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| 69k | William David Porter, son of Commodore David Porter and elder brother of Admiral David Dixon Porter, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on 10 March 1808. He entered the Navy as a Midshipman in January 1823 and attained the rank of Lieutenant at the end of 1833. He was retired in September 1855, but was later reinstated on active duty with the rank of Commander. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, he was commanding the sloop of war USS Saint Mary's. Late in 1861, Porter took command of the newly-converted gunboat New Era, serving in the Mississippi River area with the Army's Western Gunboat Flotilla. He renamed her Essex, after his father's old ship of the War of 1812. During late 1861 and early 1862, he had Essex further modified and took her into action on a number of occasions, distinguishing himself for his courageous conduct. After the gunboat was damaged in action with Fort Henry, Tennessee, in February 1862, Porter had the ship virtually rebuilt. He then commanded her in further combat undertakings, including the destruction of the Confederate ironclad Arkansas. A controversial figure in the Navy, Porter received the rank of Commodore in recognition of his achievements, but was detached from Essex in September 1862 and had no further assignments afloat. He died on 1 May 1864. Photo #: NH 47209. Commodore William D. Porter, USN, line engraving by John Chester Buttre, after an 1863 photograph taken by Fredricks & Company. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 137k | In Massacre Bay, Attu, Aleutian Islands, with other destroyers, 9 June 1944. Her camouflage is Measure 32, Design 14d. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | Fred Weiss | |
| 110k | USS William D. Porter (DD-579) sinking after she was near-missed by a "Kamikaze" suicide aircraft off Okinawa, 10 June 1945. USS LCS-122 is standing by. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
| 83k | Sinking after she was near-missed by a "Kamikaze" suicide aircraft off Okinawa, 10 June 1945. USS LCS-86 and another LCS are alongside, taking off her crew. Though not actually hit by the enemy plane, William D. Porter received fatal underwater damage from the near-by explosion. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Fred Weiss | |
USS WILLIAM D. PORTER DD-579 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Contact Name: Bus Bowman
Address: 301 Lincoln St, Bradshaw, Nebr 68319
Phone: (402)736-4453
E-mail: darlenebowman@inebraska.com
Next reunion: Contact Bill Glover June 6-10, 2001 Mobile, Alabama
Note About Contacts.