Profiles in Havok Christopher Paul Meyer

I sit down with Havok Journal owner Charlie Faint to discuss the Israel/Palestine issues and get some recent historical perspective.

Michael D. Fay is a former USMC Combat Artist with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mike enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and was discharged in 1978 as an 81 mm mortarman (MOS 0341). In 1978, he returned to Penn State Univeristy and graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. In 1983, re-enlisted into the Marines and served as an avionics technician (MOS 6322) in the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365) until 1993. Fay served a tour on recruiting duty (MOS 8411) and was a recruiter of the year for 1989 and 1990. He left active duty at the end of September 1993. Fay returned to service in the USMCR in January 2000. He was assigned as an official combat artist. He is now retired from the Marine Corps. Fay's artwork is in the Marine Corps Combat Art collection, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the collection of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Fay has also had solo exhibitions at the Farnsworth Museum, where he was the target of a protest group. 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."
Fay has also recorded wounded veterans recovering from their injuries. As part of this work he founded the Joe Bonham Project to document the experiences of the wounded. After retirement, Fay campaigned for enhanced recognition and improved working opportunities for war artists. Fay also uses sculpture. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration; his thesis was called The Boy Who Drew Soldiers.

The child of a Ukrainian POW and US Air Force veteran, Michael Bard is an active musician, composer and teacher who resides near Washington, D.C. He has performed as a soloist and with various musical ensembles throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, North Africa, South America, Central America and the Middle East. He has also been featured on various radio and television programs around the world.  He has served as Vice President of the Dayton Classical Guitar Society as well as Vice President of the Washington Guitar Society.
While pursuing graduate studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, Michael was awarded a full scholarship to study at l’Accademia “Ottocento” in Vigevano, Italy, a school which specializes in the classical guitar music of the 19th century. During that time he also participated in a concert tour of northern Italy and Switzerland.
Michael has also performed as rhythm guitarist for Higher Octave/Virgin recording artists Shahin and Sepehr with whom he has toured nationally and abroad. He also appeared on their fourth album “World Cafe” which peaked at #18 on the Billboard charts and was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
As a performer, Michael was chosen by the U.S. State Department to concertize throughout Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, and the kingdom of Morocco with fellow guitarist Corey Whitehead. Billing themselves as ‘Douze Cordes’ Michael and Corey effectively served as cultural ambassadors, offering diplomacy through music. They were later invited to give more performances in Jordan and Kuwait on a second tour again sponsored by the U.S. State Department. More recently they embarked on an 11 city concert tour throughout the country of Chile, this time as a trio with vocalist Deborah Benner, Michael’s wife & musical partner.
Michael has performed for many luminaries and dignitaries including former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore as well as various members of royalty throughout the Middle East & South America.
His first recorded solo effort entitled ‘Illumination’ features original compositions for guitar and solo piano, blending a soothing mix of of Spanish, Latin, and adult contemporary instrumental styles. His composition ‘Mediterranean Beauty’ for two guitars is published by Lathkill Music Publishers, England.
He provided Spanish guitar accompaniment for The Choral Arts Society of Washington‘s award winning NAXOS recording “Celebrating Sacred Rhythms” featuring Ariel Ramirez’ “Misa Criolla” & “Navidad Nuestra.”
Michael currently performs & records with Washington D.C. based Latin Rumba-Flamenco group Trio Caliente, which has released 3 albums, performed nationally, and whose music was featured on NBC’s former hit TV show “Smash” as well as E! Entertainment Television Network. ​​
Michael holds a Masters degree in music from Arizona State University, Tempe and a Bachelors degree in music from Wright State University, Dayton, OH.
Get tickets to Michael's Carnegie Hall concert on November 4, 2023.

Arriving in the US as a refugee, Ayman Kafel escaped civil wars in both Lebanon and Liberia. Following 9/11, Ayman enlisted in the US Army where he saw combat in Iraq before being forced to medically retire due to service-connected injuries. He continues to serve as a law enforcement officer. A regular contributor to Havok Journal, he is also the host of Project Sapient, a podcast dedicated to law enforcement and military issues. he recently published his first book through the Second Mission Foundation, THE RESOLUTE PATH.
RSVP to come to Ayman's book launch and see Ayman in VetRep's immersive performance of THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

Episode 117 with former Army combat veteran Dave Campisano, founder of 22 Mohawks. Dave joined the Army in 2001 and served in various light infantry units until his separation in 2016. In 2009, he passed Ranger School and was deployed with the Golden Dragons 2/14In, 10th Mountain Division to Iraq. After his honorable discharge in 2016, he attended Suffolk University in Boston where he majored in Finance and now serves as a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual and a financial planning team based in Wellesley, Ma.He currently lives with his daughter, Isabella, and dog Winston in Millis, Ma.
After his separation from the Army, David began to notice that more and more service members were taking their own lives and felt compelled to start the non-profit, 22Mohawks. The main goal of 22Mohawks is to bring awareness to veteran suicide. They sponsor multiple events each year that bring veterans and their families together. Their mission is to create and keep the bond between veterans so that everyone knows that they have someone with similar experiences they can lean on. A big part of that bond and connection is lost after separation from the military and believing fully in their mission to reinforce and maintain that sense of community.

Episode 116 with former NYPD detective and actor/singer Michael Devine. Mike, a native New Yorker, is an intrepid character actor recognized for his roles as Detective Paul O'Rourke on the Emmy-nominated "The Undoing" (HBO) and James Tech on "Limitless" (CBS). With various guest star appearances on network, streaming and pay cable television, he is no stranger to the camera. His work can also been seen on the big screen in dozens of A-List directed films such as The Wolf Of Wall Street, The Post, The Woman In The Window, Inside Man, etc.
When not working on set, Michael is in the recording studio. As an accomplished singer, Michael's first album, "Songs of Valor and Hope," hit #1 in four categories on Amazon. His second album, "Sentinels" has just been released.