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Sailor spent 40 days at sea as
anti-aircraft gunner's mate
When President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, I had just
completed basic Naval Training. I was put
aboard the battleship Pennsylvania and assigned to the Gunnery Division. Operating the Anti Aircraft Guns was to be my main
duty for the duration.
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After the battle at Midway I left the Pennsylvania and served
on supply ships and later given duty on landing crafts.
Often a Gunner would be needed elsewhere and I would be sent out. When the duty was completed I had to hitch hike
back to my ship. I traveled many nautical
miles on the Pacific in this fashion.
Events of the war have left painful memories that will
forever haunt me. I spent 40 months of actual
sea duty and to this day I can't understand how any of us survived. Not only did we experience horrendous battles but
at times it seemed like the sea itself was an adversary far more unconquerable than our
human enemies. Seamen understand the feeling
of certain death looming as their frail craft is pitted against the might of a storm at
sea. Huge waves would take the bow under and
the ship would quiver and groan with popping sounds as it strained to surface only to be
taken under again and again until the elements gave up their efforts to break the vessel
apart.
In reflection, I marvel at the valor of all of our service
men. They went about their duties with one
common goal. They knew what they had to do and
the attitude was, "Get on with it and get it over!" Their determination combined with the knowledge
that we had to win this war made them a force too formidable to defeat.
Most of the time we were following directives that we didn't
understand but as the victories began to multiply, we could see the scheme of things
falling into place. The Generals and Admirals
who plotted the strategies were brilliant. I
shall always be a devout Admirer of General McArthur.
He had so much knowledge of the Pacific and I believe had to be the greatest
military tactician of all times.
It was such a long war! Letters,
pictures and packages from home sustained me. I
dreamed of the things I wanted to do once the war ended.
My wife and I hadn't even begun our life together when the war began but we
planned it all our in our letters.
I have not forgotten to be grateful that I was spared and able to come back. The Lord has blessed me. The family I craved was given to me. The business we always hoped to have became a reality and we have reasonably good health.
I, like every citizen, should be thankful that all of the
sacrifices that were made were not in vain because we are still free and America still
stands.
THE DAILY JOURNAL, St. Francois Co., Wednesday, April 26, 1995
The following is the text of F. L. Porter's obituary which was published in the DAILY JOURNAL on November 12, 2001:
PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN DIES
By LEROY SIGMAN\DailyJournal Staff Writer
FRENCH VILLAGE - A prominent former Lead Belt businessman, Francis Lloyd Porter, died late
Friday afternoon at his home here after and extended illness at the age of 83.
Better known by his initials, F. L., Porter founded and operated Porter Produce. The
wholesale produce company was located on East Main Street in Flat River and served as the
main source of vegetable products for most area grocery stores and restaurants.
After selling the produce company, which is now known as Proffer Produce, Porter went into
the wholesale grocery business. Based in French Village, F. L. Porter Foods continues to
serve restaurants and grocery stores over a wide area of Southeast Missouri.
Sharing in the operation of his companies was his wife, Anna Lee Porter, who survives him,
and his two daughters. His daughter Patti Leftridge, who is very active in the business,
was a common sidekick with her father on deliveries. At one point, he painted F. L. Porter
and Daughters Food Company on his delivery truck.
Also active in the business is another daughter, Linda Weiss of Bonne Terre, and
granddaughter, Jennifer Weiss of French Village. A son-in-law, Donald Leftridge, is now
president of the firm, something those close to Porter said he was very proud about. He
considered both his firms family businesses in which everyone became involved.
Two brothers, the late Chalmer Porter, and Billy Ray Porter now of Alto Pass, Ill., were
also involved with him in Porter Produce Co. They were recognized as having brought in the
first railroad car full of lettuce to the Lead Belt during their early business days.
Visitation for Porter will be at 4:30 p.m. today at Horton-Wampler Funeral Home in Park
Hills with a VFW service at 7 p.m. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Horton
Wampler Funeral Home. Dr. Carl Painter and Chester (Bud) Moyers will officiate.
Born near Malden, Porter recalled his early childhood as one of meager resources. He often
spoke of working in the watermelon fields of the Bootheel, his first experience in the
world of produce. His friends and family describe him as the epitome of "a self-made
man."
Porter served four years with the U.S. Navy during World War II, 40 continuous months of
those being spent in the South Pacific. Much of that time he was involved in landing
troops, his photographic memory being of great advantage to avoiding reefs and shoals
along the coasts of islands.
Porter had what friend Dr. Carl Painter described as "an uncanny knack for training
horses." He took that up as a hobby and trained many successful show horses.
While it was a hobby in which he took great pleasure, the animals were also special to
Porter as companions. He and his wife owned one of their horses, Jim Dandy, for 38 years.
A member of the Bonne Terre Church of Christ, Porter was very fond of gospel music and
formed a local quartet group.
For the past 10 years, Porter suffered from a lingering illness and most recently was
served by a hospice group for which his wife expressed tremendous gratitude. She said she
could not believe how caring they were, particularly in the final days.
Porter also suffered from Alzheimer's, which Painter and Mrs. Porter said was difficult.
Even so, he remembered many about whom he cared dearly about and on occasion would slip
off to visit them. A local bank whose staff he loved to visit gave him a ball cap and it
got to a point he would insist on wearing it even when he went to bed.
Painter, who also lives at French Village, said Porter was "well liked by many who
knew him for his good humor and benevolence."
[DailyJournal/Nov. 12, 2001]