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ZOOM EVENT: MONDAY, AUGUST 21 AT 7:00 pm ET
12 Battles Every American Should Know: Lessons Learned from Lexington to Desert Storm on VBC Happy Hour
Join VBC Happy Hour to talk with Brigadier General Chris Petty (US Army, retired) about the 12 battles from US history every American should know.
The conversation will be drawn from BG Petty’s book, and we’ll walk through Lexington and Pearl Harbor, Yorktown, Bunker Hill and Little Bighorn, and several others to discuss their historical significance and importance to the American identity.
Along the way, we’ll ask Chris Petty about his own service, which spanned 31 years. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1987, Petty commanded troops at various levels, including the 2-135th Aviation Battalion during the “Surge” in Iraq.
He led the unit through 100 successful large-scale, nighttime, air-assault operations in support of the Theater Special Operations Task Force...
Read More>>>
Location: : Zoom App, YouTube, Facebook
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ZOOM EVENT: MONDAY, AUGUST 28 AT 7:00 pm ET
Open Conversation on VBC Happy Hour
Join us for another Open Conversation where you bring the topic, and we supply the platform. Suggested topics are underwater submarine Cold War espionage, what people think of Oppenheimer, and the best places to be stationed overseas.
Special guests will includes James McCormick, Past Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, who himself was three times wounded in Operation Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. We’ll also have Vietnam Veteran Bob Connor, who sparked a remarkable project to uncover mass graves in Vietnam, thus restoring remains to families of missing NVA and VC KIA. And Vietnam Veteran Jerry Augustine will join us about the release of his memoir, Vietnam Beyond.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!
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WHEN: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 8:30 am-10:30 am
LOCATION: CHRIST CHURCH GROVE FARM
249 Duff Rd, Sewickley, PA 15143
GOOGLE LOCATION
COST: $15
Join us for our always fascinating, enjoyable, and poignant Veterans Breakfast Club in-person breakfast program.
Breakfast is served at 8:30 am. At 9:00 am, we start the program. For the next 90 minutes, we circulate the room with the microphone and have veterans share a slice of their service experience. You never know what you’re going to hear, and there’s always new people with new memories to offer.
Register by calling 412-623-9029 or emailing [email protected].
Read More>>>
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Joining The Scuttlebutt this week is actor and host of American Homecoming Jack Maxwell. Jack has appeared on television in Lost, 24, House, Without a Trace, Beverly Hills 90210, General Hospital, and All My Children. He hosted all four seasons of Travel Channel’s Booze Traveler and has now turned his attention to helping spread the word about disabled veterans.
It is an unfortunate fact that many of our veterans return from serving our country disabled, to a house that no longer serves them. What was once an easy walk up a couple of steps to the front door now requires a ramp. Hardwood floors are not a luxury but a necessity.
In American Homecoming, a veteran and their family, will be sent away for one week on a surprise vacation. Meanwhile, the expert team of carpenters and designers, along with an army of volunteers, mobilizes with military precision to renovate and remodel the house.
Listen to the Scuttlebutt eposide here>>>
You can watch the first episode of American Homecoming for free now here>>>
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Friend of Elvis and VBC Guest Johnny Lang on TV!
On August 16, the 46th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, Fox News featured Elvis Army buddy and author Johnny Lang. If you didn’t catch Johnny’s colorful and candid tales on VBC Happy Hour, you should do so here.
Watch on Fox News>>
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US military’s aerial reconnaissance pictures of England during WWII go online for the first time
Way before Google Earth, there was photo reconnaissance by the U.S. Army Air Forces. During World War II, specifically in 1943 and 1944, reconnaissance units of the USAAF — the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force — captured photos of the changing face of England, primarily around the American bases in the south of the country.
More than 3,600 of their black and white images were made available Wednesday in a free online, searchable map through the archive of Historic England, a public body that seeks to champion England’s history and environment.
Read more on AP News>>>
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The Uproar of Team Lioness: How Taylor Sheridan’s Show Got it Wrong
In 2003 in Ramadi Iraq, U.S. Army Colonel David Brinkley, Commander of 1st Engineer Battalion, made the decision to send out some of his female soldiers with Lt. Colonel Richard Cabrey’s combat soldiers. Because of cultural strictures in the Middle East, male soldiers had difficulty interacting with women and conducting searches. Using this loophole, terrorists utilized women to transport and smuggle dangerous materials related to the insurgency in Iraq. After realizing the need for female troops who could...Read More>>>
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VBC in the News: Korean War Chosin Battle KIA Remains ID’d
On Dec. 2, 1950, Army Cpl. Francis Jury, 23, was reported missing in action during a battle near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. Over 70 years later, he will be buried Sept. 6 with traditional military honors. “How we treat those who pass and how we care for their memory goes a long way to define us as human beings,” said Todd DePastino, director of the Veterans Breakfast Club...
Read on Pittsburgh Post-Gazette>>>
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On Killing Remotely: The Psychology of Killing with Drones
Retired USMC Lt. Col. Wayne Phelps published an excellent book about the psychological impact of drone warfare on its operators. A reviewer for DODReads calls it “a timely and thoughtful examination of the mental and emotional toll our nation is exacting from the warriors it assigns to operate its Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) (aka drones)...
On Killing Remotely also sheds light on the practical and philosophical implications of a Joint Force that is increasingly invested in using unmanned technologies for the conduct of warfare.”
Read on DoD Reads>>>
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Animal Friends is a full-service animal welfare organization with a longstanding commitment to our veterans. Recognizing the life-changing power of the animal-human bond, Animal Friends offers “Animal Friends for Veterans,” a comprehensive adoption and resource support program for veterans and their pets.
Learn more>>>
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VBC Upcoming Events
Save the Dates
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We’re putting our past VBC Happy Hours and Greatest Generation Lives on our website. So far, we’ve archived over 100 programs reaching back to the beginning of 2022. You can search by subject or browse chronologically. Go to our website and click the dropdown menu under “Events” to get to “Past Live Events”. Read More >>> | |
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BECOME A MEMBER
For $36/year, you can become a member of the Veterans Breakfast Club and help support our mission of sharing veterans’ stories. Check out membership benefits and sign up on our website!
LEARN MORE →
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JOIN THE VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT
We’re proud to announce a new VBC Veterans History Project that pairs volunteer interviewers with military veterans for one-on-one oral history interviews over Zoom. There’s no charge for an interview, and the recording is the veteran’s to keep. Sign up to interview or be interviewed!
SIGN UP →
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SPONSOR A VBC PROGRAM
Show your support for our veterans by sponsoring a virtual program, an in-person event, or our podcast, the Scuttlebutt! Virtual event sponsors receive program branding, speaking time, and more. Check out in-person and Scuttlebutt sponsorship details on our website.
SPONSORSHIP INFO →
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We're always looking for guests, program ideas, and sponsors. Email us if you have any ideas to share! | | | | |
