Veterans will have opportunity to share stories at Pitt-Greensburg breakfast
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Veterans who want to share their military experiences and others who want to hear those stories of service are invited to a meeting of the Veterans Breakfast Club from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
Set for the Hempfield Room of Chambers Hall, it’s the second in-person meeting of the club to be held on the Pitt-Greensburg campus, 150 Finoli Drive, in Hempfield.
Breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m., and the stories will begin at 9 a.m.
The breakfast buffet is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. To register, email betty@veteransbreakfastclub.org or call 412-623-9029.
The Veterans Breakfast Club regularly organizes such meetings throughout the region as part of its mission to “create communities of listening around veterans and their stories, to ensure that this living history will never be forgotten.”
During the last breakfast at Pitt-Greensburg, four generations of veterans told their stories. Those included firsthand accounts of serving with the Navy in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War and of more recent Army deployments.
Family members of veterans also are encouraged to share their stories.
Todd DePastino, executive director of the Veterans Breakfast Club, will serve as master of ceremonies for Saturday’s event.
“Stories connect, heal, educate and inspire” DePastino said. “Stories bridge the divides that separate us and benefit both the tellers and the listeners.”
He said the club’s intent is to “harness the power of storytelling to build a nation that understands and values the experiences of our military veterans.”
“Their stories are our history, and the memories they share with the VBC are treated with respect and care,” said Lisa Reffner, retired Air Force veteran. Pitt-Greensburg’s data and registrar specialist, she also is the school certifying official for the campus’ military and veterans programs.