Leon in Monroe County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Donald "Deke" Slayton

Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 18, 2011

1. Donald "Deke" Slayton Marker

[south side of marker]

Inscription. Astronaut Deke Slayton was born in Sparta on March 1, 1924. His parents, Victoria and Charles Slayton, lived on a farm in the town of Leon. As a young boy, he attended Leon School in this building, which now serves as the Leon Community Center.

Slayton graduated from Sparta High School in 1941 and entered the United States Air Force. As a B-25 pilot during World War II, he flew 56 combat missions in Europe and 7 missions over Japan.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Slayton joined NASA. Deke became one of the Mercury astronauts in 1959 and later served as Director of Flight Crew Operations. In 1975, he made his first space flight as Apollo docking module pilot of the Apollo-Soyuz test project, which resulted in the first meeting in space between American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts.

Erected 2008
Wisconsin Historical Society

Erected 2008 by the Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 520.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1759.

Location. 43° 52.523′ N, 90° 49.726′

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W. Marker is in Leon, Wisconsin, in Monroe County. Marker is on Jameson Road east of Wisconsin Highway 27, on the right when traveling east. Marker is at the Leon Community Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20638 Jameson Road, Sparta WI 54656, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Driftless Area (approx. 3½ miles away); Coulee Country (approx. 3½ miles away); Monroe County Courthouse (approx. 4.8 miles away); U.S. Post Office (approx. 4.8 miles away); Masonic Lodge (approx. 4.8 miles away); Sparta Free Library (approx. 4.9 miles away); Civil War Cannon (approx. 5.3 miles away); Wisconsin Child Center Cemetery (approx. 5.6 miles away).

Also see . . . Deke Slayton. Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on June 20, 2011.)

Additional keywords. Donald Kent “Deke” Slayton

Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 18, 2011

2. Donald "Deke" Slayton Marker

[north side of marker with duplicate text]

Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 18, 2011

3. Donald "Deke" Slayton Marker

Leon Community Center

Nearby Highway Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 18, 2011

4. Nearby Highway Sign

Astronaut Deke Slayton Memorial Highway [State Highway 27]

Deke Slayton Statue at Sparta, Wisconsin Masonic Temple image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2012

5. Deke Slayton Statue at Sparta, Wisconsin Masonic Temple

Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,003 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 20, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 5. submitted on July 8, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.