Starbucks, Coca-Cola host special events to honor military
In honor of Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, multiple beverage brands are finding ways to salute our nation’s troops and their sacrifices in the days before and after this federal holiday.
Starting on Nov. 10, Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co. opened the celebration with a special event it co-hosted with The Washington Post. The event discussed the post-war careers and contributions of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and included a presentation by Secretary of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald about the department’s “Road to Veterans Day” initiative as well as partnerships with other agencies and the private sector to serve veterans, their families and survivors better. Lt. Col. Kellie McCoy and retired Lt. Col. David Oclander also discussed their post-war careers. McCoy is the commander of a combat engineer battalion, and Oclander is on track to become a principal of an inner-city charter school in Chicago. In addition, Starbucks President and Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz and The Washington Post Senior Correspondent and Associate Editor Rajiv Chandrasekaran discussed their latest book “For Love of Country: What Our Veterans Can Teach Us About Citizenship, Heroism and Sacrifice,” which shares stories about the sacrifices veterans make during and after battle.