Dick Erickson - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

Mickey Strand - Veterans Series

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 Navy S1c World War 2 Willard Richard “Dick” Erickson, born in Willmington, IL, on 24 Oct 1926, joined the Navy after only two years of High School. He had a brother in Paton’s Army and felt the need to serve, so he dropped out and joined the Navy with his parent’s permission. He attended Boot camp with many other Midwest boys at Great Lakes, Ill. He transferred to Gulfport, Mississippi, and attended gunnery school to become a member of the Armed Guard. The Guard, with their five Enlisted and one officer, operated the deck guns of merchant ships to provide a nominal defense against attack. Dick was assigned to the SS Try Mountain, which held 75000 barrels of oil. They transferred oil from Houston, Texas, to New York for the war efforts. Dick remembers one submarine alert, where they spotted a German U-boat. The armament of the Try Mountain included many old World War 1 pieces of equipment, including a 4-inch 50mm gun and two water-cooled 50 Cal machine guns on the bridge. Dick later served on an LST 242 (Landing Ship Tank) in San Diego Ca as a helmsman, preparing this ship for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. After the surrender, Dick and his ship traveled to Okinawa and were assigned to the southern island chain of Amami Ōshima with humanity's relief efforts. Dick fondly remembers delivering food and clothing to the citizens of these remote islands where once, the local men paddled their boats past the shallows to fairy the goods back and forth to shore, greeting the ship with a bow and tip of the hat. In 1947 after the war, Dick finished High School and worked with his veteran brother. He was married and had two children.Willard Richard “Dick” Erickson, born in Willmington, IL, on 24 Oct 1926, joined the Navy after only two years of High School. He had a brother in Paton’s Army and felt the need to serve, so he dropped out and joined the Navy with his Parent's permission. He attended Boot camp at Great lakes, Ill with many other midwest boys. He transferred to Gulfport, Mississippi, and attended gunnery school to become a member of the Armed Guard. The Guard, with their five Enlisted and one officer, operated the deck guns of merchant ships to provide a nominal defense against attack. Dick was assigned to the SS Try Mountain, which held 75000 barrels of oil. They transferred oil from Huston, Texas, to New York for the war efforts. Dick remembers one submarine alert, where they spotted a German U-boat. The armament of the Try Mountain included many old WW1 pieces of equipment, including a 4-inch 50mm gun and two water-cooled 50 Cal machine guns on the bridge. Dick later served on an LST 242 (Landing ship Tank) in San Diego Ca as a helmsman, preparing this ship for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. After the surrender, Dick and his ship traveled to Okinawa and were assigned to the southern island chain of Amami Ōshima with humanity's relief efforts. Dick fondly remembers delivering food and clothing to the citizens of these remote islands where once, the men paddled their boats past the shallows to fairy the goods back to shore, greeting the ship with a bow and tip of the hat. In 1947 after the war, Dick finished High School and worked with his veteran brother. He was married and had two children.
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Dick Erickson - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Navy S1c World War 2 Willard Richard “Dick” Erickson, born in Willmington, IL, on 24 Oct 1926, joined the Navy after only two years of High School. He had a brother in Paton’s Army and felt the need to serve, so he dropped out and joined the Navy with his parent’s permission. He attended Boot camp with many other Midwest boys at Great Lakes, Ill. He transferred to Gulfport, Mississippi, and attended gunnery school to become a member of the Armed Guard. The Guard, with their five Enlisted and one officer, operated the deck guns of merchant ships to provide a nominal defense against attack. Dick was assigned to the SS Try Mountain, which held 75000 barrels of oil. They transferred oil from Houston, Texas, to New York for the war efforts. Dick remembers one submarine alert, where they spotted a German U-boat. The armament of the Try Mountain included many old World War 1 pieces of equipment, including a 4-inch 50mm gun and two water-cooled 50 Cal machine guns on the bridge. Dick later served on an LST 242 (Landing Ship Tank) in San Diego Ca as a helmsman, preparing this ship for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. After the surrender, Dick and his ship traveled to Okinawa and were assigned to the southern island chain of Amami Ōshima with humanity's relief efforts. Dick fondly remembers delivering food and clothing to the citizens of these remote islands where once, the local men paddled their boats past the shallows to fairy the goods back and forth to shore, greeting the ship with a bow and tip of the hat. In 1947 after the war, Dick finished High School and worked with his veteran brother. He was married and had two children.Willard Richard “Dick” Erickson, born in Willmington, IL, on 24 Oct 1926, joined the Navy after only two years of High School. He had a brother in Paton’s Army and felt the need to serve, so he dropped out and joined the Navy with his Parent's permission. He attended Boot camp at Great lakes, Ill with many other midwest boys. He transferred to Gulfport, Mississippi, and attended gunnery school to become a member of the Armed Guard. The Guard, with their five Enlisted and one officer, operated the deck guns of merchant ships to provide a nominal defense against attack. Dick was assigned to the SS Try Mountain, which held 75000 barrels of oil. They transferred oil from Huston, Texas, to New York for the war efforts. Dick remembers one submarine alert, where they spotted a German U-boat. The armament of the Try Mountain included many old WW1 pieces of equipment, including a 4-inch 50mm gun and two water-cooled 50 Cal machine guns on the bridge. Dick later served on an LST 242 (Landing ship Tank) in San Diego Ca as a helmsman, preparing this ship for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. After the surrender, Dick and his ship traveled to Okinawa and were assigned to the southern island chain of Amami Ōshima with humanity's relief efforts. Dick fondly remembers delivering food and clothing to the citizens of these remote islands where once, the men paddled their boats past the shallows to fairy the goods back to shore, greeting the ship with a bow and tip of the hat. In 1947 after the war, Dick finished High School and worked with his veteran brother. He was married and had two children.