Walter R. Potter Jr. - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

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Korean War

Click on Veteran's photo to see their service story. These Warriors served during the Korean War

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.

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U.S. ARMY Private First Class Korean War Walter Potter was born on March 12, 1934, and raised in Upper Lake, California, until 1947, when he and his mother relocated to Redding. At age 16, Walter left school, moved to Hayfork, California, and began working in a sawmill with the Trinity Alps Lumber Company. As his 19th birthday approached, he knew his number for the draft was bound to come up and would send him to Korea, so he volunteered. He reported to Fort Ord, California, for boot camp on July 7, 1953. Upon graduation, he was selected to be trained as a wheel vehicle mechanic with a MOS of 91B. Wheeled vehicle mechanics supervise and perform field-level maintenance and recovery operations on light and heavy-wheeled vehicles, their associated trailers, and material handling equipment. This school was also on Fort Ord, and after graduation, the manpower office lined up the graduates. Those soldiers whose last names began with A-M were selected to report to Korea, while those whose last names began with N-Z received orders to be deployed to Germany with the occupational forces. PVT Potter was deployed overseas to Germany, riding on the troop ship USS General H. W. Butner (APA-113) to serve with the occupational forces as a truck driver for the service battery of the 597th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 92nd Infantry Division. His unit operated the 155mm howitzers, and Walter drove the ammunition supply trucks that serviced these weapon installations. Some of his best memories of Germany were the castles in the Frankfurt area along the Rhine that he passed on his routes. He enjoyed visiting these castles while on liberty pass. PVT Potter also had the chance to fire a 105 mm howitzer during training and enjoyed that experience, but he really loved his truck and its duty. After two years in Germany, Corporal Potter returned to the United States on the USNS Marine Corps (T-AP 199) troop ship. It experienced very rough seas during the crossing. He remembered pulling into New York City harbor before reporting to Fort Ord for out-processing. After two years of active duty, his service time was completed, and on May 25, 1955, he was honorably discharged. Walter was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany). He married his wife, Audra Mae, and they had four children. After the Army, Walter returned to the Trinity Alps Lumber Company, this time as a truck driver hauling logs. His son, Steven, also served in the Army and is also a resident at the Redding CALVET Home.
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Walter R. Potter Jr. - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
U.S. ARMY Private First Class Korean War Walter Potter was born on March 12, 1934, and raised in Upper Lake, California, until 1947, when he and his mother relocated to Redding. At age 16, Walter left school, moved to Hayfork, California, and began working in a sawmill with the Trinity Alps Lumber Company. As his 19th birthday approached, he knew his number for the draft was bound to come up and would send him to Korea, so he volunteered. He reported to Fort Ord, California, for boot camp on July 7, 1953. Upon graduation, he was selected to be trained as a wheel vehicle mechanic with a MOS of 91B. Wheeled vehicle mechanics supervise and perform field-level maintenance and recovery operations on light and heavy-wheeled vehicles, their associated trailers, and material handling equipment. This school was also on Fort Ord, and after graduation, the manpower office lined up the graduates. Those soldiers whose last names began with A-M were selected to report to Korea, while those whose last names began with N-Z received orders to be deployed to Germany with the occupational forces. PVT Potter was deployed overseas to Germany, riding on the troop ship USS General H. W. Butner (APA-113) to serve with the occupational forces as a truck driver for the service battery of the 597th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 92nd Infantry Division. His unit operated the 155mm howitzers, and Walter drove the ammunition supply trucks that serviced these weapon installations. Some of his best memories of Germany were the castles in the Frankfurt area along the Rhine that he passed on his routes. He enjoyed visiting these castles while on liberty pass. PVT Potter also had the chance to fire a 105 mm howitzer during training and enjoyed that experience, but he really loved his truck and its duty. After two years in Germany, Corporal Potter returned to the United States on the USNS Marine Corps (T-AP 199) troop ship. It experienced very rough seas during the crossing. He remembered pulling into New York City harbor before reporting to Fort Ord for out-processing. After two years of active duty, his service time was completed, and on May 25, 1955, he was honorably discharged. Walter was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany). He married his wife, Audra Mae, and they had four children. After the Army, Walter returned to the Trinity Alps Lumber Company, this time as a truck driver hauling logs. His son, Steven, also served in the Army and is also a resident at the Redding CALVET Home.