Milton Wyatt - 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.

U.S. ARMY / U.S. AIR FORCE Captain World War II and Korean War Milton Wyatt was born on January 22, 1922, in Leeds, Alabama. He graduated from high school and attended Palm Beach Junior College, majoring in physics and science. Milton served with the Army during World War II from April 22, 1943 to November 25, 1945. He began the nine-month basic flight training program with the Army. He reported to the Air Education and Training Command in Fort Worth, Texas, to attend primary pilot training for 60 days. Upon graduating from primary pilot training, he attended basic pilot training at Goodfellow Field in Texas for the next 60 days. He then attended advanced pilot training at Lubbock, Texas, for another two months. He wrapped up his training cycle at Stout Field in Indianapolis for one week to attend glider pickup training, a class that taught the technique of retrieving an object from the ground by an aircraft on the fly. Milton reported to the 349th Troop Carrier Group, deploying to Europe in March of 1945, and flew the Curtiss C-46 Commando, a twin-engine troop and cargo transport. The unit flew the British 1st Airborne to Denmark and Norway to facilitate the surrender of the German forces of both countries. The unit was instrumental in evacuating wounded GIs from France and England. In July 1945, the 349th returned to the United States and was stationed at Bergstrom Field in Texas, where Milton became a flight instructor. After Japan surrendered, the unit was decommissioned, and on November 25, Captain Wyatt was honorably discharged from the Army Acquisition Corps. Captain Wyatt was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Honorable Service Lapel Pin, aka the “Ruptured Duck.” The Air Force was just four years old when the Korean War reactivated Captain Milton Wyatt back to active duty on March 1, 1951. Captain Wyatt was deployed with the 1501st Air Transport Wing, a heavy cargo transport wing of the Military Air Transport Service stationed at Travis Air Force Base. The Captain served in a flying status with the wing for one year, flying C-118 Liftmaster aka (DC-6) and the Lockheed Constellations C-121. Captain Wyatt was again honorably discharged on August 23, 1952, and awarded the Korean Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. He returned to work for American Telephone and Telegraph Co. in West Palm Beach as a test boardman. He maintained his Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) commercial pilot’s license. Milton met his wife, Jean Chantos, and married in 1945. They had two children, James and Sandra.
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Milton Wyatt - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
U.S. ARMY / U.S. AIR FORCE Captain World War II and Korean War Milton Wyatt was born on January 22, 1922, in Leeds, Alabama. He graduated from high school and attended Palm Beach Junior College, majoring in physics and science. Milton served with the Army during World War II from April 22, 1943 to November 25, 1945. He began the nine-month basic flight training program with the Army. He reported to the Air Education and Training Command in Fort Worth, Texas, to attend primary pilot training for 60 days. Upon graduating from primary pilot training, he attended basic pilot training at Goodfellow Field in Texas for the next 60 days. He then attended advanced pilot training at Lubbock, Texas, for another two months. He wrapped up his training cycle at Stout Field in Indianapolis for one week to attend glider pickup training, a class that taught the technique of retrieving an object from the ground by an aircraft on the fly. Milton reported to the 349th Troop Carrier Group, deploying to Europe in March of 1945, and flew the Curtiss C-46 Commando, a twin-engine troop and cargo transport. The unit flew the British 1st Airborne to Denmark and Norway to facilitate the surrender of the German forces of both countries. The unit was instrumental in evacuating wounded GIs from France and England. In July 1945, the 349th returned to the United States and was stationed at Bergstrom Field in Texas, where Milton became a flight instructor. After Japan surrendered, the unit was decommissioned, and on November 25, Captain Wyatt was honorably discharged from the Army Acquisition Corps. Captain Wyatt was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Honorable Service Lapel Pin, aka the “Ruptured Duck.” The Air Force was just four years old when the Korean War reactivated Captain Milton Wyatt back to active duty on March 1, 1951. Captain Wyatt was deployed with the 1501st Air Transport Wing, a heavy cargo transport wing of the Military Air Transport Service stationed at Travis Air Force Base. The Captain served in a flying status with the wing for one year, flying C-118 Liftmaster aka (DC-6) and the Lockheed Constellations C-121. Captain Wyatt was again honorably discharged on August 23, 1952, and awarded the Korean Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. He returned to work for American Telephone and Telegraph Co. in West Palm Beach as a test boardman. He maintained his Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) commercial pilot’s license. Milton met his wife, Jean Chantos, and married in 1945. They had two children, James and Sandra.