Bob Van Ness - 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 SP(I) World War 2 US Navy SP(I) World War 2 Mr. Bob Van Ness was a Specialist I "Sp(I)" International Business Machine (IBM) Operator or Accounting Machine Operator and Mechanic. They ran the new I.B.M. Accounting machine used by dispersing or the pay office to manage the massive payroll for the US Navy in World War 2. The Specialist rating group was created in late 1941 to allow for new enlisted ratings needed in wartime that fell outside the established Navy structure. Specialist I, whose rating symbol was a triangle with the rating letter capital I placed inside. Specialists could be appointed directly from civilian life to any Petty Officer grade, depending upon their skill level. Specialist Bob Van Ness served four years in the US Navy. He proudly displays photos from his scrapbook showing him teaching at the Naval Training Center (NTC) in San Diego. Bob and his apprentice work on a 1950s National Cash Register Accounting Print Machine, a very early computer. This and other new computers sped up service members’ pay and all the records that kept up with the mass influx of personnel joining the service during the war. Bob did not forward deploy to an overseas posting or a ship. He performed so well at his initial training school at NTC San Diego that he was directly assigned to train the following few classes of operators until the war was over in Europe and Japan. Bob was responsible for hundreds of fully qualified Navy Dispersing Clerks being deployed to the fleet.
Veteran,NIK,WW2
Bob Van Ness - Mickey Strand - Veterans Series
US Navy SP(I) World War 2 US Navy SP(I) World War 2 Mr. Bob Van Ness was a Specialist I "Sp(I)" International Business Machine (IBM) Operator or Accounting Machine Operator and Mechanic. They ran the new I.B.M. Accounting machine used by dispersing or the pay office to manage the massive payroll for the US Navy in World War 2. The Specialist rating group was created in late 1941 to allow for new enlisted ratings needed in wartime that fell outside the established Navy structure. Specialist I, whose rating symbol was a triangle with the rating letter capital I placed inside. Specialists could be appointed directly from civilian life to any Petty Officer grade, depending upon their skill level. Specialist Bob Van Ness served four years in the US Navy. He proudly displays photos from his scrapbook showing him teaching at the Naval Training Center (NTC) in San Diego. Bob and his apprentice work on a 1950s National Cash Register Accounting Print Machine, a very early computer. This and other new computers sped up service members’ pay and all the records that kept up with the mass influx of personnel joining the service during the war. Bob did not forward deploy to an overseas posting or a ship. He performed so well at his initial training school at NTC San Diego that he was directly assigned to train the following few classes of operators until the war was over in Europe and Japan. Bob was responsible for hundreds of fully qualified Navy Dispersing Clerks being deployed to the fleet.