DOD’s Top 90 Photographs from 2020
← BACK TO VBC BLOG DOD's Top 90 Photographs of 2020 Sky Swirl - Marines prepare to bed down for the night after live-fire training at Fort Pickett, Va., July 18, 2020. This photo was created by stacking together 75
To Understand a Military Veteran, You Must Know These Things
← BACK TO VBC BLOG To Understand a Military Veteran, You Must Know These Things We all get bombarded with email forwards of jokes, cat videos, and political rants. Usually, we delete without reading. But one forward recently came my way
We want YOU to add to our Best WWII Movies Living Document!
← BACK TO VBC BLOG We want YOU to add to our Best WWII Movies Living Document! If you haven’t joined our Wednesday morning coffee hour in a while, you’ve missed a rapid-fire on-going conversation about war movies. We’ve been focusing
How and Why Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” Became the Best-Selling Record of All-Time
← BACK TO VBC BLOG How and Why Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” Became the Best-Selling Record of All-Time “I’ll be home for Christmas” is the optimistic refrain of soldiers and sailors heading off to war. When war begins, few can imagine
Ulithi Atoll: The Tiny Speck of Land that Became the Largest Navy Base of World War II
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Ulithi Atoll: The Tiny Speck of Land that Became the Largest Navy Base of World War II If Admiral Chester Nimitz hadn’t spotted it on a map, Ulithi might have gone completely unnoticed by US forces
How a Cereal Toy Bo’sun’s Pipe Helped Launch Apple Computers
← BACK TO VBC BLOG How a Cereal Toy Bo’sun’s Pipe Helped Launch Apple Computers In 1966, as war raged in Vietnam, Quaker Oats began putting little plastic Bo’sun’s Pipes inside boxes of Cap’n Crunch cereal. They called it the “Cap’n
That’s a wrap on Season 1 of the Scuttlebutt!
← BACK TO VBC BLOG That's a wrap on Season 1 of the Scuttlebutt! When we started The Scuttlebutt, I was both excited by the possibilities and terrified of unknowns. Would veterans have interest in our subject matter? Would non-veterans get
Japan’s Submarine Kamikazes in WWII
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Japan’s Submarine Kamikazes in WWII You’ve heard of Japanese Kamikazes in World War II, but probably not Kaiten, the underseas version of the famous suicide attacks on Navy warships in 1944-1945. Kaiten was a top-secret manned
It’s the Coolest Military Hat, but Only a Few Get to Wear It
← BACK TO VBC BLOG It’s the Coolest Military Hat, but Only a Few Get to Wear It The slouch hat with the brim pinned on the side is an icon of the Australian military, and it used to be common
Do these spiders ACTUALLY eat camels?
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Do these spiders ACTUALLY eat camels? In the early days of the Iraq War—before “google” became a verb and Facebook even existed—the World Wide Web (as we called it then) delivered this creepy-crawly photo to AOL and Yahoo
Christmas in Corsica, 1944
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Christmas in Corsica, 1944 by Genevieve Norwood, Army nurse This story comes to us from Rich Norwood (USAF, ret), whose aunts Genevieve and (right) and Katherine Norwood (left) were Army nurses in WWII. Genevieve served in
Ask the Navy: What’s the Difference between a Ship and a Boat?
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Ask the Navy: What's the difference between a ship and a boat? PT Boat 109 commanded by LT John F. Kennedy The Navy, more than any branch, harbors mysteries. How long is a fathom? What is “gedunk”?
WWII Veteran Spotlight: Henry Geyer Hated Every Minute of Building the Alaskan (Alcan) Highway, the Biggest Construction Project of World War II
← BACK TO VBC BLOG WWII Veteran Spotlight: Henry Geyer Hated Every Minute of Building the Alaskan (Alcan) Highway, the Biggest Construction Project of World War II The monument at the starting point of the Alaska Highway Ten years ago, WWII veteran
WATCH: When Marines Go 3 Months Without a Shower
← BACK TO VBC BLOG WATCH: When Marines Go 3 Months Without A Shower Last week on the Scuttlebutt, Marine Corps vet James Martin told a hilarious story about when the first guy in his squad was finally able to take a shower after 3
Greatest Generation Live Welcomes Cold War Hero of the Berlin Airlift, “Candy Bomber” Gail Halverson!
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Greatest Generation Live Welcomes Cold War Hero of the Berlin Airlift, “Candy Bomber” Gail Halvorsen! All he did was give candy to children. But in doing so, Lt. Gail Halvorsen inadvertently launched what was perhaps the greatest publicity campaign
Our “We Left As Brothers” Documentary Is Airing on WQED!
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Our We Left As Brothers Documentary is Airing on WQED! The VBC is excited to announce that We Left as Brothers will air on WQED-TV on Saturday, November 21 at 10:00pm. In March of 2018, eighteen members
Marine Reacts to M777 155mm Howitzer Video
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Marine Reacts to M777 155mm Howitzer Video This week’s Scuttlebutt episode is a special one. We couldn’t cram all the good things our guests had to say about the Marine Corps into one episode, so we’re coming in hot
The Deuce-and-a-Half Truck That Won WWII and Kept Rolling for 80 Years
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Deuce-and-a-Half Truck That Won WWII and Kept Rolling for 80 Years Several years ago, WWII veteran Maury Deul declared at a breakfast, “I’ll tell you what won WWII: the deuce-and-a-half truck. That thing could go anywhere. I drove
“Veterans Day,” “Veteran’s Day” or “Veterans’ Day”: Which Is It and Why?
← BACK TO VBC BLOG "Veterans Day," "Veteran's Day" or "Veterans' Day": Which Is It and Why? Here’s a grammar lesson for Veterans Day. Specifically, the proper punctuation of “Veterans Day.” Keep in mind, grammar is arbitrary and doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Female Engagement Teams in the Marine Corps
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Female Engagement Teams in the Marine Corps 09.29.2016 Photo by Cpl. Kyle Talbot. Via Defense Visual Information Distribution Service The Marine Corps has a complicated history with women. On the one hand, the Marines accept fewer women
The Privilege Granted to Armored Division Soldiers in WWII . . . then Taken Away
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Privilege Granted to Armored Division Soldiers in WWII...then Taken Away Here’s a an interesting, albeit useless, piece of WWII trivia: check out these photos of armored division soldiers in WWII. Notice anything unusual about them? Specifically, the way
VBC Veteran Goes Viral on TikTok!
← BACK TO VBC BLOG VBC Veteran Goes Viral on TikTok! Vietnam veteran and Navy Corpsman Ray Amelio is now a social media celebrity. Unless you’re under 25-years-old, you’ve most likely heard about the social media app TikTok, but you probably have
Navy: Join the Club!
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Navy: Join the Club! Of all the branches of service, the Navy has the strangest customs. Naval History and Cherished Command describes them as, “cherished rites that tie together generations of Sailors with a common bond. They reflect the
Halloween, WWII Style
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Halloween, WWII Style Several Octobers ago, I woke up, looked out the window and saw pumpkins smashed, some decorations strewn about the street, and my neighbor’s two-year old Bradford pear tree snapped at the lower trunk like an autumn
Unlucky Charms: Candy So Scary, It Had to Be Removed from MREs
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Unlucky Charms: Candy So Scary, It Had to be Removed from MREs The military is awash in tradition. Challenge coins, the Court of Neptune, Mustache March. When bullets fly, folklore becomes psychic armor, offering magical protection as long as
Debunking the Stress Card
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Debunking the Stress Card Rumor has it that the Air Force handed out yellow Stress Cards that permitted a recruit to “take a break” should the training become too strenuous. They were essentially “get out of jail free cards”
A Photograph That Shocked America in 1944 (and its Pittsburgh connection)
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Photograph That Shocked America in 1944 (and its Pittsburgh connection) In October, 1944, Americans across the country opened their newspapers and saw this photograph of a B-17 Flying Fortress with a nose grotesquely flayed open by enemy anti-aircraft
The U-2 Spy Plane is 65 Years Old and Still Making Headlines
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The U-2 Spy Plane is 65 Years Old and Still Making Headlines A few weeks ago, Chinese authorities charged that a US U-2 spy plane had violated Chinese air space during a People’s Liberation Army training exercise. The most
When the Army Plays Video Games
← BACK TO VBC BLOG When the Army Plays Video Games Image: US Army eSports/Facebook The United States Army has recently established a new team that is more selective than the vaunted Rangers and no, it’s not a team of super soldiers.
The Caterpillar Club: You Don’t Want to Join It, but It’s Better than the Alternative
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Caterpillar Club: You Don't Want to Join It, but It's Better than the Alternative Nine years ago, World War II veteran Don Chaney from Chester, West Virginia, came to a Veterans Breakfast Club event with a little “Caterpillar
Happy Birthday, Navy! Do You Know Who Your Father Is?
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Happy Birthday, Navy! Do You Know Who Your Father Is? Hint: Probably not John Paul Jones When I was in school, textbooks told us that daring Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones was the “Father of the American Navy.”
Magawa, the Award-Winning Rat
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Magawa, the Award-Winning Rat PDSA, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images We’ve all heard of military working dogs receiving service medals for acts of valor. But last week, an African giant pouched rat (you read that right
Say Goodbye to the Navy Peacoat
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Say Goodbye to the Navy Peacoat On October 1, the US Navy completed the phase-out of the venerable Navy peacoat in favor of the “Black Cold Weather Parka.” The new parka is superior in every way: warmer, lighter, more
Swept Away: Life and Death at Sea in WWII
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Swept Away: Life and Death at Sea in WWII Jack Brawdy Lauren’s wonderful piece on the sound-powered telephone—a staple of any Navy or Cost Guard ship—triggered a memory of a tragic story shared by Jack Brawdy, a
The Cost of Being a Hero
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Cost of Being a Hero Recently on The Scuttlebutt we talked about Sergeant Major Thomas “Patrick” Payne being awarded the Medal of Honor for his part in a 2015 raid to free Iraqi hostages held by ISIS in
The Forgotten Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Forgotten Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima Video of the Flag Raising on Iwo Jima, shot by Marine photographer Bill Genaust. 23 February 1945. Source: https://archive.org/details/CEP413 A few years ago, an amateur researcher named Eric Krelle
The Phone That Never Dies
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Phone That Never Dies I bet everyone has found themselves in the precarious situation when your phone dies at the most inconvenient time. Half-way to your destination and forgot your charger? Lost! Chatting with your beau, he’s saying
Challenging Assumptions About Veterans
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Challenging Assumptions About Veterans Veterans tend to be viewed in our country as two extremes: Patriotic, devoted heroes or disabled and damaged, in need of aid. Either way, it's assumed they are hard to relate to. Many of
Beer Runs In WWII
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Beer Runs in WWII Look closely at this picture of a British Spitfire in World War II. Those aren’t bombs under its wing. They’re beer barrels. If you talk with a veteran long enough about their service, the subject
The Great P-38 Can Opener: Next to the Jeep, the Most Perfectly Designed Device in Military History
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Great P-38 Can Opener: Next to the Jeep, the Most Perfectly Designed Device in Military History Next time you’re talking with a Vietnam veteran, ask if they’re carrying a P-38. Chances are, they have one in their pocket.
What’s Wrong With Saying, “Thank You For Your Service”?
← BACK TO VBC BLOG What's Wrong With Saying, "Thank You For Your Service"? It is common nowadays to say to a veteran or service member, “thank you for your service”. This is a far cry from the way returning Vietnam vets were treated. Even
The First Gold Star Mother, Grace Seibold, and her Unknown Soldier, George
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The First Gold Star Mother, Grace Seibold, and her Unknown Soldier, George Grace and George Seibold When Congress declared war on Germany in April 1917, 23-year-old real estate broker George Vaughn Seibold signed up for duty. No
Happy Birthday, Air Force!
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Happy Birthday, Air Force! Meet Your Grandfather, Professor Thaddeus Lowe and his Aeronautical Corps. General Henry "Hap" Arnold Thaddeus Lowe The “Father of the US Air Force” was General Henry “Hap” Arnold, the man who steered the branch
Why Risk the Ultimate Sacrifice?
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Why Risk the Ultimate Sacrifice? The main story in our first Scuttlebutt episode centers around: Who Serves? To answer that question, we narrow our focus through two lenses: geographically and demographically. I highly recommend listening to our findings
The Four Essential Facts about World War II
← BACK TO VBC BLOG The Four Essential Facts about World War II With stories, context is everything. When talking with a veteran, it helps to know about their time in service, their war. Without such knowledge, the meaning of their stories can get
Vietnam Nurse Kathie Swazuk Told Her Story in Unforgettable Poetry
← BACK TO VBC BLOG Vietnam Nurse Kathie Swazuk Told Her Story in Unforgettable Poetry The VBC lost a wonderful Vietnam veteran this week. Kathie Swazuk was shining star of a human being. She enriched the world with her
Welcome to the Scuttlebutt!
Welcome to the Scuttlebutt! Welcome to The Scuttlebutt: Understanding Military Culture, a weekly pre-recorded program presented by The Veterans Breakfast Club. “Scuttlebutt” is a military term (specifically Navy) for talk or gossip around the watercooler below decks. The staff at VBC arrived at this title
The Only Color Footage of the Japanese Surrender Aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945
The Only Color Footage of the Japanese Surrender Aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945 Aboard the USS Missouri 75 years ago, Navy Commander George Kosco shot the only color footage of the formal Japanese surrender His son, Colonel William Kosco, will join our program Wednesday night to
Who Were the People in the Times Square Kiss on V-J Day?
Who Were the People in the Times Square Kiss on V-J Day? Alfred Eisenstadt’s photograph of a sailor and a nurse kissing in Times Square is an icon of V-J Day, August 14, 1945, the final end of World War II. Despite the photo’s fame, the identities of