Michael D. Fay

Last updated

Michael Fay
Born Allentown, Pennsylvania
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Service/branch USMC logo.svg United States Marine Corps
Years of service1975-1978
1983-1993
Rank USMC CWO2.svg Chief Warrant Officer-2 [1]
Battles/wars
Awards

Michael D. Fay is a former United States Marine Corps combat artist. Before his retirement from the Corps, [1] he was a war artist serving in Iraq. [3] [4] [5] He was deployed as an artist-correspondent embedded with US troops in Afghanistan. [3] [4] [6] [7] He resides in Fredericksburg, Virginia. [5] [8]

Contents

Military career

Fay enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and was discharged in 1978 [9] as an 81 mm mortarman (MOS 0341). In 1978, he returned to Pennsylvania State University and graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. [10] In 1983, re-enlisted into the Marines and served as an avionics technician (MOS 6322) working on CH-46s, VH-3Ds, CH-53Es and UH/AH-1s in the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365) until 1993. [10] Fay served a tour on recruiting duty (MOS 8411) at Recruiting Station Baltimore as a recruiter of the year for 1989 and 1990. He left active duty at the end of September 1993.[ citation needed ]

Fay returned to service in the Marine Corps Reserve in January 2000. He was assigned as an official combat artist with the National Museum of the Marine Corps Combat Art Collection. [5] He is now retired from the Marine Corps. [1] [6]

War artist

The United States Marine Corps supports three combat artists [note 1] to produce fine art based on their experiences of combat and the life of Marines on the battlefield. [11] The orders are "Go to war. Do art." [12] The artists are unfettered in their choice of subject. [1] [13] Fay's artwork is in the Marine Corps Combat Art collection, [5] the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the collection of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. [14] [15]

Fay has also had solo exhibitions at the Farnsworth Museum, where he was the target of a protest group. [16] His artwork has been published in Leatherneck Magazine —the official magazine of the Marine Corps Association —and the New York Times. The Guardian called his work "exceptionally moving and thought-provoking", and said, "Over the past decade, Fay has seen action as a war artist with US troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but his latest journey was to a military veterans' hospital in Richmond, Virginia. In the resulting New York Times blogs, he relays his meetings with three young men severely wounded in Afghanistan. His account of their injuries and rehabilitation is gripping, but what really deepens the reporting are his drawings, reproduced alongside the articles." [17]

Fay has also recorded wounded veterans recovering from their injuries. [18] As part of this work he founded the Joe Bonham Project to document the experiences of the wounded. [3] [19] [20] After retirement, Fay campaigned for enhanced recognition and improved working opportunities for war artists. [21] Fay also uses sculpture. [22] He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration; his thesis was called The Boy Who Drew Soldiers. [23]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Sources differ on the numbers. in recent years (2013) the number of combat artists has dwindled to one. This figure is for the USMC. Other fighting units deploy their own artists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple Heart</span> United States military decoration

The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, which took the form of a heart made of purple cloth, the Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan Campaign Medal</span> Award

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004, and became available for general distribution in June 2005. The medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War artist</span> Artist who records their experience of war

A war artist is an artist either commissioned by a government or publication, or self-motivated, to document first-hand experience of war in any form of illustrative or depictive record. War artists explore the visual and sensory dimensions of war, often absent in written histories or other accounts of warfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Marine Division (United States)</span> US Marine Corps reserve formation

The 4th Marine Division is a reserve division in the United States Marine Corps. It was raised in 1943 for service during World War II, and subsequently fought in the Pacific against the Japanese. Deactivated after the war, the division was re-formed in 1966 and elements of the division deployed during the Gulf War in 1990–1991, as well as during the Iraq War. It is currently the ground combat element of the Marine Forces Reserve and is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has units throughout the United States.

Radio Battalions are tactical signals intelligence units of Marine Corps Intelligence. There are currently three operational Radio Battalions in the Marine Corps organization: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. In fleet operations, teams from Radio Battalions are most often attached to the command element of Marine Expeditionary Units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines</span> Infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps

3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, abbreviated as (3/3), was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps, based out of Kaneohe, Hawaii. Known as either "Trinity" or "America's Battalion", the unit normally fell under the command of the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division. When fully manned, the unit consisted of approximately 1000 U.S. Marines and United States Navy Sailors. Like most 20th century model infantry battalions of the U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was made up of three rifle companies, and a Headquarters and Services (H&S) company. The battalion was originally formed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1942 and saw action on both Bougainville and Guam during World War II, where it was awarded its first Presidential Unit Citation and Navy Unit Commendation. Marines in the battalion were also awarded one Medal of Honor and seven Navy Crosses during the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Bogdanos</span> American lawyer

Colonel Matthew Bogdanos is an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, author, boxer, and a retired colonel in the United States Marine Corps. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Bogdanos deployed to Afghanistan where he was awarded a Bronze Star for actions against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In 2003, while on active duty in the Marine Corps, he led an investigation into the looting of Iraq's National Museum, and was subsequently awarded the National Humanities Medal for his efforts. Returning to the District Attorney’s Office in 2010, he created and still heads the Antiquities Trafficking Unit, “the only one of its kind in the world.” He had previously gained national attention for the prosecution of Sean Combs, who was acquitted of weapons and bribery charges in a 2001 trial stemming from a 1999 nightclub shootout.

There were 2,402 United States military deaths in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). 1,921 of these deaths were the result of hostile action. 20,713 American servicemembers were also wounded in action during the war. In addition, 18 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives also died in Afghanistan. Further, there were 1,822 civilian contractor fatalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Popaditch</span>

Nicholas Allen Popaditch is a medically retired United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who gained fame as the "Cigar Marine", recipient of the Silver Star and Purple Heart. He ran unsuccessfully as the 2010 Republican candidate for California's 51st congressional district, losing to incumbent Democrat Bob Filner. He ran again in 2012 in the 53rd congressional district, losing to incumbent Democrat Susan Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Raider Regiment</span> US Marine Corps special forces unit

The Marine Raider Regiment (MRR), formerly known as the Marine Special Operations Regiment (MSOR), is a special operations forces of the United States Marine Corps, which is a part of Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Renamed for its predecessor, the World War II Marine Raiders, this unit is the principal combat component of MARSOC, which is the Marine Corps' contribution to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristopher Battles</span> American combat artist

Kristopher J. Battles is an American artist, known as the last remaining USMC combat artist in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakota Meyer</span> U.S. Marine Medal of Honor recipient

Dakota Louis Meyer is a United States Marine. A veteran of the War in Afghanistan, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Meyer is the second-youngest living Medal of Honor recipient, the third living recipient for either the Iraq War or the War in Afghanistan, and the first living United States Marine in 38 years to be so honored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Carpenter</span> United States Marine

William Kyle Carpenter is a medically retired United States Marine who received the United States' highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010. Carpenter is the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Johnson (war artist)</span>

Richard Johnson is a Canadian journalist and war artist.

Victor Juhasz is an American artist.

The Joe Bonham Project is named after the fictional protagonist of Dalton Trumbo's 1939 anti-war novel Johnny Got His Gun. Its purpose is to portray the reality of war to the public with art that portrays the human consequences of combat. Founded by war artist Michael D. Fay, the organisation holds exhibitions to introduce the public to artistic representations of war and the aftermath of war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliot Ackerman</span> American author

Elliot Ackerman is an American author and former Marine Corps special operations team leader. He is the New York Times–bestselling author of the novels 2034: A Novel of the Next World War, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, and the upcoming Halcyon: A Novel, as well as the memoirs The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan and Placesand Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning. His books have received significant critical acclaim, including nominations for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medals in both fiction and non-fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He served as a White House fellow in the Obama administration and is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a contributing writer to The Atlantic and The New York Times. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Valor, and a Purple Heart during his five deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Charles "Charlie" Linville is an American military veteran who is the first combat-wounded veteran ever to summit Mount Everest. He made this climb after three years of training. Linville was injured when serving his second tour in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Jones (rower)</span>

Robert R. Jones is an American farmer, Marine Corps veteran, motivational speaker, Paralympic athlete, and politician. In 2010, while serving in Afghanistan, he was severely wounded in action by an improvised explosive device where he lost both legs above the knee. Jones made headlines when he completed 31 consecutive marathons in 31 days while raising money for veterans. Between 2013 and 2014, he cycled nearly 5,200 miles across the United States in order to raise awareness for wounded veterans. He also won a bronze medal with Oksana Masters in mixed double sculls (rowing) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pierce, Christy Crytzer (2012). "Seeing is Believing". NEA Arts Magazine, Issue 2012, no 2. National Endowment for the Arts . Retrieved 29 November 2013. One such artist is Michael D. Fay, a painter, illustrator, and retired chief warrant officer for the Marine Corps.
  2. ↑ Atkinson, Peter (July 2007). "The Art of War". pp. 46–48. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. 1 2 3 "'Reportager' : Members : Mike Fay : Research Group and Programme at the School of Creative Arts, University of the West of England". University of the West of England . Retrieved 29 November 2013. Michael D. Fay and was the official combat artist for the United States Marine Corps from 2000-2010. In this capacity he completed four combat tours as a war artist, two each in Iraq and Afghanistan, for the National Museum of the Marine Corps. In 2010 Mike retired and, among other things, founded The Joe Bonham Project. The JBP is a reportage art program documenting the faces and experiences of profoundly battle wounded soldiers and Marines.
  4. 1 2 Reid, Chip (3 May 2012). "Sketching veterans recovering from war, so their stories aren't lost - CBS News". CBS News . Retrieved 28 November 2013. For nearly 100 years, since World War I, the U.S. military has used combat artists to create a visual record of America's wars. Among those artists in Iraq and Afghanistan was a Marine named Michael Fay.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Soza, Samuel A. "Profile Article - Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Michael D. Fay". Defend America. US Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2013. Marine Staff Sgt. Michael D. Fay, 49, a reservist from Fredericksburg, Va., can be best described as one of a kind. Classified as a combat illustrator, he is the only one in the Marine Corps Reserves with his occupation. Fay is serving in Iraq, and carrying on the long lineage of modern combat illustrators, beginning with artist Winslow Homer, who captured the intensity of the Civil War on canvas.
  6. 1 2 Fay, Michael D (June 6, 2010). "Drawing Fire: Into Ubaydi". The New York Times . Retrieved 28 November 2013. In 2005, then Chief Warrant Officer Michael D. Fay traveled to Iraq in his capacity as official Marine Corps artist. There he fought with Marines engaged in Operation Steel Curtain against insurgents along the Euphrates River, and documented the events in sketches, photographs and audio recordings.
  7. ↑ North, Andrew (25 June 2011). "BBC News - War artist draws US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan". BBC Online . Retrieved 28 November 2013. To his left flank, there is a line of trees. He is in the Taliban heartland of southern Afghanistan. [...] This is only a painting by American war artist Michael Fay. But it could sum up the fears of many in the US military that President Barack Obama is pulling out his troops too quickly from Afghanistan, sacrificing any gains they have made on the battlefield.
  8. ↑ Chinn, Lisa (5 December 2001). "Marines capture war in art". Fredericksburg.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 29 November 2013. Fay, a Fredericksburg resident, is a member of the field history reserve unit, which is part of the Marine Corps Historical Center in Washington.
  9. ↑ Bradway, Rich (2010-05-02). "An Evening With Combat Artist Marine Chief Warrant Officer Michael Fay - Norman Rockwell Museum - The Home for American Illustration". Norman Rockwell Museum. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  10. 1 2 Chinn, Lisa (7 April 2002). "Watercolor WARRIOR". Fredericksburg.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 29 November 2013. Fay, 48, has a bachelor's degree in art education from Penn State. He worked on helicopters during 13 years of active duty, including earlier tours in Somalia and Desert Storm.
  11. ↑ "BBC NEWS - In Pictures: US war artist". BBC Online . 14 April 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2013. Michael Fay is an official US Marine war artist, one of only three in the service. His mission - "Go do art" - has taken him to Iraq and Afghanistan.
  12. ↑ "Person of the Week: Combat Artists". ABC News . 7 September 2007. Retrieved 29 November 2013. They are on active duty and are fully armed and deployed in the roughest combat zones of their day. "And we are given one order when we go forward, and that is, 'Go to war, do art,'" said Chief Warrant Officer Michael Fay.
  13. ↑ Kendall, Kris (August 2007). "War Paint" (PDF). pp. 58–62. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013. The Marine Corps gives the combat artists all the art supplies they need and allows them to sketch anything they see. "It's like having a very good patron."
  14. ↑ Nagy, Kimberley; Stocke, Joy. "ART - INTERVIEW - Suzanne Opton and Michael Fay - The Human Face of War". Wild River Review. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  15. ↑ Mitchner, Stuart (5 September 2007). "Art and War: Behind The Thousand Mile Stare". Town Topics - Princeton's Weekly Community Newspaper. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  16. ↑ Lydon, Christopher (20 September 2005). "Combat Art". Radio Open Source. Retrieved 29 November 2013. When Sgt. Michael Fay arrived at his first one-man show at the Farnsworth Museum, he found peace protesters outside the museum with flyers with his name all over them, saying his art glorified war.
  17. ↑ Jones, Jonathan (21 March 2011). "Michael Fay's sketches of war capture more than just scarred flesh". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  18. ↑ Pelley, Scott. "The sketches of a war artist - Pictures - CBS News". CBS News . pp. 1–10. Retrieved 28 November 2013. Mike Fay visits veteran recovering from war wounds and sketches them "to get their stories into the culture.
  19. ↑ Kino, Carol (25 May 2012). "Portraits of Wat". The New York Times . Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  20. ↑ Gammage, Jeff. "Drexel University's Joe Bonham project highlights human cost of war". Philadelphia Media Network . Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  21. ↑ Kino, Carol (14 July 2010). "With Sketchpads and Guns, Semper Fi". The New York Times . Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  22. ↑ Moyer, Laura (9 March 2008). "Military artists capture realities of the war zone". Fredericksburg.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  23. ↑ Fay, Michael D. (2012). Naturalist to Imagist: The Boy who Drew Soldiers. University of Hartford . Retrieved 29 November 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.