Frank O. Slater
| Frank Olga Slater | |
|---|---|
| Born |
19 December 1920 Kennamer Cove, Alabama |
| Died | 12 November 1942 (aged 21) Aboard USS San Francisco (CA-38) off Savo Island |
| Buried at | sea |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | February—November 1942 |
| Rank | 2nd Class Seaman |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Navy Cross Purple Heart |
Frank Olga Slater (19 December 1920 – 12 November 1942) was a Seaman 2nd Class of the United States Navy, killed in action aboard USS San Francisco (CA-38) off Savo Island during World War II, and subsequently awarded the Navy Cross.
Slater was one of twelve children of James Lafayette Slater, a sharecropper, and Lenora (Morgan) Slater. He was born in Kennamer Cove, Marshall County, Alabama, and grew up in Fyffe, Alabama. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 10 February 1942. Upon completion of his basic training, Slater was transferred to the Receiving Station at Pearl Harbor, and assigned to the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco (CA-38) on 4 April 1942. On 12 November 1942 he was killed in action at his battle station.
Slater was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. His citation read:
Slater was also awarded the Purple Heart. Frank O. Slater was buried at sea, and his marker stands in Arlington National Cemetery.
The destroyer escort USS Slater (DE-766) was named in his honor. The ship was laid down on 9 March 1943 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Company of Tampa, Florida; launched on 13 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. James L. Slater; and commissioned on 1 May 1944. USS Slater is now a museum ship on the Hudson River in Albany, New York.
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