Grantham — Navy veterans and service members from around the state will gather in Grantham on Oct. 13 to celebrate the Navy’s 242nd birthday and hear from Capt. Joan M. Huber, who served with the Navy Nursing Corps and as the senior White House nurse during the Reagan and Bush administrations.

The event is being organized by the U.S. Navy Birthday Committee of New London, which has been organizing Navy birthday celebrations for 15 years.

“It’s important to all of us,” Russ Coleman, one of the event organizers, said by telephone last week.

Last year 100 people attended the event, and Coleman said he is hoping for about the same turnout this year. Veterans from the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton will be coming to the celebration.

“These guys really enjoy it. They all come in wearing their hats, talking about what branch or which ship they were on,” Coleman said. “They love to talk and tell stories about days gone by. It’s a lot of remembrance for these folks.”

Huber retired after 30 years in the Navy and now works at Colby-Sawyer College in New London as an assistant professor of nursing and public health.

Coleman said he looks forward to hearing about Huber’s experience working in the White House for two presidents.

“Whatever she talks about, it will be interesting,” he said.

A Navy Reserve unit from White River Junction will be performaing the opening and closing ceremonies at the event, which will be held at the Bistro Nouveau Restaurant at Eastman Golf Links, 6 Club House Lane, Grantham.

The cash bar opens at 11 a.m. and lunch will be served starting at noon.

The luncheon costs $25 per person and registration is required by Oct. 2.

To register or for more information, call Coleman at 603-763-4855; Rick Marsh at 603-526-4391; or Phil O’Brien at 603-526-9646.