Joe Gonzalez - Home - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

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

James Forrester
US Navy
FC1 - CDR
World War 2

James Forrester was born November 21, 1920, and served as a Fire Controlman during WW2. James enlisted in 1939 and served in the US Navy for 30 years.

He is a survivor of the sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Wasp CV-7. James was a plank owner onboard and served aboard from her commissioning day, 25 April 1940, to the day she was sunk on 15 September 1942 by three torpedoes from the Japanese B1 type submarine (I-19) at the Battle of Guadalcanal.

James, an FC1 at the time, remembered the Captain declaring abandoned ship over the 1MC "Public Address system" about 30 min after the strikes. He donned his Kapok life vest and jumped into the water on the port side. He was separated from his shipmates while swimming away from the sinking ship until late at night. James recounted, during the night, while praying and making his peace with God, when he saw the light of a motor whaleboat. He caused a lot of noise, splashing and yelling until the coxswain saw him. The small boat was already full of survivors, but James grabbed the trail line with three other men and was towed back to the USS Farenholt DD-491.

The Farenhold saved 143 Wasp Sailors, including James. James returned to San Diego for survivors’ leave and still gets emotional about the day he pulled back into San Diego, realizing he would be okay. Four destroyers pulled the survivors out of the Pacific that night, with the Wasp losing 193 of her over 2100 sailors.

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
  Go Fund Me.

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 or many of the California Veterans Homes.

Copyright © 2023 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 - 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.