Joe Eagan - 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 RDM3 World War 2 Joe Egan was born on Dec 17th, 1925, in Perth Amboy, NJ, and served as a Signalman in the Navy during WW2. Joe reported to the Navy on 17 Nov 1943 before his graduation. He rode a troop train from New York Penn Station to Sampson, NY, for the six weeks of boot camp. Assigned to an outgoing unit, he selected assignment to a signalman training, having been an active boy scout and already knowing semaphore and Morse code. He reported to the United States Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland, for six weeks. Fifteen men were selected from his graduating class to serve in the US Navy Armed Guard. The Armed Guard was a unit that stationed Sailors, both communications and gunners, on US Merchant Marine ships. They were all assigned to the Armed Guard Center in Brooklyn, NY., where he was assigned duty on the SS Exminster, a fast freighter that could do 17 knots and served as an ammunition ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. On his first cruise, the ship was loaded with ammunition, and they joined a 6-square-mile convoy for the 6-day crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Upon arrival, his ship was ordered to offload at Cherbourg, France. To return, the ship was reloaded with coal to supply the US war effort. This was the first of 18 crossings of the Atlantic through the German U-boat traps he and the SS Exminster made during the war. On his second trip, in early December, they loaded the ship in New York harbor and waited until six other ammunition shits were ready to cross back to Cherbourg. This time, all seven ships transited out of the submarine net-protected harbor, but instead of bunching up, they split up and crossed as fast as each ship could move. The Germans also used E-Boats or patrol craft to attack the regrouping three ships, sinking two of the seven ships. The offload started on December 16th, when the Battle of the Bulge began. His ship was offloaded via the Red Ball Express, trucking ammo to the front lines of the Ardennes. Joe made his last crossing to Calcutta, India, and the Philippine islands with ammo below deck, planes, and trucks on the deck. The return trip took 34 days to New York. Joe spent most of this trip in bed with Dengue fever contracted while on shore patrol. Joe was 21 when he was released from active duty on Dec 31, 1945.
Veteran,NIK,WW2
Joe Eagan - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Navy RDM3 World War 2 Joe Egan was born on Dec 17th, 1925, in Perth Amboy, NJ, and served as a Signalman in the Navy during WW2. Joe reported to the Navy on 17 Nov 1943 before his graduation. He rode a troop train from New York Penn Station to Sampson, NY, for the six weeks of boot camp. Assigned to an outgoing unit, he selected assignment to a signalman training, having been an active boy scout and already knowing semaphore and Morse code. He reported to the United States Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland, for six weeks. Fifteen men were selected from his graduating class to serve in the US Navy Armed Guard. The Armed Guard was a unit that stationed Sailors, both communications and gunners, on US Merchant Marine ships. They were all assigned to the Armed Guard Center in Brooklyn, NY., where he was assigned duty on the SS Exminster, a fast freighter that could do 17 knots and served as an ammunition ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. On his first cruise, the ship was loaded with ammunition, and they joined a 6-square-mile convoy for the 6-day crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Upon arrival, his ship was ordered to offload at Cherbourg, France. To return, the ship was reloaded with coal to supply the US war effort. This was the first of 18 crossings of the Atlantic through the German U-boat traps he and the SS Exminster made during the war. On his second trip, in early December, they loaded the ship in New York harbor and waited until six other ammunition shits were ready to cross back to Cherbourg. This time, all seven ships transited out of the submarine net-protected harbor, but instead of bunching up, they split up and crossed as fast as each ship could move. The Germans also used E-Boats or patrol craft to attack the regrouping three ships, sinking two of the seven ships. The offload started on December 16th, when the Battle of the Bulge began. His ship was offloaded via the Red Ball Express, trucking ammo to the front lines of the Ardennes. Joe made his last crossing to Calcutta, India, and the Philippine islands with ammo below deck, planes, and trucks on the deck. The return trip took 34 days to New York. Joe spent most of this trip in bed with Dengue fever contracted while on shore patrol. Joe was 21 when he was released from active duty on Dec 31, 1945.