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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 SGT World War 2 Raul Garcia was born at home in San Diego on December 13, 1925. From age 16 to 18, Raul worked as a postal clerk. On his 18th birthday, he received his draft notice with instructions to report to the processing center at Camp Elliot, which is today the Torrey Pines golf course. Camp Elliot was an induction center, Army boot camp, and artillery weapons training center. During Raul’s initial medical processing, it was discovered that he had a punctured left eardrum, placing him in a 4F status or unfit for military service. Raul was disappointed and petitioned his local processing center to re-examine him. He was placed on a waitlist for an opening in the schedule. An appointment for the Los Angeles Processing Center specialist clinic was found in a few weeks, and Raul took the bus up to LA. Raul reported to the Ear Nose and Throat clinic. He was examined and told again his eardrum would rupture when the gunfire started. The doctor asked if he wanted to sign a waiver, and he replied, “Yes, Sir.” Ten days later, on April 16th, 1944, he reported to Camp Roberts for infantry training. Raul’s eardrum is fine; it never ruptured during his enlistment. After initial training, he reported to Fort Ord in Monterey, CA. to the 8th Army 7th Infantry Division as a replacement troop for the Pacific. He shipped to the Pacific on a liberty ship as a replacement troop. Raul was still in transit when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, bringing an end to the war. Raul landed in Yokohama to serve with occupational forces. With Raul’s previous postal work, he was assigned to the 704th postal unit, where the Fleet Post Office (FPO) mail was processed on the northern island of Hokkaido in Sapporo. Raul was assigned to deliver and accompany mail to other basses riding the train around Japan. He also tested for his military driver’s license, allowing him to be assigned as the company commander. He drove the CO in his Jeep Willy to meetings at Division HQ and duties around the island and base. Raul was responsible for the Jeep 24 hours a day. He also loved having the Jeep for some after-hours rides around Japan. Raul received his discharge notice in November of 1946 and loaded a troop transport liberty ship to return to the US on the Victory ship SS Puerto Rico. They returned to San Francisco, offloaded at Oakland Army Base and discharged at Camp Beale. Raul returned to the Post office and worked most of his 44 years at the Fleet Post office at the Broadway Pier complex, retiring in 1995. Raul was married and had three children.
Veteran,NIK,WW2,mickey,strand,nikon,photograph
Raul Garcia - Home Page Slide Show - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Army SGT World War 2 Raul Garcia was born at home in San Diego on December 13, 1925. From age 16 to 18, Raul worked as a postal clerk. On his 18th birthday, he received his draft notice with instructions to report to the processing center at Camp Elliot, which is today the Torrey Pines golf course. Camp Elliot was an induction center, Army boot camp, and artillery weapons training center. During Raul’s initial medical processing, it was discovered that he had a punctured left eardrum, placing him in a 4F status or unfit for military service. Raul was disappointed and petitioned his local processing center to re-examine him. He was placed on a waitlist for an opening in the schedule. An appointment for the Los Angeles Processing Center specialist clinic was found in a few weeks, and Raul took the bus up to LA. Raul reported to the Ear Nose and Throat clinic. He was examined and told again his eardrum would rupture when the gunfire started. The doctor asked if he wanted to sign a waiver, and he replied, “Yes, Sir.” Ten days later, on April 16th, 1944, he reported to Camp Roberts for infantry training. Raul’s eardrum is fine; it never ruptured during his enlistment. After initial training, he reported to Fort Ord in Monterey, CA. to the 8th Army 7th Infantry Division as a replacement troop for the Pacific. He shipped to the Pacific on a liberty ship as a replacement troop. Raul was still in transit when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, bringing an end to the war. Raul landed in Yokohama to serve with occupational forces. With Raul’s previous postal work, he was assigned to the 704th postal unit, where the Fleet Post Office (FPO) mail was processed on the northern island of Hokkaido in Sapporo. Raul was assigned to deliver and accompany mail to other basses riding the train around Japan. He also tested for his military driver’s license, allowing him to be assigned as the company commander. He drove the CO in his Jeep Willy to meetings at Division HQ and duties around the island and base. Raul was responsible for the Jeep 24 hours a day. He also loved having the Jeep for some after-hours rides around Japan. Raul received his discharge notice in November of 1946 and loaded a troop transport liberty ship to return to the US on the Victory ship SS Puerto Rico. They returned to San Francisco, offloaded at Oakland Army Base and discharged at Camp Beale. Raul returned to the Post office and worked most of his 44 years at the Fleet Post office at the Broadway Pier complex, retiring in 1995. Raul was married and had three children.