The captain’s stateroom was the largest cabin on the ship. It featured a private bathroom or “head," complete with sink, shower and commode. The stateroom featured a single bunk, desk, file cabinet and a large hanging locker for the Commanding Officer’s uniforms. An actual photo of the CO’s family still sits atop the desk. The CO or Commanding Officer of a ship is often referred to as “Captain”, but he very often was not a Captain in rank but a Reserve Lieutenant Commander or Senior Lieutenant.

The SLATER’s Commanding Officer through the duration of World War II was a career merchant mariner from New Orleans, Marcel Blancq.  He was a plank owner and commanded the ship through her entire career until relieved in Japan in the fall of 1945. His photograph is above the bunk.  A photograph of his wife and daughter rests on the desk. Following the war, Blancq resumed his Merchant Marine career. Following his death in 2002, Blancq’s family scattered his ashes from SLATER in a ceremony aboard the ship.

When a ship was operating as a flagship of a six-ship escort division, the Division Commander would take over this stateroom. This left the CO no choice but to bump the Executive Officer from his bunk, creating a minor rearranging of officer berthing assignments.

The commanding officer of a destroyer escort had the ultimate luxury, he was the only one aboard with a private "head."