Biography of Santos A. De La Rosa

    Santos Alfredo De La Rosa was born in Kingsville, Texas, a small town south of Corpus Christi. At the age of seventeen, he joined the Army and set off to Fort Ord, California in 1974. After graduating from basic training, he was stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia to complete his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) in aircraft structural repair. Santos was then transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington and was assigned to an aircraft unit where he repaired helicopters. During his tenure there, he competed against other soldiers and won Soldier of the Year. As a result, he was awarded the opportunity to attend the on campus college for six months. After three years in Fort Lewis, Santos was reassigned to a unit in Stuttgart, Germany to continue his MOS as a helicopter mechanic. Through MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation), Santos developed a new interest in picture framing at the on base frameshop. When Santos’ tour of duty in Germany was up, he received new orders to the Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 101st Airborne Division. He was accepted into the ROTC program at Austin Peay State University, earning a B.S. in Mass Communications and Theater, and upon graduation in 1985, was commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer. He studied field artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was reassigned to Fort Ord, California in the 9th Infantry Regiment as a Field Artillery Officer. In December 1989, Santos was deployed to Panama during Operation Just Cause as his division’s Assistant Public Affairs Officer. He was in charge of escorting journalists from major U.S. and foreign news outlets, including artist Al Sprague, who was commissioned by the Department of Defense to capture the war on canvas. Santos’ collaboration with Al reignited his passion for framing artwork. Santos’ next assignment was to attend the Advanced Military Course as a Quartermaster Officer in Fort Lee, Virginia. Following his training, Santos was sent to Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas as a Commissary Officer. He was reassigned as the 5th Army Community Relations Officer. In 1993, Santos’ final assignment was as the HHD Commander at 3rd MP Group CID Fort Gillem, Georgia.
    After serving in the Army for twenty-three years, Santos retired as a Captain in 1997. Santos entered the civilian workforce, taking jobs as a human resource manager and safety director for numerous companies. Meanwhile, Santos had started his own picture frame shop in his garage, Hang-ups on Wheels, in which he offered mobile picture framing services for over a decade. In 2010, Santos decided to focus more intently on his framing business and opened his own shop in Atlanta, Georgia, naming it Custom Framing by Veterans, in the hopes that other veterans would pursue framing and potentially owning their own frame shops. Santos offers a variety of framing services, but as a veteran business owner, Santos particularly enjoys connecting with other veterans and active duty service members by framing their medals and other military memorabilia and sharing stories of their time serving in the armed forces. As an Army retiree, this is just one way that Santos is able to stay connected to his brothers and sisters in arms. He invites anyone to visit Custom Framing by Veterans, whether it is to learn framing technique, bring in artwork to be framed, or simply to bond through shared military experiences.

Custom Framing by Veterans is an Army veteran owned full service custom picture frame shop. Our mouldings are always 50% off. Call us for an appointment.

Call us for an appointment. We Provide full Custom art & picture Framing, Shadow boxes, Military Flags and Medals, Wedding pictures, Portraits & Photographs.

Click here to send us an email or for faster service, call us at: 678-215-5959

Santos