Sinbad & Papillon Escapades: Growing Up In Different Neighborhoods - Softcover

Born in Chicago, IL but raised in Pico Rivera, CA, Michael P. Wood spent his early years inspired with the underwater world by early TV and Movies including Mike Nelson adventures in Sea Hunt TV series, Jacques-Yves Cousteau adventures in documentaries and "The Frogmen" movie with Richard Widmark. He joined the Navy at age 19 to become a Navy Frogman and to also become a photographer. Michael initially attempted college right after high school but the lure of exciting military service was too strong. He did eventually obtain his Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL and completed a Military Photojournalism program at the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse Univiserty in New York. During his 34 years of duty, initially as an enlisted SEAL in Vietnam and later a SEAL officer in DESERT STORM, he completed the Navy Photographic School, attended the Missouri State University Photojournalism workshop in Monett Missouri and achieved First Runner-Up "Military Photographer of the Year" two years running. His work has been published in numerous national magazines such as Skin Diver, National Geographic World, Readers Digest, Diver, and both Popular Science and Mechanics magazines. It was the Photojournalist aroused deep inside him that drove his desire to chronicle the story of Navy Frogmen and SEALs and led to his collection of over 34 years of rarily or never before seen operational photographs of Frogs and SEALs in action. Michael retired in 2003 as a Navy SEAL Commander and lives with his beloved wife and inspiration, Joyce in Panama City, FL and together they will publish more stories, books and photographs.