D-Day veteran Bob Slaughter passes away
ROANOKE – D-Day veteran Bob Slaughter died the day after ceremonies marking Memorial Day at the memorial he fought so hard to get established.
Roanoke County resident Slaughter was one of the main men who pushed for establishment of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford County. The location was chosen by Salem, Roanoke, Roanoke County and Bedford County veterans as a tribute to so many of Bedford’s young men who fought and died on Omaha Beach and other beachheads on June 6, 1945. The unit that was sent from Bedford became immortalized as “the Bedford Boys.”
There is a move to make the memorial a part of the national parks system.
Slaughter was on the board of directors of the National D-Day Memorial, and wrote a book of his remembrances from World War II, especially D-Day itself.
No details were released by Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital today, May 29, when the hospital made the announcement of Slaughter’s passing.
For more information, see this week’s May 31 print issue of the Salem Times-Register.
