written by L. Jon Grogan L. Jon Grogan was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1975. He served various command and staff assignments in the United States and overseas until his retirement at the rank of Major in 1996. Among his assignments were two, six-month stints in East Africa, first as a member of Operation
written by Todd DePastino Last month, in preparation for our 2023 VBC Vietnam Trip, we launched a series of talks and conversations around the history of that fascinating country. In my prior life before the Veterans Breakfast Club, I taught college courses on the history of Vietnam in war and peace. That experience informs
Robert J. Dvorchak has been awarded the 2023 silver medal for writing in the history category of the annual competition held by the Military Writers Society of America, a national organization of writers, poets and authors who share the common bond of military service. His book, The Golden Brigade: The 82nd Airborne in Vietnam
written by Todd DePastino The September 18 History Museum in Shenyang (陳炬燵, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons) On September 18, 1931, the first seeds of catastrophe were sewn when a five-foot section of rail in the city of Mukden, China, sustained minor damage from small explosion. The so-called “Mukden Incident” was
written by George Dvorznak Memory can be tricky. Sometimes, past experiences lay dormant, out of reach, only to come forth in a rush of vivid recall. Sights, sounds, even smells burst into consciousness like a shell out of nowhere exploding overhead. Something similar, I think, is what George Dvorznak has been experiencing lately since
written by Todd DePastino VBC member Scott Patton recently passed along this piece of family lore about his great-uncle, Army Private William “Bill” Patton, who was reported killed in action in the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne on November 7, 1918. As the family mourned in their hometown of Venetia, PA, indications that Bill was
