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Edith Porter-Stewart in uniform, San Diego, California [2005]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: USS Mount Hood (AE 29); USNS Mercy (T AH 19); 2nd MAW (Marine Aircraft Wing)
  • Location of Service: San Diego, California; Newport, Rhode Island; Cherry Point, North Carolina; South Carolina; Persian Gulf
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/93902

View full service history

"I found out that the most valuable time was between midnight and 6 a.m., because that's when the people down in the hole, the boiler room, that's when they could talk." (Video interview, 12:18)

Edith Rene Porter-Stewart began her third career as the first female chaplain to serve the Second Marine Aircraft Wing. Ever the pioneer, she went on to found and host on-base television shows, on-ship newspapers, and an airport ministry to bless departing and incoming soldiers. Included in her collection is a selection of the poetry that she wrote while on tour.

Interview / Recording

More Resources

View 2 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View 4 images in sequence.
[ Memoirs of Edith Rene Porter-Stewart, "Journey With Discrimination" ]
View 5 images in sequence.
[ Biographical information ]

About this Item

Title

  • Edith Rene Porter-Stewart Collection

Names

  • Military Chaplains Project 213
  • Porter-Stewart, Edith Rene
  • McCoy, Michael L.

Home State

  • South Dakota

Headings

  • -  Porter-Stewart, Edith Rene
  • -  Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Female

Race

  • American Indian and Alaskan Native

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Iraq War, 2003-2011

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Unit of Service: USS Mount Hood (AE 29); USNS Mercy (T AH 19); 2nd MAW (Marine Aircraft Wing)
    • Location of Service: San Diego, California; Newport, Rhode Island; Cherry Point, North Carolina; South Carolina; Persian Gulf
    • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
    • Dates of Service: 1989-2006
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as a chaplain at Marine Air Stations in North Carolina and South Carolina. She also began and operated an airport ministry at Cherry Point, North Carolina meeting personnel on aircraft incoming and outbound during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield.

Materials

  • Manuscript: Biographical information [2 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 2005-2013)
  • Manuscript: Creative works [2 items] -- Handwritten document (collected 1989-2006)
  • Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2013-09-10)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2013-09-10; 2013-09-10)
  • Photograph: Digital print [2 items] -- Photograph (collected 1992-2005)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [4 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1992)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/93902

Cite as

  • Edith Rene Porter-Stewart Collection (AFC/2001/001/93902), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Military Chaplains Project 213, Edith Rene Porter-Stewart, and Michael L McCoy. Edith Rene Porter-Stewart Collection. 1989. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.93902/.

APA citation style:

Military Chaplains Project 213, Porter-Stewart, E. R. & McCoy, M. L. (1989) Edith Rene Porter-Stewart Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.93902/.

MLA citation style:

Military Chaplains Project 213, Edith Rene Porter-Stewart, and Michael L McCoy. Edith Rene Porter-Stewart Collection. 1989. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.93902/>.