African American, Company D, Alaska Highway. Born: 24 August 1919, Ballsville, Powhatan, VA. Died: 3 June 2020, Laurels of Willow Creek, Powhatan, Virginia. Enlisted: 14 August 1941, Richmond, VA and honorably discharged 20 November 1945.
Education: one year high school. Civilian occupation: general farming employed by B.F. McLaurine. His father was Robert Smith, general farming, and his mother was Lucy Smith. In 1930 census she was listed as a widow.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF PORTER SMITH
He was the unofficial “Mayor” of Ballsville, Powhatan, Virginia. His family wrote that he transitioned from labor to reward on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at the age of 101. He had been living at the Laurels of Willow Creek since 2016 and was the last surviving child of the ten born to Robert and Lucy Smith.
He was baptized and later joined at a young age at Mt. Pero Baptist Church. One of the first members of the “organized” Ushers Ministry of Mt. Pero, he ushered over seventy years until his health failed. Porter had previously served as a trustee for his church and was a sexton for a period of time.
In 1941, Porter enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. He was a Private in the 93rd Engineer Regiment out of Camp Livingston, Louisiana.
Seven regiments built the 1600 miles of the Alaska Highway in eight months during World War II. Three of those regiments, 3600 soldiers, were black and they received no credit for their enormous contribution. Porter suffered from the cold, mosquitoes, muskeg, isolation and the “invisible hand” of Jim Crow where white officers ruled and the segregated soldiers obeyed. The conditions were so terrible that Porter said, “One day I got down on my knees and said to God, if you ever let me get back to Ballsville, I will never leave.” And that is what he did.
Honorably discharged in 1945, he was awarded eight medals. Among them were the Good Conduct medal, the American Campaign Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with a Bronze Star. After the Highway was completed, the 93rd was assigned to the Aleutian Islands.
Porter witnessed racial injustice and mistreatment of black soldiers while in the Army. He decided to become part of the solution and not the problem – he joined the civil rights movement. He worked diligently to encourage people to register to vote and made sure once registered that they voted sometimes providing needed transportation to voting precincts.
Porter was an avid gardener. He loved flowers, the outdoors and landscaping. His talent took him to Richmond, Virginia where he worked for Mrs. Phoebe Antrim and her late husband. They remained close friends.
He celebrated his 100th birthday in 2019 with family and friends. While at the Laurels, friends and family visiting him always took him to the Tobaccoville store to get his favorite “chicken” and a coke. Uncle Porter will be remembered always with laughter and sometimes tears.
Serial #33097619