Roger Koll
rogerkoll101@gmail.com
Raw Recruit
2080 Longleaf Dr W Pinehurst Nc 28374 US
Remembering SGT Porta
I will Never forget SGT Porta. He was an inspiration to me. He choose me to be the guide-on of platoon 2030, MCRD, San Diego, 1966 and my buddy, Jon Digranes, to be squad leader. We both came from a military high school and enlisted together. I knew my left foot from my right. I could spit shine a pair of Boots, too. He directed me to polish a pair of boots for him one day and I gladly did so. When I was finished I stepped into the Quonset Hut and said, 'Sargent Porta, your boots...' That's all the words I got out of my raw recruit mouth before he started in on me, 'SARGENT???!! YOU DON'T CALL ME SARGENT!!! YOU SAY, SIR, PERMISSION TO SPEAK SIR...DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!!' I got it! When I screwed up S/SGT Bacca took me out off the guide-on position but it wasn't long before SGT Porta put me back up front. I was squared away and he could see that. As the previous Marine said in his comment, SGT Porta's cadence was a song. One time I was given the duty of marching our platoon to the chow hall or somewhere and I tried to imitate his Call... 'LELL... RIGH... LELL... RIGH...' but it came out in a shacky timid voice and to the laughter of all the other recruits. There is a picture in our Marine Corps Recruit Depot picture album of me sitting on a foot locker spit shinning a pair of Dress Shoes while SGT Porta proudly looks over me and another picture of us pinning a ribbon on the guide-on staff together for winning the drill competition. He molded me into a fine Marine, I think. That's the kind of Leader he was. He was a hero to me. I will never forget him and I Honor him this Memorial Day for giving His All... the Full Measure.
May 26, 2014 |
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JOHN O'DONNELL
MARINE VET
HONORING A BRAVE MARINE HERO
THIS MAN HAS GIVEN OF HIMSELF EVERTHING HE COULD, SO THAT HIS BROTHER MARINES AND THE PEOPLE BACK HOME COULD LIVE A MORE PEACEFUL LIFE. THIS GIFT OF HIS LIFE SHOWS THE GREATNESS OF THIS HERO. HERO'S DON'T WEAR A CAPE OR MASK NO! THEY WEAR MARINE GREEN. HERO'S COME IN DIFFERENT SHAPE'S AND SIZE'S. AS EACH DAY PASSES,WE MUST TAKE THE TIME TO REMEMBER WHAT THIS HERO GAVE UP! SO THAT WE COULD LIVE IN A FREE SOCIETY. THANK YOU ! SEMPER FI! HERO YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN. DOSEN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE A 2YR, 3YR, 4YR, ENLISTMENT OR A DRAFTEE OR RESERVIST, OFFICER OR ENLISTED. YOU HAVE EARNED THE TITTLE OF UNITED STATES MARINE! A NATION CRIES OUT FOR THE LOSS OF ONE OF ITS SON'S.
Apr 8, 2014 |
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Marine Viet Nam Vet 3/26 Marines 68-69
Remembering a Warrior from 3rd Bat. 26th Marines.
Apr 8, 2013 |
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Duane Worley
duane.worley@gmail.coom
My platoon commander in boot camp
19 E 62nd Terrace Kansas City MO 64113 USA
This is the man I think of when I think of Marine
I echo the comments of Randy Shierman below. I, too, remember S/Sgt Porta's cadence as a song. A handful of us enlisted together in 1967 and joined Platoon 2213. We learned under him slowly and painfully what it meant to be a Marine. Everyone of us thought of S/Sgt Porta as the quintessential Marine, the Marine to emulate. We would have followed him anywhere. I mentioned him in a Memorial Day posting on the Huffington Post if any of you are interested.
Jun 25, 2012 |
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joseph 'DOC' garcia
hermano de la sangre
holly lake ranch tx 75765 us.
belated thanks to a true brother
IN TWO DAY'S IT WILL BE 43 YEARS SINCE YOUR PASSING. IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY. I WAS PINNED DOWN BY SNIPER FIRE IN A RICE PADDIE WITH THE LT. WHO SUSTAINED A HEAD WOUND.I CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE, YOU DID NOT HESITATE, WITH A FEW GOOD MEN YOU CAME FOR THE LT, THE RADIO MAN AND ME. NOT KNOWING IF THE SNYPER WAS STILL THERE YOU CAME. GREATER LOVE I HAVE ONLY HAD FROM MY SON AND GRANDCHILDREN. I WILL BE ETRNALLY GRATEFULL FOR YOUR COURAGE AND DEDICATION TO ALL OF US. WHOSE PRIVELEDGE IT WAS TO BE IN YOR COMPANY. WORDS ARE TRULLY INADEQATE. REST IN PEACE. IT WAS EASTER WHEN YOU PASSED DOC GARCIA
Apr 6, 2012 |
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TJ G
agruntvet@yahoo.com
He was my Senior Drill Instructer
PO BOX 61 Amargosa Valley NV 89020 USA
SSGT. Porta after 43 years I just found out you were KIA. This was just as much shock for me as being a recruit under your care in bootcamp MCRD 1967. I can still remember You telling us in bootcamp that some of us would not be coming back alive...you were right, many in our platoon died. It was a strange feeling for me to meet you in Lima 3/26, I was on my way back having finished my tour in Nam when you were starting your tour with Lima Co. Your last words to me were 'no hard feelings'. What an OUTSTANDING Drill Instructer you were! I will always remember you and RESPECT you, a true leader. RIP
Sep 13, 2011 |
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Lyle Dye
lsdye@msn.com
My Platoon leader
Good man- Good Marine
S/Sgt.Porta, just a word or two after all these years. I have thought of you often and the events of that day in April 1969. I was with you just minutes before we got word of you being hit. You were an insprition to us and it was hard to realize you were gone.
After all these years, just today, I had the pleasure and honor of speaking to one of your nephews, Jeff, on the phone. Even though he was only two years old when you died he wanted to know about you in Nam. After a nice visit and some stories, I assured him you were a good man and good Marine.
Rest in Peace. Semper Fi.
Lyle Dye
Lima 3/26
Sep 7, 2010 |
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Martin Coughlin
marmarmnm@yahoo,com
Childhood friend
310 N, Chippewa st Shepherd Mich 48883 Isabella
Born a Marine
We attended Saint Mary's school in Wayne, Mich. His father was the janitor for the school, so we knew the lay of the land. From the first time that we played, we played Marines. He was a born leader and was kind to we troops even then. You were an ispiration to so many people. Thank you for your courage and sacrefice.
Apr 15, 2010 |
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M. Cathy Giraud
cathygiraud@yahoo.com
He was my uncle Jerry
43566 Riverbend Blvd. Clinton Township Michigan 48038 USA
MY UNCLE WHO I NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW~
I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE ABOUT MY UNCLE, I WAS YOUNG WHEN HE WENT TO VIET NAM. I DO KNOW HE WAS VERY LOVING, AND KIND. HE WANTED TO GO, BECAUSE HE WAS TRAINING SO MANY YOUNG MEN TO GO TO FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOMS. HE WAS A DRILL SGT.AND HE FELT THE NEED TO GO, AS HE WAS TRAINING SO MANY OTHERS. HE HAD A WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN. HE TRULY IS A HERO IN MY EYES.
M. CATHY GIRAUD (NEE SCHULTZ)
Sep 1, 2008 |
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