Frank Frazier - Home Page Slide Show - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

Mickey Strand - Veterans Series View More Photos Skip to Main Content

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
Frank Frazier was born on Nov 17, 1929, and grew up on a farm in Texas before moving to San Antonio after his father's passing. After graduating from Central Catholic High in 1947, Frank attended Texas A and M Corps of Cadets School, graduating with an Aeronautical Engineering degree. Frank was commissioned as a 2nd Lt after four years of ROTC at Texas A and M. Frank selected his path early in life. When working in the fields at seven, a barnstormer buzzed the farm and lit his passion for flight. He received his pilot's license at 16, in a Piper J3 Cub during his senior year of High school when lessons and flight time at Stinson field were only $8 an hour. He mowed lawns, worked summers in the oil fields, paid for flight time, and then went through college, graduating debt-free. Second Lt. Frazier reported to Air Force Primary flight training at Malden Army Airfield, Missouri, flying the North American T-6 Texans. He then reported for six months to Williams Air Force Base, Phoenix, AZ, for advanced flight training in Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star subsonic jet trainers. He finalized his training in the North American F-86 Sabre Jet at Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas. This was the jet he would be flying for combat operations in Korea. In Feb 1953, Frank reported to Korea, flying with the 336 Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing out of K-14 Kimpo (Gimpo) Korea. He patrolled “MIG Ally,” protecting Fifth AF bomber operations from MIG-15 attacks. In early June, he got his first kill against a MIG-15, and on the 19th, he shared his 2nd kill. Frank flew 63 missions during his deployment and returned home after the end of combat operations. Frank returned to Edwards AFB to work as a Flight Test Engineer for four years. During this time, Capt Frazier was reassigned to Seattle as a test pilot for the Boeing B-52 acceptance test flights and flew the third airframe built in 1954-5. He followed that with four years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, using his Aeronautical Engineering degree to test equipment and new aircraft. With all this work as an engineer, Frank decided he wanted to fly these new jets and was assigned to the Test Pilot School at Edwards in 1957. 1st Lt Frazier graduated as a USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot on 3 Jan 1958. Frank participated in the original Mercury Project in 1958. He went through all of the tests and evaluations with the 32 members’ perspective astronauts and found out years later that he was the 10th man on the list of the seven selected astronauts. In 1959 Frank was testing a B-47 Stratojet and set the world record at the time flying for 80 hours and 36 min. Maj Frasier served in 67-68 in Vietnam, flying 115 missions, with the 497th Tactical Fighter squadron, the Night Owls, in F-4 phantoms performing low-level night ground support missions. Returning to Edwards AFB after Vietnam, Lt Col Fraser served as the Deputy Commandant Aerospace Research School, where he joined the M2 club, having traveled twice the speed of sound or Mach 2, on 6 Sep 63 in a Convair F-106 Delta Dart. Frank retired in March of 1972 after packing all that excitement into 20 years, nine months, and 12 days of active duty. Frank continued flying for over 12 years in many aircraft until retiring from the flight with over 30 thousand hours of flying time. Frank received the distinguished flying cross with three oak leaf clusters.
Frank Frazier - Home Page Slide Show - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
Frank Frazier was born on Nov 17, 1929, and grew up on a farm in Texas before moving to San Antonio after his father's passing. After graduating from Central Catholic High in 1947, Frank attended Texas A and M Corps of Cadets School, graduating with an Aeronautical Engineering degree. Frank was commissioned as a 2nd Lt after four years of ROTC at Texas A and M. Frank selected his path early in life. When working in the fields at seven, a barnstormer buzzed the farm and lit his passion for flight. He received his pilot's license at 16, in a Piper J3 Cub during his senior year of High school when lessons and flight time at Stinson field were only $8 an hour. He mowed lawns, worked summers in the oil fields, paid for flight time, and then went through college, graduating debt-free. Second Lt. Frazier reported to Air Force Primary flight training at Malden Army Airfield, Missouri, flying the North American T-6 Texans. He then reported for six months to Williams Air Force Base, Phoenix, AZ, for advanced flight training in Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star subsonic jet trainers. He finalized his training in the North American F-86 Sabre Jet at Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas. This was the jet he would be flying for combat operations in Korea. In Feb 1953, Frank reported to Korea, flying with the 336 Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing out of K-14 Kimpo (Gimpo) Korea. He patrolled “MIG Ally,” protecting Fifth AF bomber operations from MIG-15 attacks. In early June, he got his first kill against a MIG-15, and on the 19th, he shared his 2nd kill. Frank flew 63 missions during his deployment and returned home after the end of combat operations. Frank returned to Edwards AFB to work as a Flight Test Engineer for four years. During this time, Capt Frazier was reassigned to Seattle as a test pilot for the Boeing B-52 acceptance test flights and flew the third airframe built in 1954-5. He followed that with four years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, using his Aeronautical Engineering degree to test equipment and new aircraft. With all this work as an engineer, Frank decided he wanted to fly these new jets and was assigned to the Test Pilot School at Edwards in 1957. 1st Lt Frazier graduated as a USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot on 3 Jan 1958. Frank participated in the original Mercury Project in 1958. He went through all of the tests and evaluations with the 32 members’ perspective astronauts and found out years later that he was the 10th man on the list of the seven selected astronauts. In 1959 Frank was testing a B-47 Stratojet and set the world record at the time flying for 80 hours and 36 min. Maj Frasier served in 67-68 in Vietnam, flying 115 missions, with the 497th Tactical Fighter squadron, the Night Owls, in F-4 phantoms performing low-level night ground support missions. Returning to Edwards AFB after Vietnam, Lt Col Fraser served as the Deputy Commandant Aerospace Research School, where he joined the M2 club, having traveled twice the speed of sound or Mach 2, on 6 Sep 63 in a Convair F-106 Delta Dart. Frank retired in March of 1972 after packing all that excitement into 20 years, nine months, and 12 days of active duty. Frank continued flying for over 12 years in many aircraft until retiring from the flight with over 30 thousand hours of flying time. Frank received the distinguished flying cross with three oak leaf clusters.