Page 4 - Aerotech News and Review, October 30, 2020

Coffee4Vets started small, grew, persists in pandemic

by Dennis Anderson even World War II veterans, I re-
special to Aerotech News alize that we are standing on the
shoulders of giants,” Teichert told
Almost 10 years ago — a few vet- the group when they gathered for
erans approached Jin Hur, the ami- one of the annual Veterans Military
able owner of the Crazy Otto’s res- Ball events.
taurant on Avenue I and asked if they Recognizing veterans was one of
could set aside a couple of booths former U.S. Rep. Steve Knight’s
for a military-themed coffee klatsch. favorite tasks, and he pinned the
It turned out that Jin Hur was the medals on many of the Coffee-
right restaurateur to go to for such a 4Vets regulars, including Art Ray,
boon. An immigrant from South Ko- 95, a World War II Navy vet who
rea, Hur is devoutly patriotic, and served on the cruiser USS Quincy
has one son who saw combat with the on D-Day 1944, and the surrender
Marine Corps in Afghanistan, and an- ceremonies at Tokyo Bay in 1945.
other who serves as a police officer. The group in the big room in Cra-
After a while, word got around zy Otto’s makes no distinctions in
about the coffee klatsch, and after a rank, branch of service, or gender,
bit, the half-dozen veterans gathered and embraces all the diversity in
became dozens. culture that makes up the Antelope
Tuesday’s at 7 a.m., and running Valley and the military services.
until about 9 a.m., the coffee klatsch On rare occasions, a phony would
became an event, and the mission ex- turn up, sharing over-the-top stories
panded from a few veterans “shoot- of daring do. Usually, they would
ing the breeze” to a weekly platform expose themselves, with something
to disseminate information useful, off about their story, or their mixed
sometimes even vital, for people who uniform attire or insignia, or their
had served in the armed forces. claims of action that didn’t add
During the past several years, the up. In other words, the event itself
organization has knitted bonds with was self-policing. Soon, the phony
active service military at Edwards would be gone.
Air Force Base, and has periodic Up until the onset of the CO-
visits from representatives for the VID-19 pandemic, the group had
Department of Veterans Affairs, the been meeting weekly with nearly
California Veterans Department, the 100 veterans and their spouses and
National Guard, and state and local companions turning out. The coffee
elected officials. poured was free, and breakfast was
In 2019, Brig. Gen. E. John “Drag- discounted. The only rule was to be
on” Teichert, then commander of the kind to the wait staff because they
41sth Test Wing at Edwards AFB, worked a very big room.
became a repeat guest, “And he One of the favorite waitresses
would be the one pouring the coffee (and they were all favorites) for
for the veterans,” the group’s board years, Alexis Gillespie, was herself
president, Juan Blanco, said. “He an Army veteran.
was remarkable.” “I just felt it was a room full of
The general’s visit, and his dis- great people,” she said before leav-
patch of senior NCOs and field grade ing to resume her studies.
officers to meet and greet with the Even though the event and the
veterans helped brand the group as a room skews toward older vets, ac-
destination for information sharing tive duty service members and first
and camaraderie between veterans responders are always welcome,
and active duty forces. as are veterans of the more recent
“When I meet with you, you Viet- Post 9/11 conflicts. It is a “big tent”
nam and Korean War veterans, and room. Courtesy photograph
President of Coffee4Vets Juan Blanco delivers breakfast from Crazy Otto’s for staff of William J. “Pete” Knight Veterans
Home in Lancaster, Calif.
“It was several years ago, after makes this truly the greatest nation Lilia Galindo and “Cafe Con Leche”
we had been going for a couple of on earth.” on AM 1470 KUTY.
years that Jin Hur advised we should The group’s board voted to shut “We plan to get started again, but
incorporate as a non-profit organiza- down the in-person weekly break- only when it is safe to do so,” Blan-
tion,” according to Coffee4Vets Presi- fast event about a week before co said. “We have to look out for
dent, Juan Blanco. California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom the health and safety of our veterans
Blanco served during the Vietnam shut down the state in response to because they are living treasure.”
War Era, but was posted to Germany the highly contagious nature of the The group has no Veterans Mili-
with the 8th Infantry Division dur- COVID-19 viral pandemic. To the tary Ball planned for this Novem-
ing the long Cold War where he extent that the room was usually ber leading up to Veterans Day,
served as a paratrooper, in field ar- packed to the fire marshal’s lim- but plans to bring it back in 2021,
tillery, and also in finance. Two of its, with veterans sitting elbow-to- hopefully, a better and safer year for
his brothers served with the 101st elbow, it probably was a life-saving everyone.
Airborne Division in Vietnam. decision as most of the veterans fall
“Our group does a lot of out- in categories of age, or underlying Editor’s note: Dennis Anderson
reach to the seniors, to the veterans health conditions. is a licensed clinical social worker
who served in Vietnam and Ko- In the meantime, during the pan- at High Desert Medical Group. An
rea, but also World War II, and the demic, the group participated in Army veteran, he deployed with local
Cold War,” Blanco said. “Vietnam, “Welcome Home” socially distanced National Guard troops as embedded
Korea and the Cold War; for a lot “drive-by parades” for veterans who journalist to cover the Iraq War with
of these veterans when they came went into the hospital, some with California National Guard troops
home there was nothing, very little COVID, and who survived. Also, from the Antelope Valley. He works
recognition. What we do is celebrate board members put out a weekly on veterans and community mental
camaraderie, our service, and what Coffee4Vets broadcast courtesy of health initiatives.

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