also served with the Central Intelligent Agency with the Chinese Nationalist and their U-2 Program. This was followed with another CIA program at area 51, Nevada Test Site as the commander for four years. There, he helped with the developing of the Mach 3 A-12 program which included a tour on Okinawa where the A-12 was used over North Vietnam and North Korea. After another tour in the UK, Slip returned to Edwards Air Force Base in California, where he was assigned to Joint USAF/NASA program involving YF-12 and the SR-71. After Edwards, he was transferred to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida where he retired in May of 1972 as a colonel. Military decorations included Distinguished Service Medal, 14 Air Medals, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster and CIA Medal of Merit. Hugh is survived by his wife, Barbara; children, Stacy, Tori and Peter; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchild. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10, at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City.