Richard Wells - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

Betweeners

Click on Veteran's photo to see their service story. These Warriors served during times between major conflicts

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I donate?

I have created a way to accept donations to grow the project, use the WWII Veterans Portrait Series Go Fund Me.

Where are you located?

I live in the San Diego area but have traveled to many locations to interview and photograph Veterans.


How Long is an Appointment?

Appointments usually last an hour. But please free up time for Mickey to set up lights and cameras, hold the interview, and take some still photographers for in the project.

Do you accept reservations?

Yes is the simple answer to the question. Each appointment is set up as an individual session. Group sessions have been set up when I visited a senior living facility or many of the California Veterans Homes.

Copyright © 2024 Mickey Strand – Veterans Series
US NAVY LCDR Born Sep 14th, 1931, Richard Wells, aka Dick, joined the U.S. Navy in 1953 at 22 years old with an undergraduate degree to become a Pilot. Richard, already married, attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport Road Island for one year. After graduation, he and his wife moved to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, where Dick attended flight training. The school was about eight months, followed by advanced flight training in Kingsville, Texas. Advanced training transitioned him into jet aircraft with the Lockheed T2V SeaStars. Dicks first active duty assignment kept him in Kingsville Tx. teaching all-weather flight skills with the Trojan T-28 trainers for three years. They then moved to California when Dick received orders to VF-53, the Iron Angels at Naval Air Station Miramar. There he flew the Grumman F-9 Cougar and Vought F-8 Crusader, both carrier-based fighter aircraft. VF-53, assigned to Career Air Group (CAG), deployed onboard the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) in 1960-61 on a Western Pacific operations Deployment (Westpac). This deployment was during the Pre-Conflict operations in Vietnam. He and the squadron, assigned to the Navy's 7th Fleet, and Dick recalls pulling into Japan where they had to launch aircraft while the ship was in port; this was a very exciting dockside shot. Dick ended his active duty service in 1961 but remained in the reserves until 1968, flying with VF-53 stationed at Los Alamitos Naval Air Station, flying the Douglas A-4 Sky Hawk. Richard and his wife had three children.
Richard Wells - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US NAVY LCDR Born Sep 14th, 1931, Richard Wells, aka Dick, joined the U.S. Navy in 1953 at 22 years old with an undergraduate degree to become a Pilot. Richard, already married, attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport Road Island for one year. After graduation, he and his wife moved to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, where Dick attended flight training. The school was about eight months, followed by advanced flight training in Kingsville, Texas. Advanced training transitioned him into jet aircraft with the Lockheed T2V SeaStars. Dicks first active duty assignment kept him in Kingsville Tx. teaching all-weather flight skills with the Trojan T-28 trainers for three years. They then moved to California when Dick received orders to VF-53, the Iron Angels at Naval Air Station Miramar. There he flew the Grumman F-9 Cougar and Vought F-8 Crusader, both carrier-based fighter aircraft. VF-53, assigned to Career Air Group (CAG), deployed onboard the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) in 1960-61 on a Western Pacific operations Deployment (Westpac). This deployment was during the Pre-Conflict operations in Vietnam. He and the squadron, assigned to the Navy's 7th Fleet, and Dick recalls pulling into Japan where they had to launch aircraft while the ship was in port; this was a very exciting dockside shot. Dick ended his active duty service in 1961 but remained in the reserves until 1968, flying with VF-53 stationed at Los Alamitos Naval Air Station, flying the Douglas A-4 Sky Hawk. Richard and his wife had three children.