Veterans Breakfast Club

Veterans Breakfast Club

Welcome to the Veterans Breakfast Club! Our mission is to create communities of listening around veterans and their stories to connect, educate, heal, and inspire. Our two weekly pre-recorded programs are VBC Live and Greatest Generation Live. From the battlefields of World War II to the front lines of today’s active duty service, this podcast captures the voices, memories, and hard-earned wisdom of those who served. Each episode features powerful, firsthand stories from veterans across generations, revealing moments of courage, sacrifice, humor, and humanity. Listeners will hear untold experiences, lessons learned, and reflections that connect past and present military life. Whether honoring legacy or understanding modern service, this podcast bridges generations through authentic storytelling, preserving history while giving voice to those who continue to serve and protect around the world today and for generations to come forward.

  1. 2d ago

    Open Conversation: 25 Years After 9/11 — The Day Everything Changed

    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.

  2. Sep 1

    China as a Great Power with Navy veteran and expert Dr. Bernard “Bud” Cole

    Is China already a great power—or still becoming one? And if it is, what does that mean for the United States, the Navy, and the balance of power at sea? Dr. Bernard “Bud” Cole is a 30-year U.S. Navy veteran, former warship commander, and one of America’s leading experts on China’s military and maritime strategy. Bud Cole has spent a lifetime in the Pacific—at sea, in uniform, and in the classroom—studying the very questions now dominating headlines: Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.) – Surface Warfare Officer with 30 years of service Commanded USS Rathburne (FF-1057) and a destroyer squadron Served in Vietnam as a naval gunfire liaison officer with Marines Former Professor of International History, National War College Author of landmark works on China and naval power, including The Great Wall at Sea He has watched China’s rise not from afar, but up close—over decades—as its navy evolved into a global force challenging U.S. influence across the Indo-Pacific. What “great power” actually means—and whether China meets the test The rapid expansion of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Why the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait matter so much How maritime power shapes global trade, energy, and security Where U.S.–China competition is heading—and what could go wrong Lessons from history about rising powers and established ones This is not a cable news argument or a policy lecture. It’s a conversation with someone who has served, commanded, studied, and taught the realities of naval power and great-power competition. About VBC LIVE: The Veterans Breakfast Club brings veterans, families, and the public together in communities of listening—where stories, experience, and history help us better understand today’s world. #China #USNavy #IndoPacific #Taiwan #SouthChinaSea #Geopolitics #MilitaryHistory #NavalStrategy #Veterans #GreatPower #VBC

  3. Aug 25

    The Baghdad Shuffle – War, Crime and Revenge

    The Baghdad Shuffle is a crime thriller set against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but much of the world behind it comes directly from author Josh Bates’s own experience as a Marine. Bates was serving as a Marine infantry officer when his unit pushed north from Kuwait into Iraq and eventually into Baghdad. What stayed with him was not only the combat, but the chaos that followed the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime—the looting, criminal activity, money left behind, and Marines suddenly dealing with situations far outside conventional warfare. One episode in particular, a Baghdad bank robbery involving thieves trying to breach a vault with RPGs, became part of the inspiration for the story he would eventually write. Although the novel is fiction, Bates says much of the Iraq section grew out of things he actually experienced during the initial push to Baghdad and the period that followed. He estimates that roughly 85 to 90 percent of the events informing the first act happened to him in some form, then were condensed and reshaped for the story. We’ll talk with Josh about his Marine Corps career, his experiences during the invasion of Iraq, and how those memories eventually became the foundation for a novel. We’ll also discuss the mix of military experience, crime, humor, and absurdity that shaped The Baghdad Shuffle, and why he wanted the book to reflect the perspective of the young Marines who actually lived through those early days of the war. Josh Bates is a retired Marine infantry and intelligence officer, podcaster, and author. The Baghdad Shuffle is his first novel.

  4. Aug 11

    Helicopter Pilots in Vietnam

    We welcome helicopter pilots in Vietnam to VBC LIVE to discuss their service with these iconic machines. Nothing, in fact, is more closely associated with the Vietnam War than the helicopter. More than 12,000 helicopters served in Southeast Asia, carrying troops into battle, evacuating the wounded, escorting convoys, directing artillery, scouting enemy positions, and providing close air support. For the men who flew them, every mission demanded skill and courage, plus some luck. Joining us are Army helicopter pilots whose combined experiences span some of the most important aircraft and missions of the war. Barry Lloyd flew UH-1 Huey gunships and OH-23 Raven scout helicopters during two combat tours in Vietnam. Twice wounded in action, he survived being shot down before going on to a distinguished civilian career as Chief Pilot for CAL FIRE. Barry Desfor flew UH-1 Hueys and AH-1 Cobra gunships in Vietnam before returning as an instructor pilot. After the war, he founded HeliValue$ and created The Official Helicopter Blue Book®, the worldwide standard for helicopter valuation. Gil Ferrey flew OH-23 Ravens and UH-1 Hueys, first in Korea and then with the legendary 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment during its deployment to Vietnam. As a command-and-control pilot, he witnessed firsthand how helicopters transformed modern warfare. Together they’ll discuss what it was like to fly low over jungle canopies, insert troops into landing zones, escort convoys, search for enemy forces, and survive one of the most dangerous jobs of the Vietnam War. If you flew helicopters in Vietnam or served in Army aviation we especially invite you to join us and share your own memories and questions. Among the helicopters we’ll discuss are some of these icons of the war: UH-1 Iroquois (“Huey”) – the workhorse utility helicopter used for troop transport, medevac, command and control, and gunship missions. AH-1 Cobra – the Army’s first purpose-built attack helicopter, developed to escort Hueys and provide devastating fire support. OH-23 Raven – a light observation helicopter used for scouting, artillery spotting, and command-and-control missions during the early years of the war. OH-6 Cayuse (“Loach”) – a tiny, agile scout helicopter famous for flying dangerously low in search of enemy forces. CH-47 Chinook – the Army’s heavy-lift helicopter, capable of carrying troops, artillery, vehicles, and supplies. CH-54 Skycrane – the giant flying crane used to recover downed aircraft and move heavy equipment.

  5. Aug 7

    Liberty Ships in WWII | Author Doug Most

    During World War II, the United States built 2,710 Liberty ships to move the cargo needed to fight a global war. They were plain, inexpensive, and often called “ugly ducklings,” but without them the Allied victory would have been impossible. Join the Veterans Breakfast Club as Glenn Flickinger welcomes award-winning journalist and author Doug Most to discuss his acclaimed new book, Launching Liberty: The Epic Race to Build the Ships That Took America to War. Doug tells the remarkable story of how Franklin Roosevelt, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, naval architects, welders, engineers, and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans created one of the greatest industrial achievements in history. In just a few short years, American shipyards transformed shipbuilding from a process measured in months into one measured in weeks—and sometimes even days. Along the way, women, African Americans, migrants from across the country, and first-time shipbuilders became part of an extraordinary workforce that helped supply Allied armies around the globe. We’ll talk about why Liberty ships mattered so much, how Henry Kaiser’s innovative shipyards changed manufacturing forever, and how America’s race to outproduce German U-boats became one of the great untold stories of World War II. Just as importantly, we’ll remember the hundreds of thousands of workers—many of them building ships for the first time—whose efforts transformed the United States into the Arsenal of Democracy and helped win the war. The Veterans Breakfast Club creates communities of listening around veterans and their stories to connect, educate, heal, and inspire. #LibertyShips #WorldWarII #WWII #MerchantMarine #HenryKaiser #DougMost #MilitaryHistory #NavalHistory #GreatestGeneration #VeteransBreakfastClub #ArsenalOfDemocracy #HomeFront #History #WW2History

  6. Aug 4

    Coast Guard Birthday Conversation

    We celebrate the U.S. Coast Guard’s birthday with an Open Conversation with USCG veterans on Monday, August 3 at 7:00pm ET. Join us as we talk with Coast Guard veterans about what makes their service so distinct—and so essential to the nation’s security and safety. Founded on August 4, 1790, the Coast Guard is the oldest continuous seagoing service in the United States. Unlike other branches, the USCG has a dual mission: military operations during wartime and law enforcement, search and rescue, and maritime safety during peacetime. It is the only military branch that operates under the Department of Homeland Security (except during wartime, when it may transfer to the Department of the Navy). What sets the Coast Guard apart? Maritime law enforcement: The Coast Guard has the authority to board, search, seize, and arrest vessels suspected of violating federal law. Search and rescue operations: From hurricanes to sinking ships, the Coast Guard is the first call in times of maritime crisis. Icebreaking and navigation aid: Coasties operate in Arctic and Great Lakes regions to maintain critical shipping lanes and place navigational buoys. Drug and migrant interdiction: They play a front-line role in combating illegal trafficking on the high seas. In this special birthday celebration, we’ll hear from Coast Guard veterans who served aboard cutters, on coastal patrol, in aviation, and at isolated duty stations. They’ll share stories of adventure, service, and resilience—from intercepting narco-subs in the Caribbean to medevac missions in the Bering Sea. We’ll explore what it means to be “Always Ready”—Semper Paratus—and why Coast Guard veterans are proud to serve in a branch that blends military rigor with humanitarian urgency. Help us mark this important anniversary by honoring the stories of those who serve in America’s maritime guardian force. #USCoastGuard #CoastGuardBirthday #SemperParatus #VeteransBreakfastClub #VBCLive #MaritimeService #SearchAndRescue #MilitaryVeterans #CoastGuardStorie

  7. Jul 31

    The Einsatzgruppen Trial: Ben Ferencz and the Biggest Murder Trial in History

    The Holocaust did not begin with Auschwitz. Before the gas chambers became instruments of industrialized murder, mobile SS killing squads known as the Einsatzgruppen followed the German army into Eastern Europe, massacring more than a million Jews, Roma, Soviet prisoners, and civilians in forests, ravines, villages, and fields. After the war, a young American Army investigator named Benjamin “Ben” Ferencz uncovered the Nazis’ own meticulous records of these mass shootings. At just 27 years old—and having never argued a case in court—Ferencz was appointed Chief Prosecutor in the Einsatzgruppen Trial at Nuremberg, where twenty-two SS commanders were charged with crimes against humanity in what newspapers called “the biggest murder trial in history.” Join military historian Colin Heaton as he examines the history of the Einsatzgruppen, the evidence that exposed their crimes, and the landmark trial that helped establish modern international criminal law. Along the way, we’ll explore the remarkable life and legacy of Ben Ferencz, whose pursuit of justice shaped the postwar world and influenced generations of war crimes prosecutions.

  8. Jul 28

    The Shoeshine Boys of Saigon: A Conversation with Dick Hughes

    During the Vietnam War, amid the chaos of Saigon in 1968, a young American actor made an unusual decision. Rather than serve in the U.S. military, 24-year-old Pittsburgh native Richard Hughes traveled to Vietnam on his own, determined to find some way to help civilians caught in the conflict. What he encountered were homeless street children—boys who survived by shining shoes for American GIs, sleeping in parks and alleys, and regularly being swept up by police. The Vietnamese called them bụi đời—“dust of life.” Hughes rented a modest apartment on Pham Ngu Lao Street and began offering the boys a place to sleep, shower, and eat. What started with eleven children soon grew into something far larger. Over the next eight years, the Shoeshine Boys Project evolved into a Vietnamese-run network of homes in Saigon and Da Nang that provided shelter, schooling, and job training for hundreds of homeless children. By the end of the war in 1975, the project included eight homes, two farms, and a technical training center serving roughly 300 children at a time. Between 1968 and 1976, an estimated 1,500–2,000 boys and girls passed through the program. The effort was remarkable not only for its scale but for its spirit. Hughes worked closely with Vietnamese students, teachers, and community leaders who ultimately took charge of the homes and helped return many children to their families and villages. Despite the upheaval of war and its aftermath, the project became one of the few successful Vietnamese-managed, foreign-funded humanitarian initiatives of the era. Hughes remained in Vietnam for more than a year after the fall of Saigon, finally leaving in August 1976—likely among the last Americans to depart. In the decades since, he has continued to advocate for Vietnamese friends and colleagues, including a successful campaign in the 1990s to secure the release of two former project associates imprisoned in Vietnam. He has also remained involved in efforts to address the lingering human consequences of the war, including work related to Agent Orange. Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for a special conversation with Dick Hughes as he reflects on the Shoeshine Boys Project, the children and Vietnamese colleagues who made it possible, and the complicated legacy of the Vietnam War. His story offers a rare civilian perspective from inside wartime Saigon—and a reminder that even in the midst of conflict, acts of compassion and solidarity can take root in unexpected ways. As always, we welcome questions and reflections from veterans and others who served in or remember the Vietnam era.

See All (100)

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Veterans Breakfast Club! Our mission is to create communities of listening around veterans and their stories to connect, educate, heal, and inspire. Our two weekly pre-recorded programs are VBC Live and Greatest Generation Live. From the battlefields of World War II to the front lines of today’s active duty service, this podcast captures the voices, memories, and hard-earned wisdom of those who served. Each episode features powerful, firsthand stories from veterans across generations, revealing moments of courage, sacrifice, humor, and humanity. Listeners will hear untold experiences, lessons learned, and reflections that connect past and present military life. Whether honoring legacy or understanding modern service, this podcast bridges generations through authentic storytelling, preserving history while giving voice to those who continue to serve and protect around the world today and for generations to come forward.

Information

  • Creator
    Veterans Breakfast Club
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2020
  • Show Website
    Veterans Breakfast Club