At the age of 17, Mickey left home to volunteer to serve in the United States Marine Corps. He was initially based in Hawaii and served in a security MOS while he completed his high school degree. Soon after arriving in Hawaii, peace was taken from South Korea and Mickey volunteered to deploy for combat duty in Korea. He was assigned to Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment of the First Marine Division.

Mickey was involved in various combat missions to include combat operations along the Chosin Reservoir. The battle of the Chosin Reservoir was the Iwo Jima of the Korean War. On November 27, 1950, Mickey was taken captive by the Chinese Communist fighters and he would remain a prisoner of war (POW) for the next 990 days. Through mental strength, physical endurance, and reliance on his faith in God, Mickey survived and returned home as one of the members of the Chosin Few. 