Louis Dalton Porter

PFC in 603rd Engineer Camouflage Bn : HQ & Service Co

ASN#18170747

Born 1919 in LA, Died 2006

Artist

County of residence at enlistment: Acadia Parish, LA

Other residence(s): Crowley, LA; Openlousas, LA; Oxon Hill, MD in 2002

United States Army, European Theatre of Operations

Occupation before the war: decorators and window dressers

Notes: Rank changed from PVT to PFC per New York Area Leave List; promoted to T/5 in Fort Meade clipping; final rank T/4

Source: 603rd Camouflage Engineer Roster provided by W. Anderson; 603rd reunion mailing list; Company D With Addresses Roster; Fort Meade clipping from Harold Dahl; Christmas 44 photos Nussenbaum Scrapbook

Louis Porter (aka Dalton Porter) was born on May 7, 1919 in Kaplan, LA, the youngest of nine children born to Louisiana-born French speakers in the heart of Cajun country. His father had been a farmer prior to Louis' birth, but by 1920 he had taken a job as a policeman in Kaplan. Sometime before 1930 the whole family moved to Biloxi, MS—a group that included Louis' parents, six of his siblings, his sister-in-law, and his nephew. Six of the adults, including both of his parents, worked in a seafood factory—some as fishermen and some as laborers.*

In 1932, Louis and his parents moved to Crowley, LA where Louis' father took a job as a watchman, and Louis attended Crowley High School, where he was an honor roll student, graduating in 1939. He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, at which time he was living in Opelousas (about 45 miles north of Crowley) and working at Maurice Heymann's department store. He was probably a decorator and window dresser, since that's the occupation he reported when he enlisted, on October 1, 1942.

He was assigned to the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion, trained at Fort Meade, MD and Fort Belvoir, VA, and served overseas with the unit. After returning home with the rank of T/4, he married Catherine "Kitty" Reed on July 12, 1945, while on a 30-day furlough. Kitty was from Maryland, and during the war she built radios and worked in retail in DC. The young couple had likely met while Louis was stationed in the DC area and, after his discharge, they settled in Prince George's County, MD. Louis worked as a sign maker for Hanlein Signs and Porter & Brady Signs. Later he opened Porter Signs where he hand-lettered signs and painted architectural renderings. He also applied gold leaf to the domes of several government buildings and the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

He retired in 1986 to devote his time to oil painting and often exhibited his work at local art shows. He painted portraits, nature scenes, and views of Fort Washington. In 2003, Prince George's purchased his five-foot painted bluebird sculpture, "The Prince," as a coronation gift for its sister city, the Royal Bafokeng Nation in South Africa. His obituary reports that he also wrote poetry, adopted stray cats, and enjoyed golf, fishing, and VFW reunions.

His wife, Kitty, was also a painter; they were the parents of a daughter, Carole.

Louis died from a heart attack on June 28, 2006 at his home in Oxon Hill, MD. He is buried at Maryland Veterans' Cemetery in Cheltenham, MD.

*Biloxi was a huge player in the seafood processing industry at the time. In 1930, they reported the production of 20,000,000 cans of oysters and shrimp.