VBC Scuttlebutt Open Conversation is a friendly, interactive gathering of veterans, friends of veterans, and history nerds where we discuss whatever aspects of military service, past or present, or the veterans community that are on our minds.

Join us to swap stories, good and bad, at home and overseas, old and new.

Tonight we talk about Camp LeJeune water contamination and the deadline to file a claim. We also discuss "Words of Veterans," a project by USMC veteran Alex Sebby. We cover the debate over who is a Gold Star Family, as examined by a recent Pentagon working group. And, along the way, we discuss the best and worst chow you had in the military and the passing of Lt. William Calley, infamously convicted in the My Lai Massacre of 1968.

These stories aren’t just for veterans; they’re for everyone who wants to understand the lives of those who served. Whether you’re a veteran seeking camaraderie, a civilian wanting to learn, or simply someone who appreciates the value of service, the VBC welcomes you with open arms. Join us online – become part of their mission to honor stories, build bridges, and ensure that every day is Veterans Day.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

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Brian Morra joins us again to talk about his followup to his successful thriller The Able Archers. Brian’s new book, The Righteous Arrows, takes the story to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an event that previewed the wars following the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Brian is a highly decorated former American intelligence officer and a retired aerospace executive. He is the author of the award-winning Able Archers series of historical thrillers. Brian bases his book’s characters on himself and on people he encountered as an intelligence officer. He also brings into play countries and places that he knows firsthand in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. His books are based on real events but read like page-turning thrillers.

Brian has written numerous articles for national publications and is an on-air expert in the new Netflix series on the Cold War called Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War. He also contributed his extensive expertise to the newly released CNN/BBC documentary called Secrets and Spies: A Nuclear Game.

After collaborating to thwart nuclear war in The Able Archers, Kevin Cattani and his Soviet counterpart, Ivan Levchenko, developed a deep mutual respect—but in The Righteous Arrows they are working against each other. Cattani, despite serious misgivings, conducts a perilous covert mission inside a Soviet bunker and barely escapes with his life, putting himself on a collision course with Levchenko. Their ultimate confrontation comes on a battlefield during the brutal Soviet war in Afghanistan, where Levchenko issues the American an ominous warning that will echo for decades.

Foreshadowing the global war on terror, former Air Force Intelligence officer Brian Morra illuminates the stubbornly persistent rivalry between the US and Russia in this heart-stopping story of international espionage and war.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

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Combat veterans may not tell their children about their experiences, but they transmit them invisibly, almost imperceptibly, through deep channels of influence in the mind, body, and psyche. Author, artist, and son of Vietnam veteran Carl Sciacchitano joins us to talk about his family story as captured in his new graphic memoir, The Heart That Fed: A Father, A Son, and the Long Shadow of War.

Also joining the conversation is internationally recognized neuroscientist Dr. Nadia Rupniak, whose father served in the Polish Army in World War II and received his country’s highest military decoration for heroism.

The stories we hear from Carl and Nadia inform a broader discussion on transgenerational trauma—how the traumatic experience of war can echo across generations.

Violence, uncertainty, and tension can bring heightened caution and fear to children and family members, long after the real danger has passed.

This phenomenon, where trauma impacts individuals beyond those directly affected, can effect descendants who may not have had any direct exposure to the traumatic events themselves.

As Dr. Kimberly Copeland, Military Behavioral Health Psychologist at the Center for Deployment Psychology at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, outlines, transgenerational trauma can be understood through three main mechanisms: nature, nurture, and narrative.

Nature: Trauma impacts the whole person—mind, body, and psyche. Research in epigenetics, such as studies on cortisol levels, suggests that the physiological impacts of trauma can be passed down from parents to children. Variations in cortisol levels, influenced by trauma, can predispose individuals to PTSD and other stress-related disorders.

Nurture: Socio-psychological impacts of trauma, such as stress, low self-esteem, and impaired functioning, can be transmitted through learned behaviors and psychological symptoms. Studies highlight the transmission of these effects from combat veterans to their children, indicating a pattern of secondary trauma that could lead to intergenerational impacts.

Narrative: Even when trauma survivors do not explicitly share their experiences, their behaviors and the silence around these topics can influence future generations. Cultural and communal stories, as seen in Holocaust survivor families, can perpetuate a latent form of trauma, influencing descendants through the collective memory and narratives of the community.

The narrative stresses the importance of recognizing and understanding transgenerational trauma to facilitate healing. Healing should focus on identifying risk and resiliency factors, adopting holistic approaches, and utilizing culturally and spiritually congruent practices. The author reflects on the growth and bonding experienced with their sister, Trinh, suggesting that understanding and shared experiences can aid in healing from transgenerational trauma.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

#militaryhistory #veteran #interview #veterans #vet #veteransbreakfastclub #vbc #virtualevents #virtual #zoom #zoomevents #liveevent #webinar #military #army #usarmy #navy #usnavy #marinecorps #marines #airforce #pilot #aviators #coastguard #nonprofit #501c3 #history #militaryveterans #veteransstories #veteranshistory #veteraninterview #veteranshistoryproject #veteransoralhistory #veteranowned #militaryretirees #armyretirees #navyretirees #warstories #vietnam #vietnamwar #vietnamveterans #koreanwar #coldwar #greatestgeneration #wwii #ww2 #worldwarii #worldwar2 #war #americanhistory #oralhistory #podcast #scuttlebutt #thescuttlebutt #humor #storytelling #headlines #news #roundtable #breakfast #generation911 #happyhour