PHOTOS BY SHAUN HALL

During the height of the pandemic, Todd DePastino organized a virtual dinner party for more than 100 veterans.

Men and women representing all branches of the armed forces gathered to dine alone together on Meals, Ready-To-Eat. The shelf-stable rations, known as M.R.E.s, are packaged in thick pouches with the U.S. Department of Defense logo emblazoned on the front.

Over Zoom, former service members consumed everything from cheese tortellini and lemon pepper tuna to pepperoni pizza and grilled jalapeno beef patties. They poured carbohydrate-fortified beverage powder into water glasses and raised a toast to each other and the country they love and defended.

THROUGH MONTHLY BREAKFASTS AND ONLINE MEET-UPS, VETERANS CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND CIVILIANS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MILITARY LIFE. TODD DEPASTINO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE VETERANS BREAKFAST CLUB, MODERATES THE PROGRAMS THAT COMBINE PERSONAL STORIES AND HISTORY LESSONS.

DePastino, a civilian author and educator from Mt. Lebanon, launched the Veterans Breakfast Club in 2008 to create a “community of listening” — and even a global pandemic couldn’t stop him, as he switched to virtual events while necessary.

As executive director, he organizes 30 events each year, including in-person breakfasts at local churches, country clubs and community centers. For a nominal fee, participants get a hot, buffet-style meal (prepared by volunteers, not packaged by the government) and a captivating program highlighting different members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. Curious civilians are welcome to join the club as a patriotic pastime.

Each breakfast starts with a half-hour of socializing over hot chow and coffee followed by a 90-minute presentation on myriad topics: a particular service member, a battle, a piece of artillery or a seemingly mundane detail about life in the trenches.

“We’ve had 90-minute conversations just talking about a P-38 can opener or how a grenade works,” DePastino says. “When people show up, they don’t know what to expect. Every veteran has a story to tell.”

No topic is off the table, except for politics, which often disrupts the spirit of the program and leads to dissension in the ranks.

At 0900, the crowd stands at attention as “The Star-Spangled Banner” is sung. Army veteran Harry Van Riper, who lost an arm in the Vietnam War, did the honors before the Aug. 23 program at Christ Church at Grove Farm in Sewickley. His inspiring story is featured in the Spring 2023 edition of VBC Magazine, the organization’s free quarterly publication.

On that recent summer morning, the crowd got to know Army veteran Warren Goss, who landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, and Bill Russo, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam with the Air Force. Marlene Ciesielski shared photos and memories from her 23 years with the Navy, a career that took her around the world.

Attendees heard about a program run by Animal Friends, a no-kill shelter in Ohio Township that matches veterans with a companion dog, cat or rabbit. They also read postcards sent by local elementary school students. The words of gratitude and encouragement brought smiles and a few tears to veterans’ faces.

DePastino, who was a longtime professor at Penn State Beaver and Waynesburg University, is the moderator. With microphone in hand, he walks around the room and, with patience and respect, gets others to open up about their lives.

In addition to earning a master’s degree and doctorate in American history from Yale University, he published a biography on Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Bill Mauldin in 2008. The World War II Army rifleman gained fame for his drawings of a combat soldier’s day-to-day existence, peppering the grim realities with humor that enlisted men and women could relate to.

On a book tour publicizing “Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front,” DePastino met numerous veterans, who shared their own stories. A naturally curious soul, he wanted to know more. The best way to do so, he thought, was by breaking bread (and a few eggs) with these American heroes.

He hosted a luncheon and invited people to share their experiences in the armed forces. More than 30 people poured their hearts out. For many spouses, children and grandchildren in the audience, it was their first time hearing about the triumphs and horrors their loved ones endured overseas.

DePastino, who had no previous connection to the military before starting his research on Mauldin, decided to become a curator of these personal histories.

With grant funding from the Jefferson Regional Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Heinz Endowments, the Veterans Breakfast Club was established as a 501(c)(3) in 2015.

Before the pandemic, the organization hosted 75 events a year. Covid-19 forced them to halve the number of in-person gatherings. In addition to the magazine, the Veterans Breakfast Club does outreach through weekly podcasts hosted by Director of Programming Shaun Hall and online meet-ups that attract participants from across the country.

Christine Ree attended the Aug. 23 breakfast to network and find veterans in need. With help from the community, she hopes to create the same kind of fellowship on a daily basis through Restore 22. The nonprofit veterans organization is raising funds to open a cafe in the Coraopolis area where civilians and former service members can connect over coffee and pastries.

For her husband, retired Air Force Master Sgt. Rob Ree, happiness is watching a military plane roll by on the flight line at the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon and take off into a blue sky. But, like a lot of veterans, he experienced turbulence upon re-entering civilian life after nearly four decades dedicated to Uncle Sam.

“I was exposed to things I wasn’t quite prepared for during my deployment in Iraq,” he says. “Some vets or active duty servicemembers don’t want to express their mental trauma since there is such a stigma around it.”

The Rees want the eatery to be a place where people can find resources on everything from filing Veterans Affairs claims and mental health care to resume-writing workshops. The spot will also educate the public about the battles veterans face on the homefront; this is key to the concept.

Coraopolis is located on the bus line and has American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars halls. Restore 22’s mission is to raise $100,000 and start pouring cups of joe by Veterans Day 2024.

In addition to a small army of volunteers, the Restore 22 team includes Mark and Renee Callahan.

The couples met serendipitously on a bike ride and soon realized their military connection. The Callahans, of New Brighton, run Veteran Plumbing Services and had launched Restore 22 several years prior to provide scholarships to former service members interested in pursuing a skilled trade. They pivoted during the pandemic and delivered 127 meals a week to veterans and elderly community members.

Mark, who served in the Marine Corps, wanted to give people a chance at a better future and save the 22 vets who commit suicide each day. That sobering statistic fluctuates, but Restore 22’s organizers won’t be satisfied until it’s at zero.

“When you’re in the military, you give up your freedom to protect everyone else’s,” Mark explains. “What you gain is the camaraderie, the brotherhood you don’t find on the civilian side. When I came back out and started to look for a job, my heart was broken because I couldn’t find the same kind of connection with people. This is a way to approach vets from a different angle. You offer someone food and drink and it breaks the wall down without them even knowing it. It paves the road and makes the conversation a little bit easier.”

Last summer, the Rees stepped in to help the Callahans restructure the nonprofit and plan a welcoming, non-clinical space that will offer its own specialty blend from Market Square’s Nicholas Coffee Co. as well as fresh pastries and snacks. The Rees visited Welcome Home Veterans Military Museum at Richard’s Coffee Shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, and thought it would make a great fit for Pennsylvania, which has the fourth-largest veterans’ population in the country.

Bags of whole bean and ground coffee are available on Restore 22’s online store, and the organization is gearing up to do caffeinated pop-ups, bike rides and other events throughout Pittsburgh.

Christine formerly worked as operations manager for the Western Pennsylvania branch of the USO, where she organized volunteers and provided a network of services for military families to provide moral support during deployments.

“We want to invite people into the coffee shop to dispel myths and stigma,” she says. “We’ll provide conversation starters on how to talk to a vet. You’ll be able to see your dollars in action and participate in it.”

Even with 38 years of Air Force service under his belt (and in his heart), Rob Ree still strives to do more for his country by offering support to those who have defended it. Giving them a safe landing upon their return is his new mission.