General Mark Clark remains one of the more debated American commanders of World War II. As commander of the U.S. Fifth Army during the Italian Campaign, he led Allied forces through some of the hardest fighting in Europe, from the landings at Salerno through the long advance toward Rome.

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for a conversation with military historian Roger Cirillo, who will look at Clark’s leadership during the campaign and the difficult circumstances in which he operated. Clark was ambitious, highly aware of the press, and often controversial, but he was also commanding in a theater defined by rough terrain, heavy casualties, an inexperienced American army, and broader Allied strategy that was frequently flawed or overly ambitious.

Cirillo will discuss the Salerno landings, the challenges of the Italian Campaign, the failures and frustrations surrounding Anzio, and the larger strategic questions that shaped Fifth Army operations from 1943 into 1944. Rather than treating Clark simply as either a great commander or a poor one, the program will place his decisions in the context of the campaign as a whole and the limitations facing Allied forces in Italy.

Roger Cirillo is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and military historian who has written and lectured extensively on war and military history. He has taught military history to junior officers and served as the research author for American Armies and Battlefields in Europe: World War II.

We hope you’ll join us for a closer look at General Mark Clark, the Fifth Army, and the difficult road from Salerno to Rome.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

Most of us who were alive that day remember exactly where we were when we saw images of smoke pouring from the North Tower of the World Trade Center. We remember the second plane striking the South Tower live on television. And then, 56 minutes later, that tower collapsed, followed by its North twin at 10:28am. Meanwhile, another hijacked airplane hit the Pentagon, and reports came in of a fourth crashing into a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back.

We also remember the sickening feelings, the grief, and the sense that everything had changed in an instant.

For Marine veteran Andy Jones, September 11 also marked the beginning of a journey to war. Jones was serving with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines (3/6), the ground combat element of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and was assigned to a Light Armored Reconnaissance platoon in Weapons Company. His unit was already preparing for what was supposed to be a routine overseas deployment when the attacks came. They left early, and by late November 2001, Jones and his fellow Marines were in Afghanistan as part of the opening phase of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Andy will join us to remember what it was like to be a young Marine watching 9/11 unfold while knowing that his unit might soon be called into combat—and then finding himself in Afghanistan only weeks later.

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for an open conversation marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11. We’ll remember the day itself, hear from Andy and other veterans whose lives and military service were changed by the attacks, talk about the wars that followed, and reflect on how September 11 shaped a generation of Americans in uniform and those who loved them.

This program will be what the Veterans Breakfast Club does best: gathering people to listen, remember, ask questions, and share experiences. Veterans, military family members, first responders, and civilians all have stories to tell and perspectives worth hearing.

Everyone is welcome, whether you served or not. Bring your memories, your stories, and your questions as we reflect together on the day that changed so much—and the twenty-five years that followed.