Military Service in Porter CountyMilitary service of Porter County citizens . . . .
American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
Although Porter County did not exist at the time of the Revolutionary War, two soldiers who served in the war resided and are buried in the county. A third soldier may have also lived in the county as well. Biographical sketches of the two verified Revolutionary War soldiers of Porter County have been developed from a variety of sources.
War of 1812, 1812-1815
The following list of Porter County residents serving in the War of 1812 was extracted from an article published in The Vidette-Messenger on August 18, 1936 (Volume 10, Section 4, Page 12). Additional information concerning these soldiers has been obtained from a variety of sources.
Black Hawk War, 1832
The following list of Porter County residents serving in the Blackhawk War was extracted from an article published in The Vidette-Messenger on August 18, 1936 (Volume 10, Section 4, Page 12). Additional information concerning these soldiers has been obtained from a variety of sources.
Seminole War, 1835-1842
Porter County resident John Baum served as a soldier in the Seminole War.
Mexican-American War, 1846-1848
The following list of Porter County residents serving in the Mexican-American War was extracted from an article published in The Vidette-Messenger on August 18, 1936 (Volume 10, Section 4, Page 11). Note that other individuals residing in Porter County may have also served in this war but are omitted due to the lack of muster roll records.
American Civil War, 1861-1865
Published in 1876, the Hardesty List of Porter County Civil War Soldiers contains 1,103 records. Despite its numerous typographical and spelling errors, this is one of the most comprehensive lists of individuals from Porter County who served in the Civil War.
A. G. Hardesty also published a brief historical sketch of Porter County in the Civil War. Although not an extensive work, it provides a good starting point for researching various units that were predominantly formed from enlistees residing in Porter County.
An article concerning Porter County's contributions to the Civil War was reported in an article published in the centennial special edition of The Vidette-Messenger newspaper on August 18, 1936.
Spanish-American War, 1898
The following list of
Porter County residents serving in the Spanish-American War was extracted from an
article published in The Vidette-Messenger on August 18, 1936 (Volume 10,
Section 4, Page 11). The list includes individuals that resided in Porter County
before and/or after the war.
An article concerning
Porter County's contributions to the Spanish-American War
was reported in an
article published in the centennial special edition of The
Vidette-Messenger newspaper on August 18, 1936.
Mexican Expedition (Pursuit of Pancho Villa), 1916-1917
The following list of Porter County residents that served in Company L, Third Indiana Regiment, in the Mexican Expedition was extracted from the August 18, 1936, issue of The Vidette-Messenger (Volume 10, Section 4, Page 12). The purpose of this expedition was to capture Mexican General Pancho Villa along the US-Mexican border.
World War I (The Great War), 1914-1918
The following list of
Porter County casualties of World War I was extracted from William M. Haulsee's Soldiers of the Great War, which was published in 1920.
An article concerning
Porter County's contributions to
World War I was reported in an
article published in the centennial special edition of The
Vidette-Messenger newspaper on August 18, 1936.
Korean War, 1950-1953
The following list of Porter County casualties of the Korean War was extracted from numerous sources, including Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Record Group 407, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.
World War II, 1941-1945
The following list of Porter County casualties of World War II was extracted from a large number of sources, including newspaper records, government databases, and cemetery records.
Vietnam War, 1965-1975
The following list of Porter County casualties of the Vietnam War was extracted from Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.
Beirut, Lebanon, Barracks Bombing, October 23, 1983
Staff Sergeant Thomas P. Thorstad, a Chesterton resident, perished in the suicide bombing of the United States Marine barracks by Hezbollah operatives in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 23, 1983.
Iraq War and the Occupation of Iraq, 2003-present
The following list of Porter County casualties of the Iraq War and Occupation of Iraq was extracted from various newspaper sources.