Leonard Kreisman - 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 PFC World War 2 Leonard Kreisman was born on July 30th, 1925, and grew up in Manhattan. He was drafted into the US Army after his second year at New York University. Leonard served from September 1943 to August 1945. He attended Bootcamp at Fort Benning, Georgia. He followed with six weeks of Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) at camp Livingston, Louisiana, where soldiers learned to fire machine guns and the 60mm mortar. Leonard and his unit sailed to Europe from New York on Queen Elizabeth 2, arriving in South Hampton. They then took a small craft across the English Channel to Normandy Beach. He arrived in Europe in August of 1944 and was assigned to the Big Red One, 1st Div 18th Regiment Company L, as a Machine Gunner replacement troop two months after the D-Day invasion. Leonard caught up with the 1st in Aachen, Germany, and served primarily as a Wire man, helping establish “Automatic Telephone System” communications with the front line and the company Head Quarters. PVT Kreisman served at the Battle of Hürtgen Forest from September 19, 1944, to February 10th, 1945. A fight at the border between Belgium and Germany before the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944. He was hit with shrapnel in his hand during one of these battles in October 1944. The aid station removed the shrapnel and bandaged up his hand so he could rejoin the front line immediately. In December, Leonard and his unit joined the Ardennes Offensive, aka the Battle of the Bulge. During the Battle of the Bulge, Leonard was evacuated late in February due to extreme frostbite on both his hands and feet. He was eventually shipped back to the States, returning on Queen Elizabeth 2 in April of 1945. He was treated in Halloran General Hospital Staten Island, NY., a debarkation hospital for overseas wounded. It was here when his mother received a postcard informing her of his arrival at the hospital. Leonard finished his rehab in Camp Butner, NC. Leonard returned to NYU through Public Law 16, the predecessor to the GI Bill for restoring disabled veterans to the workforce. He continued to Harvard for his Master of Arts in teaching and then returned to NYU to teach while he finished his Ph.D. Leonard took a job teaching service members in Korea just after the War before returning to the US to defend his Ph.D. dissertation. Leonard displays his purple heart received in October 1944.
Veteran,NIK,WW2
Leonard Kreisman - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Army PFC World War 2 Leonard Kreisman was born on July 30th, 1925, and grew up in Manhattan. He was drafted into the US Army after his second year at New York University. Leonard served from September 1943 to August 1945. He attended Bootcamp at Fort Benning, Georgia. He followed with six weeks of Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) at camp Livingston, Louisiana, where soldiers learned to fire machine guns and the 60mm mortar. Leonard and his unit sailed to Europe from New York on Queen Elizabeth 2, arriving in South Hampton. They then took a small craft across the English Channel to Normandy Beach. He arrived in Europe in August of 1944 and was assigned to the Big Red One, 1st Div 18th Regiment Company L, as a Machine Gunner replacement troop two months after the D-Day invasion. Leonard caught up with the 1st in Aachen, Germany, and served primarily as a Wire man, helping establish “Automatic Telephone System” communications with the front line and the company Head Quarters. PVT Kreisman served at the Battle of Hürtgen Forest from September 19, 1944, to February 10th, 1945. A fight at the border between Belgium and Germany before the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944. He was hit with shrapnel in his hand during one of these battles in October 1944. The aid station removed the shrapnel and bandaged up his hand so he could rejoin the front line immediately. In December, Leonard and his unit joined the Ardennes Offensive, aka the Battle of the Bulge. During the Battle of the Bulge, Leonard was evacuated late in February due to extreme frostbite on both his hands and feet. He was eventually shipped back to the States, returning on Queen Elizabeth 2 in April of 1945. He was treated in Halloran General Hospital Staten Island, NY., a debarkation hospital for overseas wounded. It was here when his mother received a postcard informing her of his arrival at the hospital. Leonard finished his rehab in Camp Butner, NC. Leonard returned to NYU through Public Law 16, the predecessor to the GI Bill for restoring disabled veterans to the workforce. He continued to Harvard for his Master of Arts in teaching and then returned to NYU to teach while he finished his Ph.D. Leonard took a job teaching service members in Korea just after the War before returning to the US to defend his Ph.D. dissertation. Leonard displays his purple heart received in October 1944.