Served as a United States Marine from 1965 through 1970 (MOS: 0311), and is a Texas veteran of the Vietnam War (1966 through 1967). Michael has been an advocate of and for Vietnam veterans since 1984, when he attended his first veterans reunion. He co-founded Alamo Area Vietnam Veterans (AAVV), a co-founder of VV Chapter 366, a former board member of the Vietnam Veterans Foundation of Texas, Inc., and is past president of the Vietnam Veterans of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines Assoc., Inc. He is the former editor of Texas VVA News, the state newspaper for Vietnam Veterans of America in Texas.

Michael is a 1995 graduate of Incarnate Word College, where he majored in Communication Arts, and is enrolled in the graduate program at the University of the Incarnate Word. He lives with his wife in San Antonio, Texas.

Michael's first book, Humidity Moon, was published in the Summer of 1998.