Mack Edwards - 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.

Copyright © 2024 Mickey Strand – Veterans Series
US Army Air Corps First Sergeant World War II Born on January 10th, 1921, Mack Edwards grew up in Springville, California.  Mack was drafted in 1942 at the age of 21. He attended Basic training at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, Los Angeles.  He attended Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City for tech school.  Mack served from Sep 1942 to February 1946 as an Administrative Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) with the 2472 Quartermaster Corps Truck Company (AVN), an Army unit attached to the Air Corps.   As the First Sergeant in his company, he was charged with taking care of over 100 soldiers.  Mac served in the China Burma India (CBI) campaign with the 2472 QM Truck Company, attached to the 20th bomber command, and flew the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.   He and both those units were stationed in eastern India to support the 20th bomber command and its B-29 fleet all over China.  These flights included flying over the Himalayan Mountains and shortening the flight to targets in Japan with early strikes to targets on Kyushu; these were the first raids on the Japanese home islands since the Doolittle raid. The 20th also supported Operation Mountbatten in the Southeast Asian Theater, supporting British and Indian ground forces in Burma by targeting rail and port facilities in Indochina, Thailand, and Burma. In late 1944, as the war front progressed, his unit's aircraft and support were reassigned to the newly captured Mariana Islands, placing Tokyo within striking distance.  The unit abandoned the China-India bases for the shorter routes. Mack recounted one night hearing Tokyo Rose, a nickname for all female English-speaking radio broadcasters of Japan’s propaganda, on the radio announcing that his unit was to be bombed around Christmas time and was surprised, sitting in his foxhole, that she was correct when the attack occurred.  Mack returned to the States in 1946 via sea on a transport returning to Baltimore at the end of World War two and was honorably discharged from Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.  Mack returned to work for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and worked in sales. He also worked and ran a grocery store in Hermosa Beach.  Mack currently resides at the Veteran’s Home in Ventura, California. 
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Mack Edwards - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Army Air Corps First Sergeant World War II Born on January 10th, 1921, Mack Edwards grew up in Springville, California.  Mack was drafted in 1942 at the age of 21. He attended Basic training at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, Los Angeles.  He attended Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City for tech school.  Mack served from Sep 1942 to February 1946 as an Administrative Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) with the 2472 Quartermaster Corps Truck Company (AVN), an Army unit attached to the Air Corps.   As the First Sergeant in his company, he was charged with taking care of over 100 soldiers.  Mac served in the China Burma India (CBI) campaign with the 2472 QM Truck Company, attached to the 20th bomber command, and flew the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.   He and both those units were stationed in eastern India to support the 20th bomber command and its B-29 fleet all over China.  These flights included flying over the Himalayan Mountains and shortening the flight to targets in Japan with early strikes to targets on Kyushu; these were the first raids on the Japanese home islands since the Doolittle raid. The 20th also supported Operation Mountbatten in the Southeast Asian Theater, supporting British and Indian ground forces in Burma by targeting rail and port facilities in Indochina, Thailand, and Burma. In late 1944, as the war front progressed, his unit's aircraft and support were reassigned to the newly captured Mariana Islands, placing Tokyo within striking distance.  The unit abandoned the China-India bases for the shorter routes. Mack recounted one night hearing Tokyo Rose, a nickname for all female English-speaking radio broadcasters of Japan’s propaganda, on the radio announcing that his unit was to be bombed around Christmas time and was surprised, sitting in his foxhole, that she was correct when the attack occurred.  Mack returned to the States in 1946 via sea on a transport returning to Baltimore at the end of World War two and was honorably discharged from Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.  Mack returned to work for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and worked in sales. He also worked and ran a grocery store in Hermosa Beach.  Mack currently resides at the Veteran’s Home in Ventura, California.