What We Do

The Veterans Breakfast Club harnesses the power of storytelling to build a nation that understands and values the experiences of our military veterans.

We hold weekly programs online and in-person where veterans of all eras, ages, and branches of service can share their stories with the public. These events create close-knit communities of listening, and by recording the events, we ensure that our living history will never be forgotten.

VBC programs connect and heal, educate and inspire. Everyone is always welcome.

Veterans Stories: VBC Happy Hour

VBC Happy Hour & VBC Greatest Generation Live

Every Monday night at 7pm ET (3pm PT), a large and ever-changing group of us gather in a Zoom room for 90 minutes and talk about the rewards and hardships of military service, past and present, and hear a lot of history in the process.

We start with a theme or group of special guests and the conversation takes off. Sometimes it’s anniversary that sparks discussion–the October Missile Crisis, the Tet Offensive, Desert Storm, the Battle of Fallujah. On any given night, you might meet a Holocaust survivor, a retired two-star general, a Coast Guard sailor serving on an heavy icebreaker, or a Red Cross “Donut Dolly” who served in Vietnam.

If it’s International Women’s Day, you’ll meet women veterans from all eras. If it’s the SeaBee Birthday, then SeaBee veterans will be there. And the guests aren’t only veterans. We also love hearing from people who grew up as military brats, Blue Star parents, and, of course, Gold Star Mothers, Fathers, Spouses, and Families. One night a month is reserved for Open Conversation where we provide the platform, and the audience guides the discussion.

Every week the conversation is new, and everyone is welcomed to speak up and join the storytelling. We update our schedule weekly and simulcast our programs to Facebook and YouTube, where they are archived for later viewing. Join us anytime by clicking the links below.

Learn More about Happy Hour       Learn More about Greatest Generation Live 

Veterans Breakfast Club: Veterans Stories, Veterans War Stories

Veterans Breakfast Club

Where else, but at the Veterans Breakfast Club, can you gather for a casual meal and meet a 101-year-old Navy WAVE codebreaker from World War II, a Silver Star recipient from Vietnam, and a Top Gun F-18 pilot all at the same time?

The Veterans Breakfast Club has been bringing these people and more together for face-to-face storytelling events since 2008. People come to listen and learn, connect and heal, and say thank you to those who’ve served.

 These breakfasts began informally in 2008 with some 30 World War II veterans. They grew to give our organization its name and serve as the flagship for a growing array of storytelling programs where veterans of all eras and branches of service could share their experiences with the public. Most of these in-person events are held in the Pittsburgh region, but we’re branching out to other locations to reach more veterans and hear more stories. One week we might might be in a VFW hall, then next week a country club or a banquet room.

We serve breakfast at 8:30am, start the program at 9:00am, and bounce around the room with the microphone until 10:30am listening to as many veterans as we can. You never know what you’re going to hear. There are often a few tears, and always a lot of laughter. Join our community of listening by coming to one of our face-to-face storytelling events!

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The Scuttlebutt: Military Veteran Podcast

The Scuttlebutt:
Understanding Military Culture

“Scuttlebutt” is the Navy word for watercooler talk. Released every Monday, The Scuttlebutt is the podcast of the Veterans Breakfast Club hosted by VBC Program Director, Shaun Hall. The Scuttlebutt brings together special guests for an informed conversation about the military experience, past and present.

Each episode ranges from the topical to the historical, from the big picture to the everyday, educating listeners about military culture from people who’ve lived it. Veterans talk about why they joined, where they served, and what they think about the military and their service now. Along the way, they discuss PTSD, the VA, military operations past and present, and take occasional forays into pop culture.

Nothing is off limits, and no topic is too obscure. You can download The Scuttlebutt wherever you get your podcasts or watch the video version on our website. Review, comment, share, like, and subscribe.

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VBC Magazine: Quarterly U.S. Military Veterans Magazine

VBC Magazine

Four times a year, we take the stories we’ve heard at our events, and we publish them in print in VBC Magazine. Our quarterly magazine is mailed free of charge to over 8,000 households and distributed by hand to another 7,500 people.

Every issue contains first-hand stories, in-depth history, community news, and profiles of those working on veterans’ behalf around the country. Read about “The Great P-38,” “How I Became an Army Interpreter in Iraq,” “The History and Meaning of Memorial Day” and other stories.

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VBC Bulletin: Military Headlines, History, Humor, and VBC News

VBC BULLETIN

Every Monday morning, we send out VBC Bulletin weekly email newsletter to almost 5,000 subscribers around the country. The VBC Bulletin keeps subscribers up to date on our program schedule, special guests, and opportunities of interest to our community.

The e-newsletter also shares headlines,  history, humor, and links to all kinds of stories and videos that we run across and folks pass along to us. We try to share especially news and information you may have missed and “this day in history” stories of interest to the military and veterans community.

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Veterans History Project: Veterans Oral History Stories

Veterans History Project

Preserving veterans’ stories so that this living history is never forgotten. That’s the goal of our Veterans History Project, which pairs volunteer interviewers with military veterans for one-on-one oral history interviews over Zoom.

There’s no charge for an interview, and the recording is the veteran’s to keep. And you can elect to make the interview public or keep it private for your family. With the veteran’s permission, we post the interview on YouTube channel and make it available in our story archive. 

Maybe you’re a veteran interested in telling your story. Or the spouse, child, grandchild, or neighbor of a veteran whose memories should be shared while they can. Or maybe you just love history and veterans’ stories and would like to conduct interviews. If any of these sound like you, let us know!

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Veteran Travel: Veteran Historical Trips, Veterans Historical Tours

VBC Travel

Over the past 15 years, the VBC has hosted trips all over the country and the world to bring travelers to important places for our veterans.

We’ve toured ships and battlefields, museums and memorials, from Quantico to Quang Tri and New Orleans to Normandy. Our expert-led, small group tours range from day-trips down the road to two-week excursions overseas. Along the way, we have great meals together and a lot of fun.

Everyone is welcome to explore the world through veterans’ eyes with us. Check out our travel schedule and highlights of past veteran historical trips.

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