Date: May 24, 2023
Time: 8:30 am - 10:30 am
Location: Memorial Park Presbyterian Church (8800 Peebles Rd, Allison Park, PA 15101)
All Events | In-Person Events

Everyone is welcome at our VBC in-person breakfast and storytelling event at Memorial Park Church in the northern Pittsburgh suburb of Allison Park on Wednesday, May 24 at 8:30am. The cost to eat is $15. After picking up your name badge, you’ll have coffee and conversation, eat a wonderful catered breakfast, and then enjoy a 90-minute program of veterans sharing stories.

It was here, at this church, where Ray “Doc” Amelio, Navy Corpsman in Vietnam, told the story of his arrival at Khe Sanh in 1968 that went viral on TikTok. Here’s how the story starts:

I got my orders to go to Vietnam with the Marines. I was on leave. I gave my underwear to my mother because in the Navy you have to wear white underwear. But in the Marines, you wear green underwear. In Vietnam, if you have white underwear, you become a target, just like a cigarette.

So I told my mother, “You need to tint my underwear.”

The night before I was leaving, I said, “Ma, do you have my underwear?” She says,” It’s downstairs, go get it.”

So I went down and I looked, and it was stacked up in the laundry room . . . underwear the color of lime Jell-O.

We’ve been holding breakfasts at Memorial Park Presbyterian Church in Allison Park, PA, since 2015 due to the good graces and hard work of Jaime Dean, who launched the church’s military and veteran outreach. Jaime’s son served seven years in the Army as a Drone pilot with two deployments to Afghanistan and now works as a private instructor and pilot. Jaime knows first-hand the family commitment when someone joins the military and has seen the importance of connecting military members with the larger community. Jaime started By the Wayside Coffee, which helps to bridge the military civilian divide one cup at a time.

You’ll meet fascinating veterans of all eras, ages, backgrounds, and branches of service. Joins us!

RSVP by calling 412-623-9029 or emailing betty@veteransbreakfastclub.org. Please make sure to RSVP for events at least two days in advance. We understand that your schedule can change quickly, but advance notice of attendance always helps us and our venues prepare the program. Thank you!

Thank you to our Sponsor!