HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 88

(By Delegate Storch)

[Introduced February 27, 2018;
Referred to the Committee on Rules]

Requesting the Division of Highways to name bridge number 35-40-0.04 (35A032), locally known as Elbys Bridge, carrying US 40 Spur over Wheeling Creek in Ohio County, the “U. S. Air Force Capt. Clarence Virgil Slack, Jr. Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Captain Slack was born in Wheeling on March 1, 1925, and was raised on North 21^st Street in the city’s Warwood section. He graduated from Warwood High School In 1942 and West Point in 1945 before entering the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1946 he served in bomber units in Europe.  He later flew P-38s (except for flight during the Berlin Airlift) out of Nurnberg, Germany, with the 526^th Fighter Squadron. After Germany Captain Slack was assigned to the 325^th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; and

Whereas, After graduation Captain Slack went to transition training in B-17s and school in Orlando..  It was during this assignment that he and Jean Shepherd were married in New York City in 1950. They lived in Las Vegas while Captain Slack trained in F-80 jet fighters at Nellis Air Force Base; and

Whereas, In November 1950 Captain Slack was assigned to the 36^th FBS, a P-51 Mustang Squadron, based at Taegu AFB in Korea, later transitioning to the F-80C Shooting Star fighter interceptor; and

Whereas, On March 14, 1951, while flying in an element of four F-80 type aircraft, Captain Slack, while attacking an enemy gun position, was hit by antiaircraft fire 10 miles north of Pyongyang, North Korea, and his plane crashed and burst into flames. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on December 31, 1953. His remains were never recovered. His flight leader, Major Ernest T. “Smiley” Burnett, recalled that his last words were, “Smiley, I have the gun positions in sight, they won’t shoot at anybody else”; and

Whereas, Captain Slack was awarded the Silver Star posthumously on July 16, 1954. The citation reads: “Lieutenant Slack distinguished himself by gallantry in action on 14 March 1951 while flying a combat mission in support of United Nations forces in Korea. Lieutenant Slack was leading an element of a four ship flight of F-80 type aircraft on an armed reconnaissance of the railroad between Pyongyang and Simiju, Korea. His element was flying top cover for the lead element which was reconnoitering the railroad at low altitude. In the vicinity of the Sunan railroad yards, intense antiaircraft fire was encountered and was concentrated upon the Flight Leader and his wingman. Lieutenant Slack quickly sighted the gun emplacements and with complete disregard for his own safety began a dueling attack with the enemy gun positions. By drawing the concentrated fire upon himself, he enabled the lead element to evade the devastating ground fire.  In the course of his attack, Lieutenant Slack’s aircraft was hit and seen to crash in the immediate area. Lieutenant Slack’s alertness, heroic action, and determination to destroy the enemy fire in keeping with the highest traditions of the service, and reflected great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Force, and the United States Air Force”; and

Whereas, R. X. Sheffield, his roommate for 10 months in the 18^th Division Barracks, recalled: “As a cadet Captain Slack was a very determined and studious person who found academics a real challenge, but who spared no idle time in achieving a ranking at one instance of number two in Spanish—a language he had never heard in Wheeling. He was quiet and reserved and his obsession was the airplane and the U.S. Army Air Corps. He had an overpowering ambition to be a fighter pilot and he achieved this goal like a summa cum laude graduate. His most famous quote when our morale was low in good old “D” Company, First Regiment of Cadets was, “Anything worth having is worth fighting for!”. His other love was his family and Wheeling. His classmates learned true esprit de corps and love for home and country from this West Virginian. While a cadet on plebe maneuvers with General Oliver’s 5^th Armored Division at Pine Camp, New York, he would be remembered for lecturing us on the local astronomy. Every time I look into the heavens at the Big Dipper, Polaris or Cassiopeia, I remember “Cork” and his wonderful outlook on life. His mind was always alert. His physical prowess was very evident in team sports like basketball and swimming. He strove to be the first in everything he did. When he wasn’t in class he’d be studying or at the gym. His ideology was always before him: “All good things come from the sweat of the brow.” I feel Cork would have made four stars had fate not intervened. He was an outstanding cadet and a great pilot as well as a compassionate human being. Every time I hear that West Virginia anthem, “Country Roads, West Virginia” I think (sic) of Cork. West Virginia can be proud of Captain Slack, a Man’s Man, a Jet Ace and a U.S. Air Force hero”; and

Whereas, It is appropriate to name this bridge to honor Captain Slack for having made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 35-40-0.04 (35A032), locally known as Elbys Bridge, carrying US 40 Spur over Wheeling Creek in Ohio County, the “U. S. Air Force Capt. Clarence Virgil Slack, Jr. Memorial Bridge”; and be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “U. S. Air Force Capt. Clarence Virgil Slack, Jr. Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.