Hospital Corpsman Second Class Michael Louis Laporte, USN, was assigned to the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, Danang, Republic of Vietnam.

On September 3, 1967, Petty Officer Laporte was assigned as the team corpsman of nine man reconnaissance patrol that was inserted by parachute into Happy Valley, Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam. Petty Officer Laporte was the fifth man in the jump sequence. All nine chutes opened, but a westerly wind of about 30 knots caused the team to drift. Petty Officer Laporte was seen by team members to be drifting out and beyond the others. This was the last time he was observed. He did not join the patrol as planned. An immediate search was conducted by the patrol with negative results. This was Petty Officer Laporte's 13th jump and he was very experienced in such operations, having been in the country about two years. It was the belief of the jump master that Petty Officer Laporte was not injured on landing and that he could evade the enemy. Later in the day the patrol was hit by an enemy patrol of 5 - 6 Viet Cong. All the members of the reconnaissance patrol were recovered except Petty Officer Laporte.

Initially, Petty Officer Laporte was listed as Missing In Action. On December 1, 1977, his status was changed to Presumed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered. During the period he was listed as Missing In Action, Petty Officer Laporte was advanced to the rank of Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman.

Senior Chief Laporte was born August 21, 1944, in Seattle, Washington, and listed Los Angeles, California, as his Home of Record.