Lt. Col. Ret. Warren Lee Slater's Obituary
Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, Ret. Warren Lee Slater, 92, passed away quietly while at home with family on Thursday, 17 April, 2014, in Waxhaw, NC. The third of five children, he was born Warren Lee Slater in Greece, NY, on May 28th, 1921, to the late Arthur and Mildred Slater.
Warren and his 3 brothers and sister grew up on a farm for most of his early life, then following graduation from Hilton High school and a brief period of employment with Kodak he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) as a Navigator, from March 1942 to January 1947.
He was part of Aviation Cadet class 42-7, Coral Gables, FL, and was trained by Pan Am at the University of Miami. Following graduation in 1942, he was assigned to 6th Ferrying Group, Long Beach, CA, delivering replacement aircraft throughout the Pacific for the remainder of the WWII. Some of the aircraft he navigated were: B-24's, B-25's, C-46's, C-47's, and a few A-26's to the European theater. He flew to various locations to include Hawaii, Christmas Island, Canton, Fiji, Guadalcanal, New Caledonia, and Brisbane, Australia. Toward the end of the war he also flew to Kwajalein, Guam, Okinawa and into Tokyo, Japan. One of most memorable moments was flying overhead the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay as General MacArthur was signing the peace treaty with Japan, 6 Sept 1945 (VJ Day).
While in Long Beach, CA, Warren met Yvonne (Vonnie) Lorene Adair, his "southern belle" from Mobile, AL, whom he later married following the war.
After WWII he flew briefly with the Flying Tigers from January to November 1947, then for the newly formed Air Force from 1947-1965. He was a born navigator earning the nickname "pinpoint" for his skill, and progressed in his profession to achieve Master Navigator status but later in life colored his stories with his great humor saying he "never really was 100% sure where he was until he landed"! He was stationed in a variety of assignments both in the US and Overseas during his career, from Saudi Arabia, the Azores islands, Montana, Massachusetts and back to California with final career assignments as Wing Tactical Evaluation Navigator, 552nd Wing, McClellan AFB, Sacramento CA, May 1961-63; and Air Base Squadron Commander, Thule, Greenland, May 1963-64. He retired in April of 1965 with over 13,000 flying hours (approximately 1 ½ years in the air) at the rank of Lt Col.
Some of Warren's medals and awards were the American Campaign medal, WWII Victory medal, National Defense Service medal, Armed Forces Reserve medal with bronze hourglass, AF outstanding unit award, and the AF Longevity Service ribbon.
After his military service, Warren worked for the US Civil Service from 1965- 1978. Following retirement, he and Vonnie were bitten by the travel bug and able to see a variety of different countries and cultures from Europe, Asia, Africa, South and Central America, Australia and New Zealand. They participated in 4 world cruises among many others, accruing over 300 thousand nautical miles and earning honorary 'Vice Admiral' status.
During their later years, Warren and Vonnie enjoyed bridge (where they were almost unbeatable), dances, and social events with their many friends in Sacramento, CA. They celebrated over 65 years of marriage until Vonnie's passing in 2011, also at the age of 92.
Warren is survived by his two sons, Randall A. Slater and his wife Teri, and Gary L. Slater and his wife Moe; his grandchildren Gabe and wife Steph, Josh and wife Lindsay, Andy and wife Kim, and Rachel; and his great grandchildren Sadie and Sienna. In addition, he is survived by his sister Gladys of Avon , NY, and was pre-deceased by his brothers Alvah, Earl, and Frank Slater. He will be deeply missed by family and friends he made over a lifetime.
A memorial service to celebrate his life with full military honors will be conducted at a future date at the Old Post Chapel, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC, where Warren will be interred with his beloved wife Yvonne.
Davis Funeral Home is serving the family of Mr. Slater. An on-line guest register book is available at www.davisfuneralservice.com.
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