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SPECIAL ZOOM ONLY EVENT
YOU MUST REGISTER!
MONDAY, JUNE 12 AT 7:00 pm ET
Women Veterans Day Screening and Discussion of “Lioness” on VBC Happy Hour
After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, filmmakers Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers tracked a group of Army soldiers who became known as Team Lioness. They fought alongside the Marines in some of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq war.
The film profiles five female members of the U.S. Army’s 1st Engineer Battalion who saw action in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle during 2003 and 2004. Shannon Morgan was among those profiled and will join our conversation. Shannon was not trained for combat duty, but became involved with fighting in the streets of Ramadi.
We’ll screen the film and then talk with Daria about what she learned in making it. Read more >>>
Location: Zoom App
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ZOOM ONLY EVENT: MONDAY, JUNE 19, AT 7:00 pm ET
Elvis in the Army on VBC Happy Hour
Join us for a conversation with Johnny Lang, who served with Elvis Presley in the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor, 3d Armored Division, at Ray Barracks, Germany, in 1958-1960.
Johnny’s new book, My Army Days with Elvis: Friendship, Football & Follies, tells of hijinks and warm friendship with The King of Rock n’ Roll as the Cold War heated up in Europe.
Johnny can tell you what Elvis was really like, in private, and we’ll discuss the impact of Elvis’s induction and service on his career and popular music.
Read more >>>
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IN-PERSON PICNIC BREAKFAST: OHIO TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY PARK PAVILION, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 AT 8:30 am
NEW LOCATION! Outdoor Pavilion at the Ohio Township Community Park, 325 Nicholson Rd, Sewickley, PA 15143 at 9:00 am. Click for map>>>
Cost: $15 for those wanting breakfast. FREE for all others.
Register: You must register to attend. Call 412-623-9029 or email betty@veteransbreakfastclub.org
101st Airborne Division veteran Rick Weber calls the VBC “The Best Show in Town,” and when I look at the photo above, I understand why.
On the left is Kathy Silvia speaking at our breakfast at Christ Church at Grove Farm back on May 8, 2019. Kathy was a member of the first class at West Point to admit women, and she told the story of what that pioneering experience was like. She also spoke...
Read More>>>
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An Honest Conversation about the Military Civilian Divide
I’ve heard it stated equally from both veterans and non-veterans that it is their own responsibility to help bridge the military/civilian divide. Civilians need to do more to understand what veterans have been through and take a more active role in learning about the wars we are fighting. While veterans need to be more open to sharing their experiences while contributing to their communities. I’ve learned over the course of The Scuttlebutt that the truth lies somewhere in the middle and have found that we are more alike than different.
Where do we start?
I believe it begins with curiosity, the willingness to ask questions, and listening. Lots of listening.
Sitting down with me this week to ask some hard questions is Post 9/11 Vet and Marine Corps Infantryman Stew Blackwell. Stew is a podcast host, author, and passionately believes that diving deeper will ultimately bring us closer together. With his brutal honesty and fresh perspective, he hosts the Warrior Legacy Podcast.
Watch here>>>
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VBC Board Member and retired Marine Corps Colonel Brad Washabaugh recently sent us a 30-question US flag etiquette trivia quiz that he crafted for his family gathering on Memorial Day. In honor of Flag Day, June 14.
We posted a version of the quiz on our website in three parts. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is more difficult. And Part 3 is for hardcore flag etiquette experts.
Good luck! You’ll probably need it.
Take quiz on VBC Blog>>>
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The Berlin Airlift at 75
The Berlin Airlift began 75 years ago this month. It was one of the United States Armed Forces’ finest hours.
For almost one year, the US Air Force, with the British Royal Air Force, supplied the blockaded city of West Berlin with all the food, fuel, medicine, and other supplies it needed to survive. Experts had declared such an airlift impossible. President Harry S Truman’s own military advisors had warned against the folly of attempting it.
In succeeding against the odds, the Airlift established the United States’ moral authority as a postwar superpower. Not incidentally, it also put Truman over the top in his comeback election victory of 1948. Read on VBC Blog>>>
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Irving Berlin Wrote a Fun Song for the Berlin Airlift, 1948
VBC member Jack Reid passed along a great piece of Airlift history: a December 23, 1948 edition of The Task Force Times, autographed by Irving Berlin, as well as Bob Hope and Jinx Falkenburg. In it are the lyrics and music to a fun song Irving Berlin wrote to celebrate the operation. You can see the bulletin, read the lyrics, and watch Irving Berlin perform the song with USAF singers here.
See on VBC Blog>>>
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Pentagon officials defend diversity and inclusion at Pride Month event
Uniformed and civilian Defense Department officials defended LGBTQ+ service members and diversity and inclusion efforts on Wednesday at the Pentagon’s annual Pride Month celebration. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros emphasized that younger generations, which the military has had difficulty recruiting, hold diversity and inclusion efforts in high regard when weighing professional options.
Read on Military Times>>>
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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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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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