Patrica Vaught - 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

James “Mike” Carmickle

James “Mike” Carmickle
United States Marine Corps
Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt)
Korean War - Vietnam War

James “Mike” Carmickle was born on September 7, 1929, in Springfield, Illinois. His family later moved to California, where he spent his formative years in San Fernando and Santa Rosa. The day after graduating from Santa Rosa High School, Mike found his true calling: he joined the Marine Corps and immediately fell in love with the uniform.

His journey began in February 1947 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. After boot camp, Mike served a year as the base commander’s driver, earning a promotion to Private First Class. He then spent two impactful years as an instructor at the Marine Corps Institute (MCI) at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. It was during this time that Mike was selected as one of the very first members of the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team. He performed at their inaugural event, which, though initially planned as a one-time demonstration, garnered such public demand that the platoon became a permanent fixture at Marine Barracks Washington.

Newly promoted to Sergeant, Carmickle reported to Camp Pendleton for Radio School. His training was quickly interrupted by a deployment to Korea, where he served in communications during critical operations like the Busan, Inchon, and Wonsan Landings with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. Mike endured the brutal winter campaign at the Chosin Reservoir in 1950. Upon his return, to Camp Pendleton, he met his wife Mary. They married three years later in 1958, beginning a remarkable 59-year marriage. Their early married life saw them stationed in San Miguel, Philippines, though Mary left the service when they started their family. After returning to North Carolina, Mike faced another deployment, this time to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In 1962, Mike’s linguistic talents were honed at the USA Language school in Monterey, California, where he learned Arabic. He then embarked on a three-year tour with the NSA, putting his new skills to use. A deployment to Cyprus followed in 1964, though the unfolding Cyprus crisis necessitated his return. Mike was poised for retirement in 1967, but the Vietnam War halted his plans. He was deployed to Vietnam, serving in communications during the intense Tet Offensive, where he earned another promotion. Upon his return home, he was asked to remain on active duty and was promoted to Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt - E-9).  

On June 30, 1969, Master Gunnery Sergeant James “Mike” Carmickle was Honorably Discharged. His distinguished service was recognized with numerous awards, including the Bronze Star with Combat “V,” the Navy Commendation Medal with “V,” and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Award (8), alongside many Unit and Service awards.

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 Marine Corps Women’s Reserve Corporal World War II Patricia (Ruff) Vaught was born on April 29th, 1924, in New York, New York. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve as a Clerk Typist. Patricia was one of the 20,000 women who joined the Women’s Reserve during World War II. Patricia was working in Manhattan when, in March, during her lunch break, she and a girlfriend passed the recruiting office and went in to inquire about serving; she enlisted right then and there. The Women’s Marine Association posters, “Free a man to Fight,” and her brothers who were serving, inspired her to sign up and do her part. She reported for boot camp, riding the train from Grand Central Station to Camp Lejeune in April. She really enjoyed meeting and serving with all the ladies from all over the country. PVT Patricia Ruff was stationed at Headquarters Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California. She served primarily in the Guard Battalion's Sgt Majors' Office. The Base has always been the home of making Marines, and Patricia did her part to produce Marines during the waning days of World War II. While stationed in San Diego, Patricia typed up the daily muster reports, worked on the payroll, and handled Mail for the battalion. She recalled hours re-routing mail to service members who had moved to other units or returned to the states. She typed all of the correspondence for her office's Captain and remembers typing up tomorrow’s Plan of the Day every day. Before leaving the Corps, she met her husband, Dewey F. Vaught, who served as a Rifleman and Corporal in the USMC on Guam and Iwo Jima in the Pacific during World War II. Dewey had just returned to the States when they met in February at the base theater, where Pat was working nights as an usher for a dollar a night. Dewey brought her a box of candy, and she decided to go out with him. They dated every night for months and were married in May, just after she was discharged. Pat and Dewey had 11 children and shared 48 years together. Pat was Honorably Discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve on May 15, 1946, with the drawdown of military forces after the end of World War II. She was awarded the USMC Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Corporal Patricia Vaught shared a photo replica of her Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial plaque honoring her and her husband's service during our visit. Like all Marines, Patricia will tell you, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful.
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Patrica Vaught - Home Page Slide Show - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve Corporal World War II Patricia (Ruff) Vaught was born on April 29th, 1924, in New York, New York. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve as a Clerk Typist. Patricia was one of the 20,000 women who joined the Women’s Reserve during World War II. Patricia was working in Manhattan when, in March, during her lunch break, she and a girlfriend passed the recruiting office and went in to inquire about serving; she enlisted right then and there. The Women’s Marine Association posters, “Free a man to Fight,” and her brothers who were serving, inspired her to sign up and do her part. She reported for boot camp, riding the train from Grand Central Station to Camp Lejeune in April. She really enjoyed meeting and serving with all the ladies from all over the country. PVT Patricia Ruff was stationed at Headquarters Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California. She served primarily in the Guard Battalion's Sgt Majors' Office. The Base has always been the home of making Marines, and Patricia did her part to produce Marines during the waning days of World War II. While stationed in San Diego, Patricia typed up the daily muster reports, worked on the payroll, and handled Mail for the battalion. She recalled hours re-routing mail to service members who had moved to other units or returned to the states. She typed all of the correspondence for her office's Captain and remembers typing up tomorrow’s Plan of the Day every day. Before leaving the Corps, she met her husband, Dewey F. Vaught, who served as a Rifleman and Corporal in the USMC on Guam and Iwo Jima in the Pacific during World War II. Dewey had just returned to the States when they met in February at the base theater, where Pat was working nights as an usher for a dollar a night. Dewey brought her a box of candy, and she decided to go out with him. They dated every night for months and were married in May, just after she was discharged. Pat and Dewey had 11 children and shared 48 years together. Pat was Honorably Discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve on May 15, 1946, with the drawdown of military forces after the end of World War II. She was awarded the USMC Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Corporal Patricia Vaught shared a photo replica of her Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial plaque honoring her and her husband's service during our visit. Like all Marines, Patricia will tell you, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful.