Gerald Kogle - Korean War - 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
Please email

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 © 2025 Mickey Strand – Veterans Series
United States Army Infantry & National Guard Sergeant Korean War Gerald Kogle was raised in Kansas, where his parents ran a garage and a restaurant in the small town of Mayfield. He gained his first cooking experience as a child working in his parents' restaurant. Gerald joined the Army on December 3rd, 1952, and attended basic training at Camp Roberts in California. He was initially trained as a Heavy Weapons Operator, specifically a machine gun operator. Private Gerald Kogle's first assignment was with the 45th Division National Guard, I Corps Artillery, aka the “Thunderbirds,” in Oklahoma. He served there as a heavy machine gun operator. The unit was mobilized and sent to Korea before he was assigned. They participated in combat roles in the Yonchon-Chorwon sector, Heartbreak Ridge, and notable battles for Pork Chop Hill and Old Baldy. During his time with the 45th, he did a small amount of cooking. Following the ceasefire, Kogle was sent to the Cook and Baker School in Inchon, Korea, because the military needed more cooks and he had prior experience. He spent six weeks in primary school there, feeding about 250 men a day while attending classes for half the day. He graduated as a corporal and returned to his unit to serve as a mess sergeant. When the 45th Division went home, Kogle did not have enough points to leave and was transferred to I Corps Artillery, where he served in a sound radar system unit. He served as the first cook and later as the mess sergeant, managing a mess hall for about 280 men. He was known as a "good trader," even ordering 200 sets of restaurant dishes from Hong Kong for his men to use instead of standard mess gear. His unit was stationed above the 38th parallel and eventually settled in the town of Uijeongbu. Sergeant Gerald Kogle had enough points from his time in country and returned to the States. He was honorably discharged on November 2, 1954. He became an electrician. However, he continued cooking as a hobby, serving as a "chuck wagon cook" at events such as the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming, where he cooked in Dutch ovens.
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Gerald Kogle - Korean War - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
United States Army Infantry & National Guard Sergeant Korean War Gerald Kogle was raised in Kansas, where his parents ran a garage and a restaurant in the small town of Mayfield. He gained his first cooking experience as a child working in his parents' restaurant. Gerald joined the Army on December 3rd, 1952, and attended basic training at Camp Roberts in California. He was initially trained as a Heavy Weapons Operator, specifically a machine gun operator. Private Gerald Kogle's first assignment was with the 45th Division National Guard, I Corps Artillery, aka the “Thunderbirds,” in Oklahoma. He served there as a heavy machine gun operator. The unit was mobilized and sent to Korea before he was assigned. They participated in combat roles in the Yonchon-Chorwon sector, Heartbreak Ridge, and notable battles for Pork Chop Hill and Old Baldy. During his time with the 45th, he did a small amount of cooking. Following the ceasefire, Kogle was sent to the Cook and Baker School in Inchon, Korea, because the military needed more cooks and he had prior experience. He spent six weeks in primary school there, feeding about 250 men a day while attending classes for half the day. He graduated as a corporal and returned to his unit to serve as a mess sergeant. When the 45th Division went home, Kogle did not have enough points to leave and was transferred to I Corps Artillery, where he served in a sound radar system unit. He served as the first cook and later as the mess sergeant, managing a mess hall for about 280 men. He was known as a "good trader," even ordering 200 sets of restaurant dishes from Hong Kong for his men to use instead of standard mess gear. His unit was stationed above the 38th parallel and eventually settled in the town of Uijeongbu. Sergeant Gerald Kogle had enough points from his time in country and returned to the States. He was honorably discharged on November 2, 1954. He became an electrician. However, he continued cooking as a hobby, serving as a "chuck wagon cook" at events such as the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming, where he cooked in Dutch ovens.