George Neu - 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 Specialist 4 (SP4) Peace Time Service George was born on May 20, 1933. He was living in Buffalo, New York, and working for IBM before he was drafted. It was the post-Korean War peacetime, but the draft was still in effect. George was drafted into the service because IBM did not grant deferrals to its employees. He completed boot camp before being assigned to a unit that could make use of his background in the computer industry. George was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He worked in the Engineering Research and Development labs, providing computer support. His unit was unusual because nearly every enlisted man in the company held advanced degrees. His primary responsibility was operating and supporting an IBM 650, a "medium-sized" computer of the era, consisting of two large, 8-foot-long, 8-foot-high cabinets. He worked with programmers and wrote programs himself to debug and adapt to the machine's idiosyncrasies. This helped speed up engineering math that had previously been done by hand. While primarily working at Fort Belvoir, George was temporarily stationed in Maryland, where he met his wife. He spent the duration of his two years in the D.C. area, allowing him to witness historic events such as President Eisenhower’s second inaugural parade and the funeral of the Korean War Unknown Soldier. George concluded his service with an honorable discharge on June 5, 1958. He had worked for IBM before being drafted and returned to IBM immediately after his discharge. He transferred to IBM's Washington office and remained in the area until 1963. George and Mary were married after he left the service.
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George Neu - Peacetime Service - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
United States Army Specialist 4 (SP4) Peace Time Service George was born on May 20, 1933. He was living in Buffalo, New York, and working for IBM before he was drafted. It was the post-Korean War peacetime, but the draft was still in effect. George was drafted into the service because IBM did not grant deferrals to its employees. He completed boot camp before being assigned to a unit that could make use of his background in the computer industry. George was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He worked in the Engineering Research and Development labs, providing computer support. His unit was unusual because nearly every enlisted man in the company held advanced degrees. His primary responsibility was operating and supporting an IBM 650, a "medium-sized" computer of the era, consisting of two large, 8-foot-long, 8-foot-high cabinets. He worked with programmers and wrote programs himself to debug and adapt to the machine's idiosyncrasies. This helped speed up engineering math that had previously been done by hand. While primarily working at Fort Belvoir, George was temporarily stationed in Maryland, where he met his wife. He spent the duration of his two years in the D.C. area, allowing him to witness historic events such as President Eisenhower’s second inaugural parade and the funeral of the Korean War Unknown Soldier. George concluded his service with an honorable discharge on June 5, 1958. He had worked for IBM before being drafted and returned to IBM immediately after his discharge. He transferred to IBM's Washington office and remained in the area until 1963. George and Mary were married after he left the service.