John Slade in uniform

John Slade

John Slade immigrated alone to the US on March 25, 1936. In 1942 he declared, "that indeed if a fellow from Arkansas, who had never heard the name Hitler, had to join the Army then I should volunteer." Slade was sixteen years older than the average draftee. He was 34 years old when he finished basic training. He went to Camp Ritchie, Maryland for intelligence school.

Assigned to the 143rd IPW Team, Slade met 21-year-old Karl Goldsmith and the two served out the remainder of the war with their five-member interrogation squad, attached to combat units from D-Day to the Armistice.