Groton Army veteran honors all who served

It is not unusual for soldiers to keep memorabilia from their time serving in the United States military, regardless of the nature of their memories, but one United States Army veteran and member of the Groton American Legion has dedicated his entire basement to a plethora of collections from every branch of the service that he has procured through the years.

Mike Portzline said he had been working on his family’s farm on the land that Tompkins Cortland Community College now occupies since his graduation from Dryden High School in 1964 and started thinking about enlisting in the Army.

“I figured I’d rather do that than keep milking cows,” Portzline said.

But he had no idea then what the next few years would bring, nor could he ever have imagined that he would end up with the “military museum” that he now “curates” in his home.

Everything from medals and uniforms to old magazines and newspapers with military stories in them all have their organized place in Portzline’s extensive collection. And whenever he finds a story written about someone local, he turns it into its own special display and has that person autograph it for him.

I was humbled and honored when I visited Portzline to see an edition of Tompkins Weekly with an article I had written about another veteran, Gary Pataki, displayed with Pataki’s autograph emblazoned on it.

“I don’t honor wars,” Portzline said. “But I do honor the veterans who served in them.”

When Portzline enlisted, he was sent to basic training for the infantry at Fort Dix, New Jersey, followed by jungle training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. From there, he went to jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia, and then straight to the war in Vietnam.

Portzline said he chose to become a paratrooper “because of family tradition.” His uncle, Don Portzline, and his brother, Gary Portzline, were both paratroopers, and Mike wanted to follow in their footsteps.

“When we got over there, I was the smallest guy in the platoon,” Mike said. “So, I got to be a tunnel rat. I’d go in little holes through the tunnels looking for anything the enemy might have hidden there — like paperwork, maps, guns, rice, whatever — and we’d destroy it. When we marched, we marched in a row, and I was the rear security. That meant my job was to just turn around and shoot if I heard any kind of noise back there at all.”

Mike was awarded a purple heart for getting his knee wounded in combat but is very cognizant of others who lost more, including their lives. He said he knew many from this region who “never came back.”

Mike was discharged as a sergeant in April 1969. He spoke about how difficult it was for him — a story I have heard from many Vietnam veterans — to reacclimate to civilian life.

“I couldn’t even get a job right away because soldiers who came back were treated so badly by people,” Mike said. “I finally stopped filling out that I served on the applications and then I finally got a job.”

Prior to his military days, Mike had been an avid bowler at Viking Lanes in Dryden, so he was the manager of the lanes for about two years before he landed a job as an inspector at Smith Corona.

It was there that he began to notice a woman named Mary, who also worked there. Mary also played on the softball team that Mike coached for 15 years, but it was Mike’s best friend, John Cooper, who actually introduced the two.

“Our first date was dinner at the Groton Hotel in 1976,” Mike said. “And we were married July 15, 1978.”

Mike and Mary built their lives in Groton, raising their son, Christopher, and working at Smith Corona until its closure in 1984.

“It was Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day, when I was told with 5 minutes’ notice at the end of the day that I was through there,” Mike said. “Of all the days!”

After that, Mike worked at Pall Trinity in Cortland for 25 years and retired in 2011.

While at Pall, Mike began giving what he called “roasting speeches” at retirement parties. He made quite a favorable impression with his wit and humor, and before long, he was being asked to give speeches about his days in the Army and his military collections.

“Vietnam was a useless war,” Mike said. “We lost over 58,000 people with an average age of 22, and it tore this country apart. People were either for it or against it and nothing in between, and those who were against it made it very hard for guys who were just there doing their duty. Most guys came home, took off their uniform and never spoke about it again.”

Mike’s philosophy is “if you don’t talk about it, it will eat you up,” so he has turned his own war stories and explanations about the items in his collections into talks that he gives at American Legion and VFW posts, museums and other venues in the local region. He is quite a sought-after guest.

“I keep it funny and educational but not gory,” Mike said.

While I have not yet personally heard one of Mike’s speeches, I am told they are captivating, so I hope we can all find an opportunity to hear one!

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.  

In brief: 
 
Memorial Day services 

For decades, it has been an honored tradition for the members of the Groton American Legion Carrington-Fuller Post 800 to remember and honor their departed comrades who are interred in 12 different cemeteries in and around the town of Groton by visiting each one on both Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, performing ceremonies, praying a corporate prayer and conducting a 21-gun salute.

Memorial Day will be observed on May 30 this year, which is actually the original date set for the holiday in 1868. The public is invited to join the Legionnaires in remembering those who gave their all so that we could have much.

The schedule is as follows: Terrence Graves Memorial on Main Street at 9 a.m., Bird Cemetery at 9:15 a.m., North Lansing Cemetery at 9:30 a.m., West Groton Rural Cemetery at 9:45 a.m., Peruville Cemetery at 10 a.m., Stonehedges Golf Course Cemetery at 10:15 a.m., McLean Cemetery at 11 a.m., East Groton Cemetery on Route 222 at 11:15 a.m., St. Anthony’s Cemetery at 11:30 a.m., Groton Rural Cemetery at 11:45 a.m., the Groton Nursing Home at noon and the Groton American Legion at 12:15 p.m.

Come to a block party! 

Groton Assembly of God, 701 S. Main St., is planning a block party on church property from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 4 with fun for everyone. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, bottled water, snacks and more, as well as a bounce house, inflatable obstacle course, lawn games and giveaways — and it’s all free! All are welcome to attend.

Plan ahead now for Vacation Bible School, which will take place July 24 through 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. nightly. This year’s theme will be “Mystery Island.” More details to come in the coming months, but save the dates now for your children to attend.

Self-defense for women 

The R.A.D. (Rape, Aggression, Defense Systems) women’s self-defense program is coming to Groton. The nationally developed R.A.D. program includes content on risk prevention, physical defense and developing self-reliance, all targeted toward empowering participants.

This program is perfect for women ages 16 and up heading off to college and the world beyond. Register at tshq.bluesombrero.com/grotonrecreation.