Veterans Breakfast Club

Kennedy’s Coup with Jack Cheevers

Did one decision in Washington change the course of the Vietnam War? Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for a conversation with award-winning historian and former Los Angeles Times reporter Jack Cheevers about his powerful new book, Kennedy’s Coup: A White House Plot, a Saigon Murder, and America’s Descent into Vietnam. In November 1963, South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm was overthrown and assassinated by his own generals. For decades, historians have debated the extent of the Kennedy administration’s role in the coup and whether Diệm’s death made America’s deeper involvement in Vietnam inevitable. Drawing on a decade of research, eyewitness interviews, declassified documents, and dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests, Cheevers reconstructs the political intrigue, personal rivalries, and fateful decisions that led to one of the most consequential turning points of the Cold War. More than a political history, Kennedy’s Coup is a human drama populated by unforgettable characters: President John F. Kennedy and his divided advisers; Ambassador Frederick Nolting, who struggled to preserve the alliance with Diệm; the outspoken Madame Nhu; ambitious South Vietnamese generals plotting in secret; courageous American journalists reporting from Saigon; and CIA operatives caught between diplomacy and covert action. Cheevers argues that the coup—and Diệm’s murder—opened the door to nearly a decade of escalating American involvement in Vietnam. Cheevers is the author of the award-winning Act of War: Lyndon Johnson, North Korea, and the Capture of the Spy Ship Pueblo, recipient of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature. His meticulous research and compelling storytelling have made him one of today’s leading writers on American military and diplomatic history. As always, we’ll leave plenty of time for audience questions, comments, and stories. Veterans, family members, students, and all who wish to learn are warmly welcome.

Stories from Easy Company, 28th Marines, World War II

Six Marines raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, became one of the most enduring images in American history. But what about the company behind the flag? Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for a conversation with Marine veteran and author Billy Myers, who has spent years researching the remarkable story of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines—the unit whose men climbed Suribachi and whose members raised both the first and second flags over Iwo Jima. Myers’ forthcoming book tells the story of Easy Company from its formation through the brutal battle for Iwo Jima and beyond. Drawing on letters, diaries, military records, and family accounts, he introduces the ordinary young Americans who became part of one of World War II’s most iconic moments. If Band of Brothers told the story of Easy Company in Europe, Myers aims to tell the story of Easy Company in the Pacific. A Marine Corps veteran himself, Myers enlisted at seventeen and served four years before earning degrees from Northwestern State University and The Ohio State University. He later spent nearly three decades coaching football and baseball in Louisiana, bringing the same commitment to teamwork, leadership, and perseverance to his historical research. Our conversation will explore not only the famous flag raising but also the men whose lives have too often been overshadowed by a single photograph. We’ll discuss the savage fighting on Iwo Jima, the bonds forged within Easy Company, the challenges of reconstructing its history eighty years later, and why these Marines still matter today. As always, we’ll leave plenty of time for audience questions, comments, and stories. Veterans, family members, students, history lovers, and all who wish to learn are warmly welcome.

The Untold Story That Changed Operation Desert Storm

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for a conversation with retired Army Colonel Frank Hancock, commander of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during Operation Desert Storm, about his remarkable new book, Operation Desert Storm: How Two Young Intelligence Analysts and an Infantry Battalion Changed the War in Iraq. At the heart of the book is an extraordinary story that has remained untold for more than three decades. Just 48 hours before the 101st Airborne launched the largest helicopter air assault in American military history, two young intelligence soldiers—Captain Jose Delgado and Sergeant Jesus Gonzalez—discovered a critical flaw in the division’s battle plan that had escaped every higher headquarters. They identified an Iraqi bunker-and-trench complex directly in the landing zone of the lead assault company. Their discovery forced commanders to revise the plan at the last minute and may well have prevented a devastating disaster. That dramatic episode opens the door to a much larger story. Hancock takes us inside General Norman Schwarzkopf’s bold “Hail Mary” offensive, which sent the 101st Airborne deep into Iraq to sever the Euphrates Valley in one of the most ambitious operational maneuvers undertaken by the U.S. military since the Inchon landing during the Korean War. He explains how the division planned and executed the largest helicopter air assault in U.S. history, what worked, what nearly went wrong, and why the operation became a defining moment in modern American warfare. Drawing on recollections from soldiers throughout the battalion—from privates to colonels—Hancock reconstructs the operation from every level of command. Along the way, he also explores a larger question: How did the U.S. Army recover from Vietnam? Desert Storm showcased an Army that had spent nearly two decades studying its failures, rebuilding its doctrine, embracing new technologies, and developing leaders capable of executing extraordinarily complex operations. The campaign’s stunning success did not happen by accident—it was the product of lessons painfully learned after Vietnam. As always, we’ll leave plenty of time for audience questions, comments, and stories. Veterans, family members, and all who wish to learn are warmly welcome.

Ben Kuroki: The Japanese American WWII Hero Who Flew 58 Combat Missions

Join Glenn Flickinger and the Veterans Breakfast Club for a live conversation with author Gregg Jones about his acclaimed book, Most Honorable Son: A Forgotten Hero’s Fight Against Fascism and Hate During World War II. Jones tells the remarkable story of Ben Kuroki, a Japanese American farm boy from Nebraska who became one of World War II’s most extraordinary airmen. At a time when more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated in the United States, Kuroki fought for his country in the skies over Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, completing 58 combat missions and becoming a powerful voice against prejudice and hate. This program explores Kuroki’s wartime service, his fight to prove his loyalty, and the larger story of Japanese American patriotism, sacrifice, and resilience during World War II. Gregg Jones brings new attention to a forgotten American hero whose life challenges us to think deeply about courage, citizenship, racism, and what it means to serve. #BenKuroki #WWII #VeteransBreakfastClub

Veterans Open Conversation

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for an open and wide-ranging virtual conversation about the military experience, past and present. We believe every veteran has a story to tell and wisdom to share. This event is a chance to listen, learn, and connect with others who understand the unique bonds and challenges of military service. If you have something on your mind—whether a personal memory, a question, or a topic you think deserves attention—we encourage you to bring it to the conversation. Veterans are also invited to email Shaun Hall at shaun@veteransbreakfastclub.org with any specific topics or issues they’d like to discuss. The Veterans Breakfast Club’s mission is to create communities of listening around veterans and their stories, and our Open Conversations are one of the most dynamic ways we do that. These sessions are often wide-ranging, emotional, funny, and thought-provoking, providing a welcoming space where everyone’s voice is valued. Whether you have something to share or simply want to listen and learn, we welcome you to be part of the conversation!