Joe Gonzalez - Home Page Slide Show - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

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The Veterans Portrait Series.

Mickey is a retired Navy Photographers Mate, Chief Petty Officer, and was the Leading Chief of the Navy's elite Combat Camera Group Pacific. Mickey's current focus is the Veterans Portrait Series, which documents veterans' stories of service. He is focused on our Worlds' Greatest Generation. The veterans of World War II. 

Mickey interviews each Veteran, collecting and writing their service stories, archiving these notable historic figures and their stories for generations to come. Mickey has collected and displayed images and stories from over 100 warriors that at one point, signed the dotted line when our country needed their sacrifice of service most.  Mickey continues to collect Veterans from all services for the Veterans Portrait Series. In 2019 this body of work was displayed at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre Museum from Nov 11, 2019 — to March 1, 2020.

Mickey and the project were in the national spotlight, featured on the Sunday Today Show with Harry Smith Today Show Link to YouTube.  See the Google 360 Virtual walk through from the Palm Beach Museum Exhibit. Enjoy, and thank you for your help with this project. In 2022 Mickey has photographed over 25 more WW2 Veterans and will be hosting a print show in San Diego in November with an open house on Veterans Day.

Featured Veteran

Eleanor_Maiolo

Eleanor G. Maiolo (Oliver)
United States Air Force
Airman Second Class (A2c)
Peacetime Service

  Eleanor Oliver was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on December 21, 1934. She grew up in Wolcott and graduated from Wilby High School in 1943. Eleanor was attending college to join the medical health care field, studying to specializing in labor and delivery. She was inspired to join when a recruiter for the Air Force came for a visit, talking about the opportunities in the Air Force to complete school and work in health care. Eleanor reported to Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, on September 27, 1956 for Basic Military Training. She fondly remembered meeting all these new people in the service. She completed basic training and attended Medical Service Specialist School at Lackland AFB Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) for eight weeks.

 Eleanor elected to become an Enlisted personnel in the hospital maternity wards, primarily as a specifically medical technicians (MTs) in the Labor and Delivery Flight. These MTs support nursing staff, neonatologists, and medical-surgical nurse specialists. They are involved in patient care, to include assisting with labor and delivery, postpartum care, and newborn care.Eleanor’s first assignment was at the hospital at Eglin Air Force Base, Okaloosa County, Florida, in the Maternity and Nursing Ward for two years. Eleanore enjoyed working with all the new babies for the service members and dependents, and this became her life’s work.

 Airman Second Class Eleanor Oliver was honorably discharged on February 26, 1958 and returned home to Wolcott, CT.After returning to Wolcott, CA, she continued in health care, working with home care services, primarily with infants and new mothers. She moved back to Connecticut and married her husband, Frank, who was a television repairman, in December of 1962, and they had five children.

 After her kids were old enough, she took additional nursing coursework at Naugatuck Valley Technical School. She worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) for many years on the medical-surgical unit. Eleanor retired from nursing in 1995 but continued to volunteer and worked with elders for many years.

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 1 hour.
But please free up time for Mickey to set up lights and cameras, hold the interview, and take some photographs for 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 and the California Veterans Homes.

Copyright © 2024 Mickey Strand – Veterans Series
US Army PFC World War 2 Joe Ray Gonzalez, Private First Class, was born on 22 April 1926. Making him 96 years old in a few days, his lucky number, he served in the US Army as an infantryman with the 96th Infantry Division ‘aka’ The Deadeyes. Joe enlisted on 18 Sep 44 and attended boot camp and initial training at Camp Roberts before joining the 96th. The Deadeyes served in campaigns along the Pacific front, including Leyte's battle on an island in the Philippines, the Ryukyu Island, and later into the Island of Okinawa, where Joe joined the Deadeyes who earned the Presidential Unit Citation. Joe joined the 96th and landed 12 days into the battle of Okinawa as replacement troops. He recalled his first night in a foxhole and the companionship of his fellow Mexican service members who helped him through this tough first night. Joe earned his Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) on 22 May, 45, and was relieved of combat operations when the island was secured. Joe did not have enough points accumulated to come home yet. He was transferred to the Philippines with the 98th, where he served the remainder of his enlistment, returning home in December of 1946 for demobilization. Joe was one of fourteen children in his family; three of his brothers served during World War 2. His brothers Jess and Art served with the US Navy, and his brother John was an MP with the Army's Air Corps. Joe received the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Philippine Independence Ribbon, and the World War 2 Victory Medal.
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Joe Gonzalez - Home Page Slide Show - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Army PFC World War 2 Joe Ray Gonzalez, Private First Class, was born on 22 April 1926. Making him 96 years old in a few days, his lucky number, he served in the US Army as an infantryman with the 96th Infantry Division ‘aka’ The Deadeyes. Joe enlisted on 18 Sep 44 and attended boot camp and initial training at Camp Roberts before joining the 96th. The Deadeyes served in campaigns along the Pacific front, including Leyte's battle on an island in the Philippines, the Ryukyu Island, and later into the Island of Okinawa, where Joe joined the Deadeyes who earned the Presidential Unit Citation. Joe joined the 96th and landed 12 days into the battle of Okinawa as replacement troops. He recalled his first night in a foxhole and the companionship of his fellow Mexican service members who helped him through this tough first night. Joe earned his Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) on 22 May, 45, and was relieved of combat operations when the island was secured. Joe did not have enough points accumulated to come home yet. He was transferred to the Philippines with the 98th, where he served the remainder of his enlistment, returning home in December of 1946 for demobilization. Joe was one of fourteen children in his family; three of his brothers served during World War 2. His brothers Jess and Art served with the US Navy, and his brother John was an MP with the Army's Air Corps. Joe received the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Philippine Independence Ribbon, and the World War 2 Victory Medal.