The town of Portal is a small community (population 150) located in northwest North Dakota on the U.S./Canadian border. It has erected two monuments to memorialize its war dead from past wars. One monument lists the names of all those who died in World War I, World War II and Vietnam. This monument not only recognized those that perished from Portal but also North Portal, Saskatchewan. Although the two towns are separated by the border, they have a long history of joint activities. North Portal Canadian Legion has participated in Portal’s Memorial Day ceremonies for many years. During World War I, a number of Portal residents joined the Canadian Forces prior to the U.S. entering the war and died fighting for Canada.

The second monument recognizes Rodger Hertel from Portal who died in Vietnam. The plaque on the monument outlines his heroic actions during a fire fight in which he died. For his bravery, he received the Silver Star and 2 Bronze Stars. There is currently an ongoing effort to upgrade the Silver Star to a Congressional Medal of Honor.

The monuments are located in Portal Memorial Park. Each structure is 8 feet by 13 feet. Current and past residents of Portal, North Portal and surrounding communities contributed to make the monuments possible. Those who donated were recognized with their names inscribed on a brick. A total of 176 donors contributed to the project.