Guide to the Neil C. Porter papers, 1919-1986
(bulk 1933-1962)
Naval War College (U.S.). Naval Historical Collection
686 Cushing Road
Newport, RI 02841-1207
Tel: 401-841-2435
email: nhc@usnwc.edu
Website: https://usnwcarchives.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 archival boxes, 1 half archival 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 College (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 Document TypesArrangement
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 College (U.S.). Naval Historical Collection 686 Cushing Road Newport, RI 02841-1207 Tel: 401-841-2435 email: nhc@usnwc.edu Website: https://usnwcarchives.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: |
|
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 |