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The Veterans Portrait Series.

Mickey is a retired Navy Photographers Mate, Chief Petty Officer, and was the Leading Chief of the Navy's elite Combat Camera Group Pacific. Mickey's current focus is the Veterans Portrait Series, which documents veterans' stories of service. He is focused on our Worlds' Greatest Generation. The veterans of World War II. 

Mickey interviews each Veteran, collecting and writing their service stories, archiving these notable historic figures and their stories for generations to come. Mickey has collected and displayed images and stories from over 100 warriors that at one point, signed the dotted line when our country needed their sacrifice of service most.  Mickey continues to collect Veterans from all services for the Veterans Portrait Series. In 2019 this body of work was displayed at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre Museum from Nov 11, 2019 — to March 1, 2020.

Mickey and the project were in the national spotlight, featured on the Sunday Today Show with Harry Smith Today Show Link to YouTube.  See the Google 360 Virtual walk through from the Palm Beach Museum Exhibit. Enjoy, and thank you for your help with this project. In 2022 Mickey has photographed over 25 more WW2 Veterans and will be hosting a print show in San Diego in November with an open house on Veterans Day.

Featured Veteran

James “Mike” Carmickle

James “Mike” Carmickle
United States Marine Corps
Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt)
Korean War - Vietnam War

James “Mike” Carmickle was born on September 7, 1929, in Springfield, Illinois. His family later moved to California, where he spent his formative years in San Fernando and Santa Rosa. The day after graduating from Santa Rosa High School, Mike found his true calling: he joined the Marine Corps and immediately fell in love with the uniform.

His journey began in February 1947 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. After boot camp, Mike served a year as the base commander’s driver, earning a promotion to Private First Class. He then spent two impactful years as an instructor at the Marine Corps Institute (MCI) at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. It was during this time that Mike was selected as one of the very first members of the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team. He performed at their inaugural event, which, though initially planned as a one-time demonstration, garnered such public demand that the platoon became a permanent fixture at Marine Barracks Washington.

Newly promoted to Sergeant, Carmickle reported to Camp Pendleton for Radio School. His training was quickly interrupted by a deployment to Korea, where he served in communications during critical operations like the Busan, Inchon, and Wonsan Landings with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. Mike endured the brutal winter campaign at the Chosin Reservoir in 1950. Upon his return, to Camp Pendleton, he met his wife Mary. They married three years later in 1958, beginning a remarkable 59-year marriage. Their early married life saw them stationed in San Miguel, Philippines, though Mary left the service when they started their family. After returning to North Carolina, Mike faced another deployment, this time to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In 1962, Mike’s linguistic talents were honed at the USA Language school in Monterey, California, where he learned Arabic. He then embarked on a three-year tour with the NSA, putting his new skills to use. A deployment to Cyprus followed in 1964, though the unfolding Cyprus crisis necessitated his return. Mike was poised for retirement in 1967, but the Vietnam War halted his plans. He was deployed to Vietnam, serving in communications during the intense Tet Offensive, where he earned another promotion. Upon his return home, he was asked to remain on active duty and was promoted to Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt - E-9).  

On June 30, 1969, Master Gunnery Sergeant James “Mike” Carmickle was Honorably Discharged. His distinguished service was recognized with numerous awards, including the Bronze Star with Combat “V,” the Navy Commendation Medal with “V,” and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Award (8), alongside many Unit and Service awards.

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
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 1 hour.
But please free up time for Mickey to set up lights and cameras, hold the interview, and take some photographs for 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 and the California Veterans Homes.

Copyright © 2024 Mickey Strand – Veterans Series
Carl E. Little was born on Mary 2nd, 1928, and grew up on a farm leaving at 15 to work at a family bakery in Ohio. One day, a man visiting the store asked if he was interested in working at the Airbase at Wright-Paterson, Ohio. He apprenticed as a Hydraulics specialist at the Air Base, having lied about his age to be able to work at the Hydraulic shop until the Army drafted him thinking he was 18. He was shipped off to boot camp on 1 April 1945 at the age of 16 to Camp Robbins, Little Rock, Arkansas, for boot camp, learning that Germany had surrendered a week before graduation. He was scheduled to ship-out to tank driving school when he reported to his Sargent that he had yet to be paid. There were no records for PVT Little, so the Army started a new one. His sergeant discovered his past specialty and discovered there was a need for a Hydraulics specialist, so Carl was diverted to Borinquen Army Airfield, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, a place Carl had never heard of. After working as the shop supervisor for a while, Carl requested a transfer and was reassigned to become an MP. He stood guard at the gates and performed Town patrol, ensuring service members returned to base at curfew. He served in Puerto Rico for three years, transferring to Detroit and then Bolling Field in Washington, DC, to finish his service obligation. He served as an MP and was on active duty when the US Air Force was separated from Army. He was separated as a CPL in Nov of 1948 after four years. Carl had many jobs over the following years and was offered to join the Navy in the summer of 1951 to serve again during the Korean War. He attended boot camp at Great Lakes Ill, and reported to the USS Windless ARD-4, a Gypsy-class salvage lifting vessel. Carl passed the diver test and went to UDT training, where he was involved in an accident during hell week and was forced to drop. He reported to the USS Rushmore LSD-14, serving for under a year until he received orders to Italy to work on a Criss Craft as a coxswain for the admiral's barge in Naples, Italy. When promoted, he transferred to the motor pool and worked there for the last of his three-year tour. He then served onboard the USS Northampton CLC-1. Carl served aboard USS Lenawee (APA-195), Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE, and CNIC Norfolk Va. as the MWR coordinator and the USS Bexar (APA-237) LPO of the boat division. Carl married Shirley, a mother of 4 Girls making him an instant father on day one. During Vietnam, Carl reported to Assault Craft Unit 1 (ACU1) onboard LCU-1481 for his first of three tours. They ran supplies and troop up and down the rivers and beaches. Carl reported as the Chief Boatswain at Nuclear Weapons Training Center Pacific in San Diego. Carl worked with the work-study group Norfolk and then at NTC San Diego as a Traffic Judge, retiring in March 1978, Serving for over 30 years.
Carl Little - Home Page Slide Show - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
Carl E. Little was born on Mary 2nd, 1928, and grew up on a farm leaving at 15 to work at a family bakery in Ohio. One day, a man visiting the store asked if he was interested in working at the Airbase at Wright-Paterson, Ohio. He apprenticed as a Hydraulics specialist at the Air Base, having lied about his age to be able to work at the Hydraulic shop until the Army drafted him thinking he was 18. He was shipped off to boot camp on 1 April 1945 at the age of 16 to Camp Robbins, Little Rock, Arkansas, for boot camp, learning that Germany had surrendered a week before graduation. He was scheduled to ship-out to tank driving school when he reported to his Sargent that he had yet to be paid. There were no records for PVT Little, so the Army started a new one. His sergeant discovered his past specialty and discovered there was a need for a Hydraulics specialist, so Carl was diverted to Borinquen Army Airfield, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, a place Carl had never heard of. After working as the shop supervisor for a while, Carl requested a transfer and was reassigned to become an MP. He stood guard at the gates and performed Town patrol, ensuring service members returned to base at curfew. He served in Puerto Rico for three years, transferring to Detroit and then Bolling Field in Washington, DC, to finish his service obligation. He served as an MP and was on active duty when the US Air Force was separated from Army. He was separated as a CPL in Nov of 1948 after four years. Carl had many jobs over the following years and was offered to join the Navy in the summer of 1951 to serve again during the Korean War. He attended boot camp at Great Lakes Ill, and reported to the USS Windless ARD-4, a Gypsy-class salvage lifting vessel. Carl passed the diver test and went to UDT training, where he was involved in an accident during hell week and was forced to drop. He reported to the USS Rushmore LSD-14, serving for under a year until he received orders to Italy to work on a Criss Craft as a coxswain for the admiral's barge in Naples, Italy. When promoted, he transferred to the motor pool and worked there for the last of his three-year tour. He then served onboard the USS Northampton CLC-1. Carl served aboard USS Lenawee (APA-195), Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE, and CNIC Norfolk Va. as the MWR coordinator and the USS Bexar (APA-237) LPO of the boat division. Carl married Shirley, a mother of 4 Girls making him an instant father on day one. During Vietnam, Carl reported to Assault Craft Unit 1 (ACU1) onboard LCU-1481 for his first of three tours. They ran supplies and troop up and down the rivers and beaches. Carl reported as the Chief Boatswain at Nuclear Weapons Training Center Pacific in San Diego. Carl worked with the work-study group Norfolk and then at NTC San Diego as a Traffic Judge, retiring in March 1978, Serving for over 30 years.