Michael Smith - 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
Michael A. Smith<br />United States Army<br />Buck Sergeant <br />Peace Time Service <br /><br />Michael was born on August 31, 1934. After high school, he enlisted in February 1954, toward the end of the Korean War, to attend school and avoid being drafted. After a difficult basic training, he attended a yearlong school in El Paso, Texas, focusing on electronics and electrical operations for the Nike missile system, an anti-aircraft missile system. He completed his training with a practice shoot at Red Sands, New Mexico, where his team successfully tracked and fired at a target.<br /><br />His first assignment was a temporary station in Stanton, California. He was scheduled for a battery in Detroit, Michigan, but he swapped with another soldier who wanted to be near home. While waiting for the transfer to process, he performed MP duty at a prison for about a month. He spent approximately 9 months in Stanton while the LA-12/13/14 defense cluster site was under construction.<br /><br />He then moved to a permanent site, LA-70, in Playa del Rey, California. This was a permanent station located near a school and the beach. Because of the local terrain, the radar antennas were mounted on 30-foot towers, requiring Michael to climb ladders to perform maintenance. This site is part of the LA Airport today. <br /><br />Michael spent the remainder of his three-year service maintaining the Nike system at the Playa del Rey site. His primary responsibility was the maintenance and calibration of three radars (two acquisition and one surveillance) and an analog computer. After his three-year enlistment, Michael was honorably discharged in February 1957.
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Michael Smith - Peacetime Service - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
Michael A. Smith<br />United States Army<br />Buck Sergeant <br />Peace Time Service <br /><br />Michael was born on August 31, 1934. After high school, he enlisted in February 1954, toward the end of the Korean War, to attend school and avoid being drafted. After a difficult basic training, he attended a yearlong school in El Paso, Texas, focusing on electronics and electrical operations for the Nike missile system, an anti-aircraft missile system. He completed his training with a practice shoot at Red Sands, New Mexico, where his team successfully tracked and fired at a target.<br /><br />His first assignment was a temporary station in Stanton, California. He was scheduled for a battery in Detroit, Michigan, but he swapped with another soldier who wanted to be near home. While waiting for the transfer to process, he performed MP duty at a prison for about a month. He spent approximately 9 months in Stanton while the LA-12/13/14 defense cluster site was under construction.<br /><br />He then moved to a permanent site, LA-70, in Playa del Rey, California. This was a permanent station located near a school and the beach. Because of the local terrain, the radar antennas were mounted on 30-foot towers, requiring Michael to climb ladders to perform maintenance. This site is part of the LA Airport today. <br /><br />Michael spent the remainder of his three-year service maintaining the Nike system at the Playa del Rey site. His primary responsibility was the maintenance and calibration of three radars (two acquisition and one surveillance) and an analog computer. After his three-year enlistment, Michael was honorably discharged in February 1957.