Ros Gillbert - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

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World War 2

Click on Veteran's photo to see their service story. These Warriors served during the World War 2.

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 an hour. But please free up time for Mickey to set up lights and cameras, hold the interview, and take some still photographers for in 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.

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US Army SSGT World War 2 Ros Gillbert (97) was born on Feb 5th, 1925, in Chicago, Il, and served as an Army Medic/Stretcher bearer during World War 2 with the 96th Infantry Brigade. Private First Class Gillbert is the recipient of the Silver Star & two Bronze Stars, and three purple hearts, all for service during the Battle of Okinawa, Japan. Ros was drafted on 17 March 1943 and reported for basic and medic training at Camp Grant, Rockford, Il. Ros had been in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) for six years and was promoted to Squad leader on the second day of Bootcamp. He laughed that this kept him from Guard, KP, and other grunt duties but did not get him into officer training school because of the needs of the medical corps. As a medic, Ros was in the first wave of the amphibious invasion of the Island of Leyte in the Philippines. Ros recalled sleeping in his foxhole the first night during an all-night rain. This turned his toenails black, known as trench foot, from the moisture, and they remained that way for nine months. Ros lost two of his litter carrier team on their first trip into the jungle to save a wounded soldier. On returning to the beach, a Japanese machine gun killed the two rear men and injured the third team member. Ros was later on the beach the day General MacArthur came ashore and watched the event live that we see in the famous photo of MacArthur's return. The 96th was then shipped to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines to stage and train for the invasion of Okinawa. Ros and the 96th were on the first wave to come ashore to no resistance. On the 5th day, the battles started and raged on for 90 days. Ros is sure he never really slept for that 90 days of the most intense fighting ever. Ros was awarded the Silver Star for his efforts near Ginowan, leading a tank through a minefield on foot to evacuate the wounded. He also received three purple hearts during the combat operation of these 90 days. Experiencing all this intense fighting, Ros and his teammates saw no way the war would ever end. They were loaded up on transports five times to begin the invasion of the mainland, but the mission was scrubbed each time. Ros and the 96th infantry were riding out a typhoon in the Pacific when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The team learned this news via the ship's newspaper. Having 77 of the needed 75 points to be sent home from combat operations, Ros shipped back from Mindoro on a tug boat via an extended stay on a beach in Mindanao to await transportation. He waited several weeks for his ride home and returned on 23 Dec 1945. Ros is married, has had three children, and lives in Del Mar, California.
Veteran,NIK,WW2
Ros Gillbert - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Army SSGT World War 2 Ros Gillbert (97) was born on Feb 5th, 1925, in Chicago, Il, and served as an Army Medic/Stretcher bearer during World War 2 with the 96th Infantry Brigade. Private First Class Gillbert is the recipient of the Silver Star & two Bronze Stars, and three purple hearts, all for service during the Battle of Okinawa, Japan. Ros was drafted on 17 March 1943 and reported for basic and medic training at Camp Grant, Rockford, Il. Ros had been in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) for six years and was promoted to Squad leader on the second day of Bootcamp. He laughed that this kept him from Guard, KP, and other grunt duties but did not get him into officer training school because of the needs of the medical corps. As a medic, Ros was in the first wave of the amphibious invasion of the Island of Leyte in the Philippines. Ros recalled sleeping in his foxhole the first night during an all-night rain. This turned his toenails black, known as trench foot, from the moisture, and they remained that way for nine months. Ros lost two of his litter carrier team on their first trip into the jungle to save a wounded soldier. On returning to the beach, a Japanese machine gun killed the two rear men and injured the third team member. Ros was later on the beach the day General MacArthur came ashore and watched the event live that we see in the famous photo of MacArthur's return. The 96th was then shipped to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines to stage and train for the invasion of Okinawa. Ros and the 96th were on the first wave to come ashore to no resistance. On the 5th day, the battles started and raged on for 90 days. Ros is sure he never really slept for that 90 days of the most intense fighting ever. Ros was awarded the Silver Star for his efforts near Ginowan, leading a tank through a minefield on foot to evacuate the wounded. He also received three purple hearts during the combat operation of these 90 days. Experiencing all this intense fighting, Ros and his teammates saw no way the war would ever end. They were loaded up on transports five times to begin the invasion of the mainland, but the mission was scrubbed each time. Ros and the 96th infantry were riding out a typhoon in the Pacific when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The team learned this news via the ship's newspaper. Having 77 of the needed 75 points to be sent home from combat operations, Ros shipped back from Mindoro on a tug boat via an extended stay on a beach in Mindanao to await transportation. He waited several weeks for his ride home and returned on 23 Dec 1945. Ros is married, has had three children, and lives in Del Mar, California.