SLADE, ALAN A. JR.

Description

Alan A. Slade

Alan A. Slade was born April 20, 1925 to Alan A. and Ethel Slade. He had one sister Eleanor Slade who served as a Seaman 1/c with the US Navy WAVES. Alan attended Milton School and graduated from Rye High School, Class of 1943. The family lived at 36 Meadow Place and Alan enlisted and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Alan enlisted in the U. S. Army on September 21, 1943. At 18 years old, he completed his basic training at Fort Benning, GA and was enrolled in the Army Specialized Training Program ASTP for Engineering at Bowdoin College. Because the U. S. Army lost so many men in 1943-44, the ASTP program was disbanded and all were sent into the Infantry. He retrained at Camp McCain with the 94th Infantry Division. He was promoted to Pfc. and earned the Expert Infantryman Badge before going overseas in August of 1944.

Alan was in the 376th Infantry Regiment of the
94th Infantry Division. He earned the Combat Infantrymans Badge and Good Conduct Medal during the winter campaign while fighting near Saarsburg Germany and was promoted to Sergeant before seeing action near St. Lazare, France. As part of General Pattons Third United States Army, the 94th Infantry Division was known as Pattons “Golden Nugget”. Moving east, the division relieved the 90th Infantry Division on 7 January 1945, taking positions in the Saar-Moselle Triangle south of Wasserbillig, facing the Siegfried Line.

The 94th Infantry Division and the 10th Armored Division secured the area from Orscholz and Saarburg to the confluence of the Saar and Moselle Rivers by 21 February 1945.

At Ayl, General Patton ordered to cross the Saar immediately, against the advice of many of his officers. Many men and material were lost during the very ill-prepared Saar crossing. Two of the three crossings sites were eventually abandoned due to heavy and pinpoint German artillery and machine gun fire.

Alan was killed on February 26, 1945 in combat as his unit attempted to cross the Saar River. He received a Purple Heart posthumously and is buried at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial

Alan A. Slade Rye High School Graduate, class of 1943