AFL 2026 Annual Meeting - New Orleans

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Michael Halbert. For those of us in the The American Friends of Lafayette and were active with our recent Bicentennial year celebrations, Michael countless times portrayed the elder statesman Lafayette - and no one was better at it.

Michael was the epitome of the consummate professional - courteous, genuine, generous with his time, and of course, great at his craft. Simply put, he was a gentleman. He had a sincere and unassuming personality - always ready to give you his time and enjoyed talking with you, especially if the subject was Lafayette.

I am certain I speak for many when saying we were honored to have known Michael, having had the opportunity of working with Michael and personally getting to know him.

Our deepest sympathies to his family.

Here is a brief bio on Michael:

Michael Halbert was a retired civilian defense intelligence officer who served with distinction for more than 37 years in a wide range of foreign engagement and liaison assignments. His career included senior leadership roles such as Deputy Director of U.S. Army Foreign Liaison, Deputy Chief of the Department of Defense Foreign Liaison within the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and DIA representative to the French services at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.

Fluent in French, Michael used both French and English interchangeably in his home. In recognition of his exceptional service and close cooperation with France, he was nominated by the French military mission at the Embassy of France in Washington, DC, and in 2006 was awarded France’s second-highest order of chivalry, the Ordre National du Mérite.

In addition to his renowned portrayal of Lafayette, Michael devoted decades to historical interpretation beginning in the 1990s. Over the years, he brought to life numerous civilian and military figures—including Samuel de Champlain, William Fairfax, Rochambeau, and William Washington—through presentations for school groups, civic organizations, podcasts, and historic commemorations. He also appeared in both speaking and non-speaking roles in productions for PBS, as well as other filmed historical documentaries and live stage performances.

Before his illness, Michael remained actively engaged in historical interpretation at sites throughout Alexandria, Jamestown, and Yorktown, Virginia; Washington, DC; and Annapolis, Maryland, portraying a wide range of colonial and Revolutionary War figures with the same authenticity, scholarship, and dignity that defined all his work.

If you're coming to New Orleans in less than three weeks for the AFL's 2026 Annual Meeting, you will have the pleasure of seeing our newest and youngest General Lafayette. Roy Wulf will be joining us for the annual meeting, June 11th thru 14th. Hope to see you there. Vive Lafayette!

Nothing like the New Orleans skyline at night - from the Mississippi River. If you're coming to New Orleans next month for the AFL's annual meeting and will be here a day early, then consider joining us on an AFL cruise on the Mississippi River on the Steamboat Natchez. You'll see this . . . and enjoy a great New Orleans cuisine buffet with live jazz music! See the link to the AFL Only discounted cruise to purchase!

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You'll see this next month if you're coming to the American Friends of Lafayette's 2026 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. A hard deadline is quickly approaching - if you're thinking about attending, move fast. Non-AFL members can attend.

Trimming our tree with General Washington and, of course, Lafayette!

Both of these ornaments are available online at the Mount Vernon Gift Shop.