Owin Wickstand - Peacetime Service - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

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Peacetime Service

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
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 Ordnance Corps First Lieutenant Cuban Missile Crisis Owen Wickstrand was born on August 5, 1936. His great-grandparents all immigrated to the United States from Sweden. In 1961, after completing Basic Combat Training (BCT), Owen shipped off to Officer Candidate School. During this training, he received specialized marksmanship instruction. After initially failing to qualify with a .45-caliber pistol, he was coached by Captain Hut to improve his technique and eventually qualified for the core Army pistol team. His primary duty station was Fort Hood, Texas, where he served with the First Armored Division. As a shop officer, he managed a 125-man forward support maintenance shop that maintained tanks, trucks, and small arms for a third of the division. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he oversaw a large-scale operation to replace tank gun tubes, ensuring the equipment met combat-readiness standards. The effort required coordinating crews from across the U.S. and Germany. During the escalation of the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was deployed to Fort Stewart, Georgia. His unit was one of two active divisions assigned to prepare for a potential attack on Cuba; they loaded tanks and equipment onto LSTs (Landing Ship, Tanks) and were ready to ship out before a diplomatic solution was reached. After two years of active duty in 1963, he transferred to the reserves, where he served an additional five years as a company commander for a maintenance division within an infantry division based in Maywood. His unit participated in summer training at Fort Irwin (then known as Camp Irwin).
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Owin Wickstand - Peacetime Service - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
United States Army Ordnance Corps First Lieutenant Cuban Missile Crisis Owen Wickstrand was born on August 5, 1936. His great-grandparents all immigrated to the United States from Sweden. In 1961, after completing Basic Combat Training (BCT), Owen shipped off to Officer Candidate School. During this training, he received specialized marksmanship instruction. After initially failing to qualify with a .45-caliber pistol, he was coached by Captain Hut to improve his technique and eventually qualified for the core Army pistol team. His primary duty station was Fort Hood, Texas, where he served with the First Armored Division. As a shop officer, he managed a 125-man forward support maintenance shop that maintained tanks, trucks, and small arms for a third of the division. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he oversaw a large-scale operation to replace tank gun tubes, ensuring the equipment met combat-readiness standards. The effort required coordinating crews from across the U.S. and Germany. During the escalation of the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was deployed to Fort Stewart, Georgia. His unit was one of two active divisions assigned to prepare for a potential attack on Cuba; they loaded tanks and equipment onto LSTs (Landing Ship, Tanks) and were ready to ship out before a diplomatic solution was reached. After two years of active duty in 1963, he transferred to the reserves, where he served an additional five years as a company commander for a maintenance division within an infantry division based in Maywood. His unit participated in summer training at Fort Irwin (then known as Camp Irwin).