Spc. Wade A. Slack
Born on March 22, 1989
Died on May 6, 2010 in Afghanistan
Wade was raised in Waterville, Maine and gave his life in service to his country in Jaghatu, Afghanistan at the age of 21. One of seven children, he grew up with the same values his father, a veterinarian, held and that was that all life, no matter form it comes in, is precious. His sister Meghan confessed that the family secret was that Wade was “pretty much everyone’s favorite.” His sweet, compassionate and unselfish personality drew people towards him. He was easy to talk to and he listened. He did normal boy stuff growing up from Boy Scouts to baseball but also loved the adventures that life brought his way. Like the time when he was 8 and riding in the family van with his older brother, they were going 50mph and crashed. Wade’s brother was shaken and sobbing, but not Wade. He yelled, “That was fun!” He grew into a tall young man, who worked at a restaurant during high school and decided at the age of 14 that he was going to serve as a soldier, protecting the precious lives of the citizens of his country. Wade graduated from high school in 2007 and had already enlisted the fall before. He reported to Fort Leonard Wood for basic training in July 2007. Wade had decided to specialize in Explosive Ordnance Disposal and went through vigorous background checks to be accepted into the program. He completed Initial Entry Training at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. On September 16, 2008, he reported to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he was assigned to the 707th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), 3rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD). In the summer of 2009 he deployed to Afghanistan. Wade’s work was nerve-racking, but he never once complained. He wore an 80-pound suit in extreme weather, from cold to hot. His sense of humor was evident when he and a buddy climbed to the top of a mountain during a freezing rainstorm. When they reached the top Wade turned to him and said, “This wasn’t in the brochure.” Wade was the type of soldier who was always in high spirits, and often gave food and other items to others if they needed it. On May 6, Wade defused a bomb and while waiting for transportation away from the area, he was killed when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge, NATO medal and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Wade is survived by his father Dr. Alan Slack; stepmother Rose Slack; his beloved mother Mary Slack; six siblings: Jonathan, Meghan, Lauren, Allison, Andrew and Jesse; a stepbrother Ethan Roderick and stepsister Jessica Cook. Wade also is survived by people who though are not blood family, he considered them his “West Coast Parents”, Dan and Mary Morse of Washington state. Wade had posted on his myspace page that he “likes a lot of stuff. But mostly my family, which includes my friends. Because if you’re in the same business that I am then you would understand that your friends are family.” Please read the comments left on this page by Wade’s family and friends and read how his life touched all he met.
Spc. Wade A. Slack’s final resting place is Lewis Cemetery in Oakland, Maine.
The Spc. Wade A. Slack by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
RIP Wade. Not only were you my brother, but you were my friend. I will miss you so much more than you could ever know. You were one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Even though you were only in our lives for a few short years, you will be in our hearts and minds forever
When I first met Wade it was over XBOX live through mutual friends. I tended to avoid playing online with teenagers, Wade was 17 at the time. Wade was very mature and played well so we became friends. Through our time spent playing together I found out he was in highschool, had a great sense of humor, liked video games, paintballing, hunting and loved his family and country very much. He lived in Waterville Maine, I in Shelton Washington. One day Wade asked me if we could talk about something very important, our friendship had developed into something of a Father-son, not to say he didnt have a strong relationship with his biological Father, becase he loved and respected his Father fiercely and told me so many times. Wade told me he had decided to join the Army, he knew that I had served as an MP. He wanted my opinion as to what MOS or job he should choose. He said he was considering the MPs because he was thinking of law enforcement as a future career, he said his other choice was EOD. We had many conversations about his enlisting. By the time we started talking of these things Mary, my wife, had also “adopted” Wade and had even made and mailed him a box of cookies. She did not want him to join, the thought of someone she loved being put in harms way frightened her deeply.I pointed out how mature, responsible and intelligent Wade was and that these traits were what made him the guy we loved. Wade knew how Mary felt so when he told us he had joined and had chosen EOD he said he also chose FT Lewis (about 45 minutes from our home) as his first base of assignment, he told us he did this so he could come and visit us, he also thought he could save us money because “mailing cookies form Washington to Maine is expensive”, told you he was smart.
During his Basic and schooling we kept in touch through the mail, infrequent phone calls, Xbox live (during his EOD school not Basic), and yes the occasional box of cookies.
After Wade graduated EOD school and arrived at Ft Lewis in 2008, he called us and arranged to come for a visit. He Stayed with us on the weekends and most days off. He fit into our family so well you would have thought we raised him. We introduced him to friends and family as our adopted son. He called us his Washington or west coast family.
When it came time for Wade to deploy to Afghanistan we assisted him in getting things ready. Wade decided to leave his car with us instead of storing it. He did this because i have a neurological condition which over the last couple years had become increasingly worse, making it hard for me to get around, the car I have sits lower to the ground and was difficult for me to get in and out of. I expressed my concerns about using his vehicle and he told me I was being silly, he said ” I won’t be using it and it will help you out.” I tell you of this so you can understand Wade was like this in all things, he made many decisions based on how it might help someone.
The day Wade left to Afghanistan, (fall of 09), I drove him to the base, he showed me around his companys offices and training rooms, and introduced me to his officers and fellow enlisted men and women. We talked about nothing and everthing. When it came time for him to get on the bus for the airbase, I gave him a hug, reminded him that I and my family loved him and told him to be safe. My 45 minute drive home alone seemed to take an eternity, had I known then that it was the last time I would see this amazing young man, that last hug would still be taking place.
Wade called us 2 to 3 times a week during his deployment. He was granted leave last christmas and explained that he felt bad that he wouldn,t have enough time to see his family in Maine and us. Mary and I both assured him it was fine and only right that he go home and see his parents and siblings as well as his infant niece who had her uncle “Ade” wrapped around her tiny fingers.
On May 5th Mary and I spoke with Wade for about 45 minutes, he told us how excited he was about being home in time for the birth of a new niece or nephew. He said since he would be taking leave in Oct or Nov to be in Maine for hopefully 1 possibly 2 births, he was going to spend Christmas with us.
On May 6th Wades Mother,(also named Mary), called us to tell us he had been killed. I had asked Wade that in the event of anything happening that he please make sure someone would contact us, he had done so. I won’t even try to explain the impact that phone call had on us.
As I write these words Wades Maine family are at an airport in Delaport waiting for him to arrive.
To Wades parents, I want to say thank you, not for the sacrifice of their son, but for the joy they brought our family for raising such an extraordinary young man.
To his siblings, he loved and cherished each and every one of you, I know this to be true because he told me so.
To all of his frineds and family, we share your pain and to say we are sorry isn’t enough.
Lastly to Wade, thank you for being in our life even as briefly as you were. The way you touched our familys hearts is beyond words. The effect you have had on our life is beyond measure, and finally we love you and always will.
Love always, your Washington Family.
RIP Wade, I will miss you so much we may have only known you for a few years but it felt like a lifetime. No matter what you will be in my heart and no one will ever be able to replace you. Wade my Big brother My role model and my Hero, you were a great man, you are one of a kind and you will never be forgotten. You did everything you could for anyone and you helped me be a better kid, You helped me get on the right track to lose weight when we found out I’m diabetic and you just helped me grow up alot to help out the family, you were an amazing man and no matter what I will never forget you. One of the main things you gave me was courage, courage to belive in myself, and the gift you gave me are the memories I have of you like cooking with you on thanksgiving of ’09 or when you “Wade” stomped that spider. Wade my big brother and my friend I will never forget you and I love you so much! I had the pledge of allegence dedicated to you at school and the next school incentive day for the kids with good grades and not getting in trouble will also be dedicate to you. I love you Wade!
Submitted by: daniel_ormsbee
I miss you my brother. Everything seems so different without you here. I keep hoping beyond hope that you are going to call us and tell us that there was some kind of mix up, but I know that you died doing what you believed needed to be done. You saved many lives and affected many more than you will ever know. It seems like just yesterday we were staying up all night playing Call Of Duty: World At War trying to beat it. You fell asleep and I played on because I was tweaking out on Starbucks Coffee drinks. The little things like that are what make our time together so precious to me. Its true what they say. Its the little things that matter the most. I love you so much my brother, my friend, my hero. Its hard for me to say write these words because, as I do, the tears are welling up in my eyes. I just wanted to end this with a little something from your favorite movie, The Boondock Saints:
“And Shepherds we shall be
For thee, my Lord, for thee.
Power hath descended forth from Thy hand
Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands.
So we shall flow a river forth to Thee
And teeming with souls shall it ever be.
In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti.”
It might seem strange to many people that some of us can become such good friends on XBOX Live…but that is where I met Wade. I used to be in the Army, and had many discussions with Wade about military life. Anyway…I just want to say that he will be missed.
I miss you Wade. Writing the daily postcards was a part of my routine that I looked forward to. You weren’t just a son, you were my closest friend; someone who I could and did share everything with. Stuff that I shared with no one else.
Standing on the tarmac next to that 747 at Dover last night was like a dream. Couldn’t be us. Couldn’t be you.
I guess we must go on, but I don’t want to. Your AR is here. Something solid to hang on to in a crazed world. Considered leaving it on the wall but decided against that. We’ll sight it in soon and refine it into the lethal tack-driver it was meant to be from the minute I started building it.
We are going to go forward with all the projects here at home that you were managing from in-country.
I’ll catch up with you at some point, son. We all love you.
Wade I miss you so much. Everyone does, you touched so many people in your life every time you were around them. I still can’t seem to accept that you are really gone. This is like a nightmare that none of us can wake up from. When those officers came to the door I just didn’t want to believe them, I wanted it to be a mistake a mix up. You had so much left to do in this world it just doesn’t make any sense and it isn’t fair. When we brought you to the airport in January and I hugged you goodbye I pulled you back for a second hug and didn’t want to let go, but I had to. I long so much to hug you and to tell you how special you are and how much you mean to me. You were my little brother and you grew up to be an amazng young man and felt like a big brother because you were just so wise beyond your years. I still just can’t believe this Wade, it hurts so much. You made such a difference in this world you were soooo brave and selfless and I am soooo proud of you. You will live on in all of our hearts no doubt. I will see you again someday brother, RIP
I offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Specialist Slack. Thank you for raising and being a part of the life of such a wonderful young man.
@Alan Slack
Dr. Slack,
I want to extend my sincere condolences to you and your family for the loss of your son, Wade. Our family suffered the same loss on January 29th of this year when our son Marc, 19 yrs old, was killed in Afghanistan. Marc and Wade were killed not too far apart as Marc died on his Forward Operating Base in Sayedabad, Wardak Province. We know only too well the grief and loss you are experiencing now. It sounds like our sons were very much alike, totally committed to the Army and service to our nation. We will be thinking of you and praying for your family in the coming days. Please know that Wade’s service and dedication to his country will be remembered and appreciated by so many people forever.
I didn’t know Wade very well, but I did get the chance to talk to him occasionally in school and play xbox with him a lot. He was very inspirational. Friend of a friend is my friend is pretty much how I got to know him, I am glad I did. He was a good person and I hold a lot of respect for him and what he chose to do. He will be remembered, and never forgotten.