[5][8] Fay enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and was discharged in 1978[9] as an 81 mm mortarman (MOS 0341).

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.

[22] He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration; his thesis was called The Boy Who Drew Soldiers.