Private First Class Porter was a member of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy at Ching Dong-ni (School Yard), South Korea on 7 August 1950 by enemy artillery fire.

Porter was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.