We said goodbye to one of our most memorable and famous VBC veterans, John "Lucky" Luckadoo, who was the last surviving pilot from World War II's "Bloody Hundredth" 100th Bomb Group. Luckadoo died September 1, 2025, at the age of 103. John Luckadoo survived 25 harrowing missions as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot over
by Mary Klepper This weekend as I was driving through Virginia, I passed several Civil War battlefields. I started humming and it took a second to realize it was a song I hadn’t heard in a very long time. The song was “The Day the Sun Stood Still” on the album “The Civil War”
Image: Freepik Coming home doesn’t always feel like coming down. For veterans, the shift from tactical alertness to domestic stillness can leave the body confused and the mind loud. You’re expected to "reintegrate," but nobody gives you the manual. Traditional therapy has its place—but healing isn’t a one-size program. What you need are alternatives
Written by Todd DePastino The history of the Pledge of Allegiance begins with the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), the nation's first veterans organization, and winds through World War II, when the hand-over-heart salute was mandated, and the Cold War, when "under God" was added. The goal, always, was civic unity. But under
Written by Todd DePastino For generations, we thought we knew who wrote the American Pledge of Allegiance. Baptist minister Francis Bellamy claimed and was awarded credit for composing the 22-word classroom oath (made 23 words by adding a second "to" before "the Republic") that first appeared in the popular weekly The Youth’s Companion on
Written by John Duresky After we ran our VBC Magazine piece asking “When is V-J Day?” I heard from historian John Duresky, co-author (with David Britt) of Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival about Bataan Death March survivor Chester Britt. John noticed the radio in our V-J Day photo from 1945
