Veterans Breakfast Club

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for an unforgettable conversation with Marine veteran and author Brennan Morton, whose acclaimed memoir Valhalla Boys: Marine Recon Sniper in Iraq is being hailed as one of the most powerful and literary war memoirs of the post-9/11 generation. Valhalla Boys isn’t your typical “boots-on-the-ground” war story. It’s a raw, reflective, and often poetic meditation on c...

The Veterans Breakfast Club is honored to welcome Ross Meador, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Carried Away: A Memoir of Rescue and Survival Among the Orphans of the Viet Nam War, for a 90-minute livestream conversation on Sunday, August 18 at 7:00pm ET. Ross Meador’s story is not your typical Vietnam War narrative. In 1975, just before the fall of Saigon, 17-year-old Ross was living in...

Thirty-five years ago, in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, the United States launched Operation Desert Shield, the largest American military deployment since Vietnam. On Monday, August 11 at 7:00pm ET, the Veterans Breakfast Club hosts a special 90-minute livestream conversation with veterans who served during this critical moment in modern military history. Operation Desert Shield began in...

The Veterans Breakfast Club proudly celebrates the U.S. Coast Guard’s 235th birthday with a special 90-minute livestream event on Monday, August 4 at 7:00pm ET. Join us as we talk with Coast Guard veterans about what makes their service so distinct—and so essential to the nation’s security and safety. Founded on August 4, 1790, the Coast Guard is the oldest continuous seagoing service in the Unite...

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club on the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, Monday, July 28, at 7:00pm ET for a special livestream conversation about the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of Father Emil Kapaun, U.S. Army chaplain, Medal of Honor recipient, and Servant of God now on the path to sainthood. Our guest will be Ray Kapaun, Father Emil’s devoted nephew and family spokesp...

Do you know how many belt loops are on Marine Dress Blues? Or what the Air Force equivalent of the Navy Seabees is called? How about the command used to remove an individual from formation—but not end it? Then step up and play VBC Jeopardy!, our 90-minute live and interactive trivia night where everyone can be a contestant, and the only requirement is a love for learning and laughter. Join us Mond...

The Veterans Breakfast Club proudly presents a special 90-minute livestream with Wayne Vansant, Navy veteran and renowned illustrator of some of the most historically accurate war comics ever published. The event goes live on Monday, July 14 at 7:00pm ET, and will be hosted on our VBC Online Events platform. Wayne Vansant is best known for his groundbreaking work on The ‘Nam—Marvel Comics’ landmar...

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for an open and wide-ranging virtual conversation on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 7:00pm ET. This online event, part of our ongoing VBC Open Conversation series, invites veterans from all eras of service—as well as families, friends, and supporters—to come together and share stories, memories, and insights about the military experience, past and present. The program wi...

For the first time in our Veterans Breakfast Club history, we’re shining a spotlight on an essential but often invisible force in America’s recent wars: military contractors. Join us for this important livestream conversation with Ron Farina, Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and author of Out of the Shadows, and a panel of former contractors who served alongside U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and o...

Seventy-five years ago, on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces launched a surprise invasion across the 38th parallel into South Korea, setting off a brutal and complex conflict that would last three years, claim millions of lives, and shape the Cold War. The Korean War—often called the “Forgotten War”—began with tanks rolling into Seoul at dawn and ended with a hard-fought armistice that still hold...

Join us as we welcome Jeremy D. Baker, former Army counterintelligence agent, Afghanistan combat veteran and author of the novel The Guilty Sleep, a thriller that draws on Jeremy’s personal experiences as a combat veteran struggling to overcome PTSD. In 2000, after acing his Army entrance exam, 20-year-old college dropout Jeremy was told by his recruiter that he could pick any specialty he wanted....

Tonight we mark Women Veterans Day, which is observed annually on June 12 to commemorate the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act into law by President Truman in 1948. This act allowed women to serve permanently in the regular armed forces.  To help us honor this anniversary, we invite playwright Ash Singer, whose recent documentary theater play, ​In Their Footsteps brings to life...

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for an open and wide-ranging virtual conversation on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 7:00pm ET. This online event, part of our ongoing VBC Open Conversation series, invites veterans from all eras of service—as well as families, friends, and supporters—to come together and share stories, memories, and insights about the military experience, past and present. VBC Open Conve...

​We talk with members of the famous United States Military Academy at West Point’s Class of 1966, which holds a unique and tragic place in American history. Brian Ashbaugh, Walt Brinker, Rusty Correia, Al Lindseth, and Jerry Cecil all join us to share their memories of that remarkable era. Rick Atkinson’s book, The Long Gray Line: The American Journey of West Point’s Class of 1966, provides an in-...

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for a special Memorial Day virtual event on Monday, May 26, 2025, at 7:00pm ET. This live, online conversation invites veterans, families, and friends to gather in an open, heartfelt space to honor and remember those who have fallen in service to our nation.  Memorial Day is a time of national reflection and remembrance—a day dedicated to honoring the men and women...

Vietnam Veterans and writers Bruce “Doc” Norton and Harry Kantrovich join us to talk about their new book and stage production, Voices From Vietnam: Interviews, Letters, Vignettes, and Reflections, 1964–1982. This unique conversation will explore their collaborative journey in bringing the Vietnam War’s deeply personal stories to life—both on the page and on the stage. Voices From Vietnam is a pow...

We welcome two people who have devoted themselves to educating the nation about the long Korean War and those who served and sacrificed for South Korea’s freedom. The first is Susan Kee whose “Honoring Korean War Veterans” project has documented the stories of over 500 Korean War veterans and advocated for the families of those still MIA since the war. Joining Susan is Army Korean War veteran Ron...

World War II is the last war America fought that had clearly defined goals: defeating the Nazis and halting Japanese imperialism. Our efforts were supported by a  civilian and military leadership that understood what victory looked like and were aligned on how to achieve it. That unity was critical to ensuring the support of the citizenry. Since then, the U.S. has sent our military off to fight in...

The Fall of Saigon marked the official end of the Vietnam War. On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, bringing about the unconditional surrender of the South Vietnamese government and reunifying Vietnam under communist rule. In early 1975, North Vietnam launched the Spring Offensive, a massive military campaign aimed at defeating South Vietnam. U....

Poet Jehanne Dubrow has written much about life in the military community. Her latest poetry collection Civilians delves into the profound transition from military to civilian life, reflecting her personal journey as a Navy spouse alongside her husband, LCDR Jeremy Schaub. This work serves as the concluding volume in her trilogy exploring the military spouse experience, following Stateside (2010)...

​Vietnam Veteran and Catholic priest Fr. Philip Salois joins us with his biographers, Julien Ayotte and Paul F. Caranci, to talk about his experiences during the Vietnam War and his subsequent commitment to spiritual healing, a story told in In the Shadows of Vietnam: The Gallant Life of Fr. Philip Salois. Salois grew up in a devout Catholic family, which laid the foundation for his deep-rooted fa...

We welcome back Major General William M. Matz Jr., a distinguished retired U.S. Army officer, whose new book, My Toughest Battle: A Soldier’s Lifelong Struggle with Polio, chronicles his journey of overcoming polio and his distinguished military career. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1962, Matz embarked on a military career that spanned over three decades. As an infantryman, he served in K...

​During the Vietnam War, American civilians played pivotal roles in supporting both military operations and humanitarian efforts, working through government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Thousands of these civilians were women, and we talk with several of them tonight! Ann Kelsey was a UCLA graduate when she volunteered for the Army Special Services to serve in Vietnam as a civilian librar...

We invite veterans of Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance (Force Recon) to talk about their service in Vietnam. Bill Barber and Bruce “Doc” Norton both have stories about conducting deep reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and direct action missions behind enemy lines. Unlike conventional infantry units, Force Recon operated in small teams, often just six to eight men, inserted by helicopter, bo...

This compelling conversation revolves around the memories of Vietnam veterans regarding the 1969 draft lottery, a pivotal moment in American history. The lottery, televised nationally, replaced the previous system of deferments, particularly the college student deferment, which had shielded many young men, including some of the participants, from immediate conscription. The event was highly antici...