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2nd Lt John T. Slater Jr. graduated from Waverly High School in 1936 and attended Hobart College.

He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army as an aviation cadet in Elmira, New York, on 22 November 1940.

He received his preliminary training with the U.S. Army Air Corps in Alabama and enlisted in the RAF, going to California for further training.

After spending Christmas with his parents, he sailed for England on 1 January 1942.

For a year, he had been a pilot with the rank of Pilot Officer in the Eagle squadron, a group of American pilots who enlisted and were fighting with the Royal Air Force. Up until a few days before his last flight, he had been engaged in action with the RAF Squadron, but the transfer from the Eagle Squadron to U.S. ranks made him a pilot in American service. When the transfer was made, he received a commission as a second lieutenant.

While on a shipping reconnaissance off the Dutch coast, 2nd Lt John T. Slater Jr. located and attacked a convoy protected by several flak ships. His airplane was struck by flak, and he notified his wingman that he was going to bail out. Before he could, his plane nosed over and went in from 1,000 feet.

The 4th Fighter Group was established on 22 August 1942 and was formed by the transfer of the N° 71, N° 121, and N° 133 Eagle Squadrons RAF, which became the U.S. Army Air Force 334th, 335th, and 336th Fighter Squadrons.

By the first week in September, those Eagles who wanted to transfer to the U.S. Army Air Force were sent to London in groups of two or three to the American Army headquarters. After physical examiniation and interviews they were sworn into the U.S. Army Air Force in the middle of September 1942, changed their ranks, and were provided with American uniforms.

They then returned to their RAF squadrons, in which they flew missions until the three squadrons, together with their Spitfires, moved to RAF Debden for the official transfer ceremony on 29 September 1942.

For this reason, Lt Slater is mentioned as a 2nd Lt of the 335th Fighter Squadron, although he must have been flying with his comrades of the RAF in N° 121 Squadron when he was shot down.