Several years ago, Navy veteran Bill Terry wore his Navy cap to a rally in Gettysburg. Someone took note of his service and asked if he went to the monthly veterans breakfast in Gettysburg. "I had never heard of it or been there," said Terry.

Not long after that conversation, Terry made the hour-and-45-minute trip to Gettysburg to attend a breakfast. "(The veterans) had been meeting 12 to 15 years," reported Terry. "I thought, 'We don't have anything like this in Lancaster.'"

Terry decided to start a group locally, so he drove from Gettysburg to the Lyndon Diner in Lancaster. "I told (representatives of the Lyndon Diner) what I wanted to do, and they offered the back room," said Terry, who noted that at first attendees ordered off the menu. "For the first meeting, 23 showed up," said Terry, who added that three of those still attend.

The Vets Breakfast Club now meets on the third Saturday of each month at the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant and Smorgasbord, 2760 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand. Due to a conflict, the meeting on Saturday, Sept. 17, will be held at Westlake Village, 2001 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster. The breakfasts are free for veterans and spouses. Attendees begin arriving at 7 a.m. Those who wish to reserve a space at any of the breakfasts may call 717-929-0310. Individuals with questions may call Terry at 717-435-6095.

Terry generally says a few words at the breakfast, which opens with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. Presidents of chapters of military organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who attend may get up and speak, and sometimes a speaker is scheduled. When a group of veterans who traveled to Vietnam returned, Terry asked them to share about their experience at the breakfast.

According to Terry, most of the attendees are Vietnam War veterans. "We had three or four World War II vets who have passed away," he noted, adding that some Korean War veterans have attended and that he is starting to see veterans from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We had reservations for 72," he said at the July 16 meeting. "But we get from 90 to 120, so we set up for 90 today."

"We always have the POW table set up and nobody sits there," said Terry of the traditional table set with a white tablecloth, a single candle, an inverted glass, and a single red rose in a vase.

Currently, Terry said, two benefactors are covering breakfast for the veterans, but he noted that sponsorships are welcome.