Art Fitzner - 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 Coast Guard FN World War 2 Art Elmer Fitzner was born on 20 June 1927 and served during WW2 for 18 months from 2 Jan 1945 - June of 46, when he was discharged at the war's end. Art enlisted in the US Coast Guard at 17, before graduating High School with his parents’ permission. During World War II, the US Coast Guard was part of the Department of the Navy. Art was living in Wheaten, IL, and reported to the Chicago Coast Guard station to sign into the service. Art was shipped off to Coast Guard Bootcamp in Manhattan Beach, New York, for boot camp; he was in Bootcamp for about two months. Art was selected early to serve onboard the USS General Richardson (AP 118), a troop transport ship. They would transport 5000 men from New York to Europe. Seaman Art Fitzner was a Fireman in the Engineering department on board, serving as a water tender most days. Art ensured there was enough water to keep the boilers fed. His boilers made the steam to move the ship, along with other engineering duties. Watches were long and hard, with four hours on duty and eight hours off. Art's first Atlantic crossing was from New York to Antwerp, Belgium, just after the Battle of the Bulge. The crossing took about six days; at this point, most of the U-boats were gone, but they watched heavily for floating mines. Offloading the troops, the ship steamed back to Southampton. Running many trips shuttling troops around Europe. Art returned to New York on 4 January 1945 with troops and casualties, on-loaded replacement troops, and made his second of four trips across the Atlantic, moving men and supplies. They offloaded in ports like Naples, Italy, and Marseille, and once, they even put troops aboard in Karachi, India. The USS General Richardson was the last ship to offload American Persian Command troops from Khorramshahr, Iran, in Jan 1946, returning them to the US. Art remembered the ship was in the Mediterranean, loaded with troops heading to Japan on VJ day. The word was passed around the ship, and they turned her around to return home. Art crossed a few more times after hostilities concluded, bringing troops home until the ship was turned over to a Maritime Administration for peacetime operations, and service members were relieved. Art served on board a Coast Guard seagoing buoy tender for 4-5 months until the end of his service. After his return to civilian life, Art was signed to play baseball for the Chicago Cubs for one year in Janesville, Wisconsin, for the Janesville Cubs minor league. Art then attended Idaho State for forest management using his GI Bill and bounced around, changing his major a couple of times before finishing in Business and Economics.
Veteran,NIK,WW2
Art Fitzner - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Coast Guard FN World War 2 Art Elmer Fitzner was born on 20 June 1927 and served during WW2 for 18 months from 2 Jan 1945 - June of 46, when he was discharged at the war's end. Art enlisted in the US Coast Guard at 17, before graduating High School with his parents’ permission. During World War II, the US Coast Guard was part of the Department of the Navy. Art was living in Wheaten, IL, and reported to the Chicago Coast Guard station to sign into the service. Art was shipped off to Coast Guard Bootcamp in Manhattan Beach, New York, for boot camp; he was in Bootcamp for about two months. Art was selected early to serve onboard the USS General Richardson (AP 118), a troop transport ship. They would transport 5000 men from New York to Europe. Seaman Art Fitzner was a Fireman in the Engineering department on board, serving as a water tender most days. Art ensured there was enough water to keep the boilers fed. His boilers made the steam to move the ship, along with other engineering duties. Watches were long and hard, with four hours on duty and eight hours off. Art's first Atlantic crossing was from New York to Antwerp, Belgium, just after the Battle of the Bulge. The crossing took about six days; at this point, most of the U-boats were gone, but they watched heavily for floating mines. Offloading the troops, the ship steamed back to Southampton. Running many trips shuttling troops around Europe. Art returned to New York on 4 January 1945 with troops and casualties, on-loaded replacement troops, and made his second of four trips across the Atlantic, moving men and supplies. They offloaded in ports like Naples, Italy, and Marseille, and once, they even put troops aboard in Karachi, India. The USS General Richardson was the last ship to offload American Persian Command troops from Khorramshahr, Iran, in Jan 1946, returning them to the US. Art remembered the ship was in the Mediterranean, loaded with troops heading to Japan on VJ day. The word was passed around the ship, and they turned her around to return home. Art crossed a few more times after hostilities concluded, bringing troops home until the ship was turned over to a Maritime Administration for peacetime operations, and service members were relieved. Art served on board a Coast Guard seagoing buoy tender for 4-5 months until the end of his service. After his return to civilian life, Art was signed to play baseball for the Chicago Cubs for one year in Janesville, Wisconsin, for the Janesville Cubs minor league. Art then attended Idaho State for forest management using his GI Bill and bounced around, changing his major a couple of times before finishing in Business and Economics.