written by Frank Santucci Frank Santucci is an Army veteran who has been attending VBC events and sharing stories for many years, along with his brother, Ralph Santucci. Frank is a one-person repository of stories especially about his beloved hometown of Verona, PA. Tiny Verona sits 13 miles up the Allegheny River from downtown
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 Todd DePastino "Little David" was, by measure of caliber, the largest gun ever built (tied with the British 1857 Mallet's Mortar), and there's only one, housed for the time being at Fort Gregg-Adams (formerly Fort Lee) after its recent transport from Aberdeen Proving Grounds. The Veterans Breakfast Club recently heard
VBC member and Military Historian Jeff Ballard sent this wonderful photo from the American Memorial on Guadalcanal in the Soloman Islands last week. Note the latest VBC Magazine Jeff is holding. Jeff was there for the 81st Anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal, which occurred in August 1942. The battle was an early pivotal
To paint or not to paint? That was the question for US Army and Navy Air Forces in World War II. In late 1943, the Army and Navy both decided to stop painting their fighters and bombers in camouflage colors. From January 1944, all new B-17s, B-24s, P-38s, P-47s, and other aircraft, apart from
[yotuwp type="videos" id="KlpzwL-37HE" ] During World War II, 43,000 young men chose not to serve in the military due to religious reasons, identifying themselves as conscientious objectors (COs). These COs, mainly from traditional "Peace Churches" like the Quakers, Brethren, and Mennonites, faced limited options: joining the armed forces in non-combat roles, participating in the
