Guide to the Neil C. Porter papers, 1919-1986

(bulk 1933-1962)


Naval War Collection (U.S.). Naval Historical Collection
686 Cushing Road
Newport, RI 02841-1207
Tel: 401-841-2435
email: nhc@usnwc.edu
Website: https://usnwcarchive.org/

Published in 2018

Collection Overview

Title: Neil C. Porter papers
Date range: 1919-1986, (bulk 1933-1962)
Creator: Porter, Neil C. (Neil Claiborne), 1913-2015
Extent: 3.15 linear feet (3 Hollinger boxes, 1 Half Hollinger box, 1 oversize box)
Abstract: This collection consists of papers detailing Captain Neil C. Porter’s (1913-2015) life and career in the U.S. Navy and at the Naval War College. It also includes the diary of Lieutenant Commander Charles H. Ritt (1890-1965), his father-in-law.
Language of materials: English
Repository: Naval War Collection (U.S.). Naval Historical Collection
Collection number: MSC 350

Scope & content

This collection consists of military service records, flight log books, photographs, scrapbooks, and other materials relating to Neil C. Porter’s life and career in the United States Navy including his time as an instructor at the Naval War College. Also included in this collection is a diary from Porter’s father-in-law, Lt. Cdr. Charles H. Ritt, in which he details his experiences working at the Naval Training Station in Newport, R.I. before starting his tour of duty on the USS New York as an assistant paymaster.

Access Points

Subject Names Subject Organizations Subject Names Subject Topics Geographical Names Subject Topics Document Types

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in alphabetical order by genre.

Biographical note

Captain Neil Claiborne Porter, USN (Ret.) was born on January 17, 1913 in Coalgate, Oklahoma to Irvine Craig (1886-1921) and Alethea Wallace Porter (1888-1968). Porter grew up in Homewood, Alabama and after going to the Birmingham Southern College, he joined the U.S. Army and attended U.S. Military Academy, West Point. He later joined the U.S. Navy in 1936 after serving as a civil service engineering aid with the U.S. Army Engineers in the Atchafalaya Hydrographic Survey. In 1939, he was commissioned an ensign and began his career as a naval aviator. He started first as a naval aviation cadet at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida and was later an instructor pilot there from 1940-1943.

During World War II, he served as executive officer and later commanding officer of a four engine landplane bomber-photographic squadron in the Pacific, seeing action in the Marshal-Gilbert campaign, and the Mariana campaign. He later served as Ships Officer on the aircraft carrier, Yorktown, and seeing action in the Philippines, and in the Caroline Islands. He was selected as Air Operations Officers for the Commander, Seventh Fleet, Vice Admiral (later Admiral) T. C. Kinkaid.

Following the war, he held a variety of assignments including executive officer of the USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107) stationed at Quonset Point, commanding officer of a Naval Air Transport Squadron of DC-6 aircraft (VR-22) in Norfolk, Virginia, and commanding officer of the Naval Air Facility at Lajes Field in the Azores. His final assignment with the Navy was at the Naval War College where he acted as the Assistant Head of the Academic Plans Department. In that role, he was in charge of long range academic planning and the College’s evaluation of function.

Porter retired from the Navy on June 30, 1962 and remained in Newport, RI with his wife and family. Throughout his naval career he earned the following: four Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, four Air Medals, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the China Service Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Area Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Area Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Medal, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal and various letters of commendation.

In retirement, Porter was active with the Trinity Church, Newport Art Association, Clambake Club, Newport Garden Club, and Redwood Library. Captain Neil C. Porter passed away on November 13, 2015 at the age of 102.

Neil C. Porter was married to Madeline Ritt Porter (1915-1998) for sixty years and they had two children: Neil C. Porter, Jr. and Charles R. Porter. Madeline was the daughter of Lieutenant Commander Charles Henry (1890-1965) and Emeline Vars Ritt (1892-1934). Her father served in the Navy for thirty years as a paymaster.

Chronology

Date Event
1913 Born in Coalgate, Oklahoma
1929-1932 State Teacher’s College and Birmingham-Southern College
1932-1935 Served in U.S. Army
1934-1935 U.S. Military Academy, West Point
1935-1936 Engineering Aide, U.S. Army Engineers, New Orleans District, Atchafalaya Hydrographic Survey
1936 Joined Navy as a Naval Aviation Cadet in Pensacola, Florida
1937 Commissioned as an Ensign and designated an aviator
1942 Appointed Lieutenant Commander
1946 General Line School, Newport, R.I.
1952 Armed Forces Staff College
1954-1957 U.S. Naval War College student and later Head, Strategy and Tactics Department
1956 Selected for captain
1959-1961 Commanding Officer, Naval Air Facility, Lajes Field, Azores
1960 Earned Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland
1961-1962 Assistant Head of Academic Plans and Long Range Academic Planning Officer, Senior Command Duty Officer, U. S. Naval War College
1962 Retirement from Navy
2015 Died at age 102 in Newport, R.I.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: Access is open to all researchers, unless otherwise specified.
Use of the materials: Material in this collection is in the public domain, unless otherwise noted.
Preferred citation: Author, “Title,” Page or Date. Neil C. Porter papers, MSC 350, Box number, Folder number. Naval Historical Collection, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
Contact information: Naval War Collection (U.S.). Naval Historical Collection
686 Cushing Road
Newport, RI 02841-1207
Tel: 401-841-2435
email: nhc@usnwc.edu
Website: https://usnwcarchive.org/

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: Gift of the estate of Captain Neil C. Porter, June 2016. (Ms.Ac.2016.1)
Accruals: No further accruals are expected.
Processing information: This collection was arranged and described according to current archival standards by Elizabeth Delmage in 2018.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Delmage.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Stacie M. Parillo, 2018 Apr 27.
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS).

Additional Information

Separated material: Registers of graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy, 1802-1972, Association of Graduates U.S.M.A., 1972. Registers of graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy, 1802-2008, Association of Graduates U.S.M.A., 2008.

Inventory

Box 1, Folder 1-5 Aviators flight log books
 1936 Oct-1961 Sep
Box 2, Folder 1 Booklet of general plans: Aircraft carrier CV-10
 1944
Box 1, Folder 6 Christmas menus, West Point Preparatory School
 1933
Box 5x Commission as Lieutenant (junior grade)
 1941 Feb 26
Box 1, Folder 7 Correspondence
 1964, 1972, 1986
Box 3, Folder 1 Diary of Lieutenant Commander Charles H. Ritt
 1919
Box 2, Folder 2 Flight training records and tests
 1957-1958
Box 3, Folder 2 Identification card
 1956 Jul 19
Box 3, Folder 3-8 Military orders
 1936-1952
Box 4, Folder 1-7 Military orders
 1953-1962
Box 4, Folder 8 Naval aviator certificate
 1937 Oct 28
Box 4, Folder 9 Officer Candidate School fact book
 1965
Box 2, Folder 3-4 Photographs
 1933-1935, 1953-1961, and undated
Box 2, Folder 3-4 Postcards
 undated
Box 5x, Folder 1-2 Scrapbooks
 1936, 1942-1956