Max Slater Oral History

Authors

St. Cloud State University

Document Type

Interview

Publication Date

2-14-1990

Abstract

Biographical Information:

Max Slater was born July 29, 1924, in Lime Spring, Iowa, to Alvie and Hazel (Holgrum) Slater. He joined the U.S. Army on June 19, 1943 and was then deployed to Africa with the 84th Division as an infantryman. He later saw action in France, Holland, and Belgium, and moved tactically as far as Berlin. After discharge in March 1946, Slater married his wife, Alice Adema, and they had two daughters, Maxine and Sheryl. Slater would later join the Minnesota National Guard and deployed to Korea. Slater received the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for service during World War II. H worked a variety of jobs, including as a mechanic, truck driver, and night manager. Slater retired in 1989. He passed away on Friday June 29, 1990 and buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Onamia, Minnesota.

Transcript Summary:

Max Slater described his experiences as an infantryman with the 84th Division during World War II. He joined the Army on June 19, 1943 and sent to Camp Hood in Texas for training. Slater was assigned to the 84th Division, nicknamed the “rail splitters,” and then deployed to North Africa. Slater later traveled to Europe and saw action in France, Holland and Belgium. In December 1944, Slater participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Here his company was tasked to rescue the 82nd Airborne from Bastogne, France, who were surrounded by the German army. He ended up in Berlin at the end of the war but stood guard so the fleeing German army did not escape Berlin while the Russians took it over. Slater discussed his journey back to the United States, how he ended up seasick, and the stops made before he returned home. He ended his interview with a discussion of the artillery that he remembered the most from his time in the European theater of war.

Comments

Image ID: 15542

See additional files below for full transcript.

Recommended Citation

St. Cloud State University, "Max Slater Oral History" (1990). World War II Veterans. 40.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/worldwar_oh/40