Join the Veterans Breakfast Club on Thursday, June 26 at 7:00pm ET for a powerful Greatest Generation Liveconversation exploring the often-overlooked legacy of World War II: the emotional wounds carried home by veterans and the lasting impact on their families. This free, virtual event will be held on Zoom and streamed to YouTube and Facebook.
Our featured guests are Carol Schultz Vento, daughter of 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper Arthur “Dutch” Schultz, and Susan Friedenberg, daughter of Army medic and D-Day veteran Bernie Friedenberg. Both men served heroically in WWII, both returned home deeply changed by their experiences, and both left lasting imprints on their families.
Carol Schultz Vento is the author of The Hidden Legacy of World War II: A Daughter’s Journey of Discovery, a moving memoir that weaves historical research with personal reflection. Her father, Dutch Schultz, jumped into Normandy on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne and later appeared as himself in the film The Longest Day. Though celebrated for his bravery, Dutch struggled with undiagnosed PTSD throughout his life—a condition that shaped Carol’s upbringing and ultimately led her to uncover his wartime past and her family’s hidden story. Carol’s forthcoming memoir, Twisted Strands: Family Secrets and Intergenerational Trauma, offers an intimate look at how war’s psychological toll can echo through generations.
Joining Carol is Susan Friedenberg, whose father Bernie Friedenberg landed on Omaha Beach as a combat medic and treated the wounded under relentless fire. A Jewish-American war hero who later helped liberate concentration camps, Bernie lived with the psychological burden of his service for the rest of his life. His story is commemorated in a new Atlantic City memorial and honored on the website berniefriedenbergworldwariimemorial.com.
This event promises to be a candid, emotional, and enlightening conversation about courage, trauma, and the enduring bonds between veterans and their children.
🔗 Join on Zoom
📺 Watch on YouTube
🌐 Learn more: veteransbreakfastclub.org
We’re grateful to UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!
