“Talking Proud” honors service and sacrifice, focused mainly on our military, and where I can, on Canada’s as well. Feel free to send me a note using the Contact Form and, if appropriate, I will post your comments in our Letters section. My name is Ed Marek, and I run this site on my own, as a hobby. That said, a donation is always uplifting.
Whatever you do, Talk proud. Be proud. Make pride your passion.
We have a great menu of stories in the table of contents on the left sidebar. Browse through them and be proud.
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America lost a brave soldier today
Sgt. Jamie Jarboe, injured critically by an enemy sniper’s bullet in Kandahar, Afghanistan in April 2011, died on the morning of March 21, 2012 after a valiant fight to stay alive. This photo shows him with his wife, Melissa. The sniper’s bullet paralyzed him from the waist down, and he finally succumbed to numerous complications and infections. Doctors thought he would not make it more than a few days after coming to the US, but he fought and fought, not wanting to die. Melissa said, “The last 11 months, they were priceless.” She said, "It was breathtaking and refreshing. Jamie said he didn't understand why people thought he was a hero. He was just Sergeant Jamie Jarboe. He did what thousands of other soldiers did." After learning that he was not going to make it much longer, Melissa brought him home to Kansas. Patriot Riders escorted him from the airport to his home. God’s speed Sergeant Jarboe. You are one of America’s sons. (032312)
Medevacs & Medics, Angels of Mercy
For the past 8-9 years, while running this web site as a hobby, I have written multiple stories about our military medevac and medical people in war. As an Indochina War veteran who flew aboard combat reconnaissance missions, mostly over Laos, I have always had a special spot in my heart for those who we all knew would come to our aid if we got into trouble during combat operations. In the Air Force, we knew it would virtually stop the air war to go in to save a downed crew. In researching Army and Marine operations, I have also learned what a massive effort is put into getting our wounded out of the killing zone and into medical hands. I have further learned the extent of this medical system available to our wounded from the medic working on a downed troop in the killing zone all the way to getting wounded soldiers to some of the most sophisticated medical facilities and capable medical hands available in the world. All of this is done with a level of professionalism that exceeds my command of the English language to describe. I have reassembled a group of these stories in an effort to give you a wide picture of what our medevacs and medics do on behalf of our men and women in combat. March 17, 2012. Go to story.
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MiG Alley Korean War: The first jet vs. jet aerial warfare
When I was a young guy, I recall hearing reports on the radio about how many North Korean MiG fighter aircraft our guys shot down every day. Killing MiGs was a big deal in those days. I heard a lot about “MiG Alley.” But as I look back, I did not know where MiG Alley was. I knew it was over the Korean peninsula, I knew it was MiG-15 against F-86 Sabre, but had no idea it was so far to the northwest and that it crossed into China. This report will summarize the historical context of why MiG Alley was so far to the northwest, on China’s border, highlight the role of the B-29, focus on the debut of the MiG-15 and F-86, the advent of fighter vs. fighter aerial warfare, and pass on a few F-86 pilot stories. February 19, 2012. Go to story.
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Afghanistan’s hell, the Sangin Valley: Why Sangin?
An American Marine said this in a recent HBO documentary: “Marines do not fight wars. They fight battles.” This report will show that to be true, but it will also show a lot more. The focus here is on what I will call the Battles of Sangin, Afghanistan. These battles were many, and they remain many to this day, one of the most difficult and lethal aspects of the Afghan War. The Sangin District is in the Helmand River Valley, Afghanistan. British forces have called it “Sangingrad,” after the tortuous battle of Stalingrad in WWII. Others have called it the most dangerous place in the world. Others have called it “No Go Valley.” For purposes of my report, ferocious fighting has been in train there daily, often many times in one day, between the Allies and the enemy, largely the Taliban reinforced by fighters from other Islamic countries since 2006. I carry it through until October 2011, but have decided to continue updating it as I am able. November 7, 2011. Go to story.