Gerard Paul PortaStaff SergeantLIMA CO, 3RD BN, 26TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV United States Marine Corps 08 February 1944 - 08 April 1969 Wayne, Michigan Panel 27W Line 040 |
 
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The database page for Gerard Paul Porta
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SSgt Gerard Paul Porta was killed in action on Operation Oklahoma Hills which took place on a place called Charlie Ridge which was on the Ho Chi Minh Trail above the A Shau Valley. He died in a firefight. LZ (Landing Zone) Porta was named after him. SSgt Porta died in the arms of a Lima Company Corpsman. He was saying the Lord's Prayer when he passed. Semper Fi
From a fellow Marine. |
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To all who remember Staff Sergeant Porta from the drill field at MCRD San Diego... I was a private in Fox Company, Platoon 2001 in the summer of 1967, and he made a group of individuals into Marines. I remember his eagerness for orders for Vietnam and praying to the "Little Blue Chevy Eater", his 1965 Ford 427 Fairlane. S/Sgt Porta, I will never forget that time in my life and I remember hearing of your death in Vietnam. I was glad to already be back!
Semper Fidelis |
A Note from The Virtual WallThe A Shau Valley runs more or less north-south along the Laotian-Vietnamese border in Thua Thien Province. Operation OKLAHOMA HILLS was conducted well to the southeast of the A Shau in the Charlie Ridge-Happy Valley area to the north of Thuong Duc, Quang Nam Province. The III MAF Significant Events message for 08 April contains the following entry:
Staff Sergeant Porta is the Marine who was killed in the action being reported. |
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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 28 Sep 2005
Last updated 08/10/2009