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 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.
United States Navy
Boatswain's Mate Petty Officer First Class (BM1)
World War II - Korea - Vietnam
Juan Montano was born on June 27, 1926, in Detroit, MI, and at 15 ran away from the big city to live on a farm in the Upper Peninsula. He joined the Navy at 17, enlisting on July 30, 1943, when his father received his draft notice. Juan volunteered to take his place, keeping his dad at the Ford Motor Company, where he built B-24 Liberators. Juan attended Bootcamp at Great Lakes Recruit Training Center and, upon completion, reported with half of his company to the USS Bell Grove (LSD-2), an Ashland-class dock landing ship in Pleasanton, CA.
After shakedown training, the USS Bell Grove sailed to Pearl Harbor, HI, loaded the 7th Infantry, and headed for Makin Island. Juan operated a landing craft, vehicle, and personnel (LCVP), or Higgins boat, for the first time. Juan was in charge of LCVP2-2 as a new BM3, loading troops and equipment on the beach for the first of nine amphibious beach landings he participated in during World War II. Juan and the Bell Grove operated for 18 months, one beach after another. Sometimes he spent weeks with his three-man crew on board, sleeping on the craft.
When not landing on the beach, his LCVP produced smoke, screening ships and landing craft from attacks by Japanese aircraft and ships. Occasionally, when onboard the Bell Grove, his General Quarters (GQ) station was a 30-caliber anti-aircraft gun. Juan recounted many Kamikaze runs on his ship during Pacific Operations. The Bell Grove and her crew participated in nine amphibious operations in 18 months, including Makin Island, the Battle of Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian (3), Leyte Gulf (4), Luzon, Lingayen Gulf, San Pedro Bay, and Iwo Jima, many of which included multiple resupply trips for the ship and the beach.
Iwo Jima was Juan’s 9th amphibious landing. He was assigned to land troops on Green Beach, the first beach below Mt. Suribachi. “The bullets were coming down like rain,” Juan remembered. His sister boat got stuck on Green Beach, and Juan refused to leave them behind, knowing how to pull them off to safety. When the two boats were free, they returned to find no ships in the bay. The Japanese counterattack forced the slow amphibious ships back to the safety of the sea, leaving both LCVPs and their crews to spend two nights fending off attacks. Juan served for 28 months on the Bell Grove, one of only 282 ship’s company members who served through all combat operations during World War II. The Bell Grove returned to San Diego on Dec 31, 1945, but could not pull in for its first liberty until January 1, 1946, because of fog.
Juan remained in the service and served aboard many ships, including the USS Merrick AKA-97, USS Springfield CL-66, and USS Dixie AD-22. During the Korean War, he served aboard the USS Naifeh DE-352. Other commands included the USS Uhlman DD-687, the USS Southerland DDR-743, USS Ingersoll DD-652, and the USS Boyd DD-544. Petty Officer Montano was a sailor, and sailors go to sea and serve on ships. He retired from active service on 31 May 1963.
Veteran,NIK,WW2
United States Navy
Boatswain's Mate Petty Officer First Class (BM1)
World War II - Korea - Vietnam
Juan Montano was born on June 27, 1926, in Detroit, MI, and at 15 ran away from the big city to live on a farm in the Upper Peninsula. He joined the Navy at 17, enlisting on July 30, 1943, when his father received his draft notice. Juan volunteered to take his place, keeping his dad at the Ford Motor Company, where he built B-24 Liberators. Juan attended Bootcamp at Great Lakes Recruit Training Center and, upon completion, reported with half of his company to the USS Bell Grove (LSD-2), an Ashland-class dock landing ship in Pleasanton, CA.
After shakedown training, the USS Bell Grove sailed to Pearl Harbor, HI, loaded the 7th Infantry, and headed for Makin Island. Juan operated a landing craft, vehicle, and personnel (LCVP), or Higgins boat, for the first time. Juan was in charge of LCVP2-2 as a new BM3, loading troops and equipment on the beach for the first of nine amphibious beach landings he participated in during World War II. Juan and the Bell Grove operated for 18 months, one beach after another. Sometimes he spent weeks with his three-man crew on board, sleeping on the craft.
When not landing on the beach, his LCVP produced smoke, screening ships and landing craft from attacks by Japanese aircraft and ships. Occasionally, when onboard the Bell Grove, his General Quarters (GQ) station was a 30-caliber anti-aircraft gun. Juan recounted many Kamikaze runs on his ship during Pacific Operations. The Bell Grove and her crew participated in nine amphibious operations in 18 months, including Makin Island, the Battle of Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian (3), Leyte Gulf (4), Luzon, Lingayen Gulf, San Pedro Bay, and Iwo Jima, many of which included multiple resupply trips for the ship and the beach.
Iwo Jima was Juan’s 9th amphibious landing. He was assigned to land troops on Green Beach, the first beach below Mt. Suribachi. “The bullets were coming down like rain,” Juan remembered. His sister boat got stuck on Green Beach, and Juan refused to leave them behind, knowing how to pull them off to safety. When the two boats were free, they returned to find no ships in the bay. The Japanese counterattack forced the slow amphibious ships back to the safety of the sea, leaving both LCVPs and their crews to spend two nights fending off attacks. Juan served for 28 months on the Bell Grove, one of only 282 ship’s company members who served through all combat operations during World War II. The Bell Grove returned to San Diego on Dec 31, 1945, but could not pull in for its first liberty until January 1, 1946, because of fog.
Juan remained in the service and served aboard many ships, including the USS Merrick AKA-97, USS Springfield CL-66, and USS Dixie AD-22. During the Korean War, he served aboard the USS Naifeh DE-352. Other commands included the USS Uhlman DD-687, the USS Southerland DDR-743, USS Ingersoll DD-652, and the USS Boyd DD-544. Petty Officer Montano was a sailor, and sailors go to sea and serve on ships. He retired from active service on 31 May 1963.
