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I was born Hugh Clark (Slip) Slater in Seattle Washington, January 2, 1922. I
was raised in Los Angeles. I graduated from Dorsey High School and then entered
USC and joined the NROTC. During this time I obtained a Private Pilot's License
through the Civilian Pilot Training Program.
I left USC and entered the US Army Aviation Cadet program in
March 1942. After winning wings 
at
Luke Field, in February 1943 I was assigned to the 36th Fighter Group in Puerto
Rico, which at the time had P-39s and P-40s. During the summer of 1943, the
Group returned to the ZI and transitioned into P-47s. In March 1944 the Group
moved to Southeast England, and after D Day to France and Germany. I flew a
total of 84 missions with both the 36th and the 362nd Fighter Groups, during
which I also spent 45 days with the 4th Armored. When WWII ended I was assigned
to Selfridge Field, Michigan as a P-47 gunnery instructor. During this period I
met and married Barbara Clark, a USC graduate and third generation Californian.
In the spring of 1946, together with 14 other Jug pilots I
was reassigned to the Canal Zone where the 36th Fighter Group, with P-47Ns, was
reactivated under the Command of Colonel Henry R. (Russ) Spicer. During April
and May, 15
of us completed jet training at Williams AFB. Arizona. Immediately afterwards
the 36th received 75 new P-80s, which we subsequently ferried to the Canal Zone.
During one of the ferry flights from MacDill Field, I experienced a turbine
failure and flameout, just north of Cuba and managed to glide to Marathon Key
and landed on the abandoned Navy airstrip.
During August 1948 the Group was moved to Furstenfeldbruk,
Germany, in support of the Berlin Airlift. In December 1948 I was reassigned to
Randolph AFB and went through Pilot Instructor Training and was assigned to
Perrin AFB,
Texas. During these many moves Barbara and I had three children, Stacy, Victoria
(Tori) and Peter.
Leaving Texas I was assigned to Williams AFB as a jet instructor until the summer of 1953. From Willie, I was assigned to the 15th Fighter Squadron (F-86s) Davis-Monthan AFB, as Ops Officer under L/Col Bones Marshall. After Marshall left, I had Command of the 15th for 18 months.
Following Tucson I was reassigned to the 25th Fighter Squadron of the 51st Wing at Naha, Okinawa as Commander. Okinawa was a great tour and one the family loved.
During the summer of 1958 I was reassigned as the Chief of Tactical Evaluation, Central Air Defense Force at Richards-Gebaur AFB. From there it was onto Air War College at Maxwell AFB.
After graduation my next assignment was as Commander of the USAF Interceptor Weapons School at Tyndall AFB, Florida.
In March 1963 I was assigned to the Central Intelligence
Agency for a classified
assignment
to the Chinese 35th Black Cat, U-2 Squadron, on Taiwan. During this period I
managed a checkout and four flights in the U-2 at North Base, Edwards AFB.
Although I received only a minimum of U-2 time it did make me appreciate a
little more what operational U-2 pilots had to encounter. The close association
with a great bunch of Chinese Nationalist pilots, who did their combat flying
over the China Mainland against dangerous odds, was most memorable. The loss of
several U-2s was heart wrenching. After the Black Cat Squadron, I was again
given another CIA assignment to the Nevada Test Site in Nevada. Here I 
initially served as the Operations Officer under Colonel Bob Holbury, for
two years and then as Commander for two more years.This was another assignment I
shall always cherish. Especially rewarding was the unit's order to deploy
Kadena AFB, Okinawa for the purpose of providing reconnaissance of Viet Nam and
North Korea.
It must be remembered that this occurred after the unit was
told it was to be deactivated in favor the SR-71. However, because the SR was
not operational ready, the A-12 was given the task. The A-12 was a truly
outstanding state-of the-art aircraft. The crews assigned, as CIA operational
pilots, were the very best chosen from the entire USAF. And equally
outstanding and handpicked, were the USAF officers and enlisted personnel who
supported the 
A-12.
The senior CIA officer, Werner Weiss and his cadre of people, many who were
assigned from the start, were as dedicated as any group with whom I had ever
served. As a result of the unit success in developing the A-12 to its
operationally ready status and deployment capability the unit received The
USAF Outstanding Unit Award. Again I only received a minimum of flying in the
A-12, but the Mach 3 plus time, the aerial refueling and the many others
facets associated with the program was most rewarding and something earlier I
could have never imagined.
After the termination of the A-12 program, in favor of the
SR-71, I was assigned to the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing (F-100s) at RAF
Wethersfield, as the Vice Commander. The 20th mission included nuclear alert,
another new experience.
Training at Aviano, Italy and gunnery and bombing training at Wheelus Air Base
in North Africa was enjoyable in every respect. Unfortunately, because of
personal family problems I requested a return to the ZI, and because of help
of M/Gen John Bell and Colonel Mele Vojvodich, I was assigned to Edwards AFB
and the Joint USAF/NASA YF-12/SR-71 flight test program.
After a year at Edwards and approaching time for retirement
I requested and received an assignment to Tyndall
AFB,
Florida. My flying now was restricted to the T-33 and although it was a great
aircraft it was a letdown. I retired May 1, 1972 remained at Panama City for
another 23 years, boating, fishing, traveling and golf.
In 1995 we decided a move to Las Vegas was in our best
interest. My 30 years in the Army Air Corp and the USAF were always
interesting and challenging. And I guess I was 
lucky
because I never had a bad assignment. My association with a great bunch of
individuals, officers, airmen and civilians, alike, was especially rewarding.
During my 30 years I have received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion
of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross with a cluster and the Air Medal with
12 clusters. In addition I received the CIA Medal of Merit.
As I write this I have been married to Barbara for almost 57 years and we are looking forward to Christmas with the entire family, including two grandsons, two grand daughters and one great grandson
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SHARING MEMORIES OF MY FELLOW GROOM LAKE ROADRUNNERS DURING PROJECT OXCART
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AND THE BLACK SHIELD ROADRUNNERS AT KADENA AB, OKINAWA
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MY WORLD WAR II PLANES
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MY WORLD WAR II FIGHTER GROUP
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