Raul Garcia - Feature Veterans Series - 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 Heros 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 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. Today we continue to capture the Ledgends of service of great American heros. 

Featured Veteran

Royce Williams

Captain Elmer Royce Williams
United States Navy
Captain - Pilot / NFO
World War II - Korean War, Vietnam
Medal of Honor recipient
Ace of the 38th Parallel

Captain Elmer Royce Williams, a Medal of Honor recipient, reflected on his extensive 37-year military career, which began when he enlisted during World War II and spanned several branches of service. After completing rigorous naval aviation training, he piloted aircraft such as Corsairs and early jet fighters during the Korean War, notably surviving an intense dogfight against Soviet MiG jets. Despite injury restrictions that prevented him from continuing as a pilot, he continued to serve in leadership roles, including commanding air wings, serving as a Naval Flight Officer, and holding significant positions, including the first inspector general for the Pacific Command. His experiences highlight a lifelong dedication to the military, culminating in his retirement as a Navy Captain after decades of diverse operational and administrative assignments.

 Elmer Royce Williams served 37 years on active duty from 1942 to 1980. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy (after serving in the Minnesota Army National Guard). Captain Williams grew up in Wilmont, SD, and Clinton, Minnesota, and during the Great Depression, his father used his WWI bonus to move the family to Clinton, buying a storefront to set up a grocery store with living quarters in the back. Royce attended school in Clinton and graduated from high school in 1943. At age 11, he met his future wife of 67 years, Camilla Pearl (Cammie), while attending Sunday school. They had three sons together, Bruce, Craig, and Mark.

 Royce enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard while in high school and attended boot camp at Camp Ripley, MN. He enrolled in the Naval Aviation Cadet program in 1942/1943 and attended Navy boot camp in Corpus Christi, Texas, before completing a two-year flight-training pipeline. This training included Flight Preparatory School (Corpus Christi), War Training School (Conway, AR & Murray, KY, flying N2S Stearman biplanes), Pre-flight at the University of Georgia & Memphis, TN, and Basic/Advanced Flight Training at NAS Pensacola, FL (flying SNJs and SBD Dauntless dive bombers), receiving his Naval Aviator wings in mid-August 1945. Royce later earned a 4-year degree at the University of Minnesota and attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

 He completed operational training at Opa-locka (Miami), Florida, and became carrier-qualified on the USS Ranger (CV-4). He was then assigned to a Hellcat squadron on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) in Norfolk, Virginia. Shortly after, he transferred to a Hellcat squadron on the USS Princeton (CVL-23) to return the body of Philippine President Manuel Quezon to the Philippines. He flew out of Tillamook, Oregon, for gunnery training before his Grumman F8F Bearcat squadron transferred to NAS Jacksonville, FL, making another South Pacific cruise.

 Royce reported to NAS Miramar and was assigned to VF-781 Pacemakers, flying Grumman F9F-5 Panther jets off the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) in 1952. On November 18, 1952, he engaged seven Soviet MiG-15 fighters alone off North Korea for a 35-minute dogfight, the longest dogfight in U.S. Navy and military history, shooting down/hitting multiple MiGs and surviving 263 shrapnel holes in his jet before escaping into the clouds and landing back on the carrier. The NSA and Navy classified the incident as top secret for decades. Williams was awarded the Silver Star, which was upgraded to a Navy Cross in 2023. In 2026, his award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. 

 During the Vietnam War, Royce served as CAG-11 Air Wing Commander and Qualified as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) in F-4 Phantoms. He was stationed at the Pentagon (OpNAV): Executive Assistant to the Director of Naval Aviation (OP-05); helped change Title 10 federal law in 1968 to allow NFOs to assume command of operational units. His other senior Leadership Roles included the Navy Director of Prisoner of War Matters, Commanding Officer of the Pacific Command ship USS El Dorado (LCC-11), first Inspector General for CINCPAC, and Chief of Staff for Commander Western Pacific (COMWESTPAC) in Japan. Captain Williams retired in 1980 after completing 37 years of active duty service.

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 © 2025 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 - Feature Veterans Series - 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.