Clayton K. Slack

Clayton Kirk Slack (February 23, 1896 – March 1, 1976) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War I.

Clayton K. Slack
Clayton Slack
Born(1896-02-23)February 23, 1896
Plover, Wisconsin
DiedMarch 1, 1976(1976-03-01) (aged 80)
Place of burial
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
RankPrivate
UnitCompany D, 124th Machine Gun Battalion, 33d Division
Battles/warsWorld War I
AwardsMedal of Honor
Silver Star
Purple Heart

Biography
Grave in Arlington National Cemetery

Slack was born in Plover, Wisconsin on February 23, 1896.[1][2]

Clayton Slack joined the United States Army from Madison, Wisconsin in September 1917.[3] He was assigned to the 33rd Division. He volunteered for machine gun duty and served with the Company D, 124th Machine Gun Battalion, 33rd Division.[4]

As a Private, he was cited for single-handedly clearing out a German machine gun nest resulting in 10 prisoners and the capture of 2 machine-guns on October 8, 1918, in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the biggest battle of World War I involving American troops.[1]

Slack noticed several German troops and charged at them with his rifle and bayonet telling them to "put their hands up".[1] The German soldiers thinking that he was at the lead of a patrol, surrendered. Slack's actions were credited with saving his unit heavy casualties.[1][2]

After the war, Slack toured the United States with war films and by the time of his death had met six presidents. In 1963, president John F Kennedy hosted a reunion of Medal of Honor recipients at the White House for the 100th anniversary of the first presentation of the Medal.[1] Slack attended the function along with a number of other Medal of Honor recipients.[1]

He died March 1, 1976 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia.[1] His grave can be found in section 34, lot 59.[1]

Medal of Honor citation
Medal of Honor Presentation Ceremony - February 9, 1919, at Chaumont, France. General John J. Pershing presided.

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company D, 124th Machine Gun Battalion, 33d Division. Place and date: Near Consenvoye, France, 8 October 1918. Entered service at: Madison, Wis. Born: 23 February 1896, Plover, Wis. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919.

Citation:

Observing German soldiers under cover 50 yards away on the left flank, Pvt. Slack, upon his own initiative, rushed them with his rifle and, single-handed, captured 10 prisoners and 2 heavy-type machineguns, thus saving his company and neighboring organizations from heavy casualties.[5]

See also

References
  1. Patterson, Michael Robert. "Clayton Kirk Slack, Private, United States Army". www.arlingtoncemetery.net.
  2. "Clayton Slack - Recipient - Military Times Hall Of Valor". valor.militarytimes.com.
  3. Alan E. Kent (Winter 1952–53). "Wisconsin and the Medal of Honor". Wisconsin Magazine of History. 36 (2): 104–112.CS1 maint: date format (link)
  4. Clayton Slack: Private United States Army Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient in World War I. Stevens Point, Wis.: Portage County Historical Society. p. 6. OCLC 1020252731.
  5. "SLACK, CLAYTON K." Army of Medal of Honor website. 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
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