AUGUSTA – An Army soldier with ties to Waterville has died while serving in Afghanistan, according to a press release issued by Maine Gov. John E. Baldacci
Spc. Wade A. Slack of Waterville died Thursday, May 6 while serving in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan with the U.S. Army’s 707th Ordnance Battalion from Fort Lewis, Wash., the release stated.
“We can never take for granted the service of our men and women in uniform,” Baldacci said in a prepared statement. “They are the best among us and sacrifice for their country and their communities. Our prayers go out to Spcecialist Slack’s family and friends.”
Baldacci spoke Friday with Slack’s mother and father, who live in Waterville.
“He loved his family and he loved his country,” Baldacci said. “He was a dedicated soldier who served his country with honor. All of Maine mourns his passing.”
The governor will order flags lowered to half-staff on the day Slack’s funeral, the release stated.
U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, also issued a statement on Slack’s death.
“Words cannot do justice to the honor with which he served his country and the sadness and loss his family now feels,” Michaud said, also in a prepared statement issued from his Lewiston office. “Our state has a long tradition of coming together during a crisis, and I know the entire Waterville community and all Mainers will join me in assisting Wade’s family with whatever they need during this difficult time. When we lose a soldier from one of our hometowns, we are reminded of the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice their service requires.”
U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, also issued a statement on Slack’s death.
“Indeed, we owe him a debt of immeasurable gratitude that we can never repay, and must never forget,” Snowe said in a prepared statement issued from Washington. “I offer my heartfelt sympathies as we honor the solemn memory of this fallen soldier, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of us all.”
Additional information on the conditions surrounding Slack’s death were not immediately available.
Slack was a 2007 graduate of Waterville High School.
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- A photo from Slack’s MySpace page, taken in 2007.
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