Meet Mary K. Talbot, Veterans Voice columnist

Mary K. Talbot was one of four children in the Talbot family. Often, she used to accompany her father on long car rides because of the time she got to spend with him.

On many of those rides, her father would tell her about his career in the army. She says, “Whether it was walking long distances in poorly fitted boots in the oppressive Georgia summer heat in basic training, or having the responsibility of delivering the news to families that their loved one had died, or bad food or the fear and excitement of getting ready to deploy, my father didn’t hesitate to share the hardships because he wanted me to know the sacrifices of military service.”

However, she adds that they talked about the positive side of military life as well.

“He would tell me about the brotherhood, the camaraderie of serving alongside his fellow soldiers and how the military was a great equalizer. As you were marching in the rain or lying in the trenches, it didn’t matter who you were or where you came from; you were all in the situation together,” Talbot said.

“My father’s allegiance to the armed services didn’t end after his four-year commitment was completed. He used his college education to become a teacher and then a school administrator, while continuing to serve in the Army Reserves. He recognized the value of a military career and helped many students find and develop their talents in the military. Snippets of visions of my father in the Reserves flood my mind,” she adds.

Talbot goes on to say that as she and her siblings grew older, none in their generation were interested in the military calling. “I’m not sure if it was fear learned from watching our neighbor leave for Vietnam and watching the sadness in his sons’ eyes when they learned he would not return. Or, perhaps, it was just the appeal of lives in the world of education and business,” she says.

But, Talbot adds that her father was never disappointed.

Then on March 4 this year, Col. Wilfred J. Talbot Jr. passed away. “His medals and photos in uniform are displayed in a shadow box above the desk where my oldest son studies each day,” says Talbot.

“But my father’s memory as a soldier lives on in so many other ways, too. He instilled discipline, teamwork, resilience and adaptability into each of his children and grandchildren. He also taught us to value education and to examine current affairs with a global perspective. His legacy of service lives on as his 21-year-old grandson, USMC Cpl. Trevor Talbot, serves our country.”

“So with great humility, I introduce myself to you and share with you the perspective from which I write, as a daughter (and granddaughter) of a veteran, and as the proud aunt of a Marine. I will gather information that is relevant to the lives of veterans and continue The Providence Journal’s tradition of sharing news and information weekly,” she concluded.