About the Author
Name: John Robert "Bob" Slaughter
BIRTHPLACE AND DATE OF BIRTH: Bristol, Tennessee – February 3, 1925.
SERVICE RECORD: Joined the Virginia Army National Guard, Company D, 116th Infantry, 29th Division, at Roanoke, Virginia. On February 3, 1941, Virginia National Guard was inducted into Federal Service. Trained at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland; Camp A. P. Hill, Virginia; North and South Carolina Army Maneuvers; Camp Blanding, Florida; Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
OVERSEAS: 29th Division was sent overseas via RMS Queen Mary, September 29, 1942, destination, Greenock, Scotland. En route collided with British escort cruiser, HMS Curacoa, killing 332 British sailors.
29th RANGERS: November 1942, spent 11 months with the elite 29th Ranger Battalion. Rangers disbanded in October 1943, sending Slaughter back to D Company, 116th. The 116th was camped in coastal Southern England undergoing very intense amphibious assault training. Promoted to sergeant machine gun squad leader.
STAGING AREA: May 1944, the Regiment motored to Blandford, England, and was immediately incarcerated behind barbed wire in the staging area waiting for orders to board ship for Normandy, France.
D-DAY: June 6th, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry, boarded HMS Empire Javelin, an LSI (L) [landing ship infantry, (long)]. Twelve miles offshore from France the Battalion transferred to small 30-man LCA landing craft. This unit landed in the assault wave at the extreme western flank of Omaha Beach. The Battalion suffered 40% casualties that first day. Promoted to staff sergeant, machine gun section leader.
WOUNDS: Despite two separate wounds in Normandy (July 5, 1944 at Couvains, and August 7, 1944, at Vire, France), Staff Sergeant Slaughter and his unit met the Russians at the Elbe River in Germany on May 6, 1945, successfully ending the war.
DISCHARGE: Separated from service at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, on July 13, 1945.
D-DAY MEMORIAL: Founder and former Chairman of the Board, National D-Day Memorial Foundation. President George W. Bush was on hand to help dedicate the National Memorial to D-Day on June 6, 2001, at Bedford, Virginia.
CIVIC AWARDS: The Republic of France awarded Slaughter its highest award, a Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor. Was awarded the Rotary Foundation’s Paul Harris Fellow. Winner of the first National Ruritan (Non-Ruritan), Outstanding Citizens Award, 2000; West Florida Post 2, 29th Division Assn., awarded its First Annual D-Day Award, 1999; DAR Medal of Honor; 1997 Virginia DAR Excellence in Community Service Award; Nominated twice for Citizen of the Year, Roanoke Junior Chamber of Commerce; Certificate of Recognition, 2001, by Governor James S. Gilmore; appointed Honorary Colonel of Headquarters, 116th Infantry Regiment, 2001.
EDUCATION: Associate Liberal Arts Degree, Virginia Western Community College.
MARITAL STATUS: Married in 1947 to Margaret L. Slaughter. They have two sons, three grandchildren. and one great-grandchild.
