Honoring the our Servicemembers
Issue No. 006 - October 2025
Honor and Support Our Deployed Troops
National Day of the Deployed is an observance dedicated to honoring and recognizing the brave men and women of our military who are currently deployed. It is a day of appreciation for all the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that our military and their families make for our country.
When our troops are deployed, they face sacrifices such as separation from family and friends. They endure the challenges of being in stressful and at times dangerous environments and situations. Not to mention the long hours and harsh condition. While the majority, if not all, military personnel are very modest and humble about their service, it is our duty to recognize them and their families.
Here are a few ways to support our deployed troops and their families:
Send A Care Package – Sending a care package is a great way to show your appreciation. There are a variety of organizations that provide several care package services. Here are a few organizations: AdoptaPlatoon (They provide on-going care packages to improve the quality of life and raising morale for those serving overseas.) For The Troops (They provide care packages containing basic necessities, goodies, games, etc.) USO Care Package Program (They Provide care packages filled with essential toiletry items, snack foods, etc.)
Support Military Families – A great way to support our deployed troops is to simply reach out to the families who are left at home. Offer to cook dinner, pick up groceries, give their child a lift to an after-school activity, a simple phone call to see how they are doing would go a long way.
Join a Local Community Event – There are a number of local organizations that hold fundraisers and gatherings to help support our troops. Join and participate in these events. There’s no better way to show your appreciation then to give back.
Vet Talk
Vet Talk is the brainchild of Juan Blanco, Coffee4VETS’ founder and president. Juan started Vet Talk during the pandemic as a way to help veterans work through the difficulties of being isolated, sheltering at home, and social distancing. Vet Talk became crucial in keeping the veteran community connected.
In continuing with the same spirit of keeping the veteran community connected. Vet Talk is being relaunched. The series will feature 1 monthly question answered by our Veteran community. The monthly question will cover a broad scope of topics, ranging from their lives before, during, and after service.
A special Thank You to GySGT E-7 Leslie Harris, U.S. Marines Corps (Retired), Specialist E-4, Corey Reddy U.S Army (Retired), and E-4 Ken Cianciosi, U.S Army (Retired) for your service and for taking the time to answer this month’s question.
This month’s question is: What was the biggest challenge you faced why you were deployed?
"Being away from my family, that's the biggest challenge...Being away, not being able to be with your loved ones, make sure the household is in order. Another big challenge, not just for me but for my wife, because we're tandem, we're together in this. ... She would have to pull up the bootstraps while I'm gone and be the man of the house, be the lead. We had 7 children, six girls, one boy, and I thank God that I wasn't gone often. Maybe out of my 20 years, I probably was gone ... from my wife, maybe six months total. That could answer for seven children. Hoorah ... They used to say, "Man, don't you have a TV?" So, I could be busy and stop being with my wife. I have seven kids. Get it. ... The biggest challenge is not knowing what's going on at home. My wife was not a player or anything. She's a good woman. She worked. She helped the challenge. Because you can imagine guys overseas and the wives are cheating on them, spending that money, having car accidents and not keeping up with the insurance. Just the little things and the big things.
I was blessed in that.
U.S Marine Corps: June 1977 - July 1997
The biggest challenge ... I think knowing at the time that we weren't supplied the right way initially. As far as body armor, for our division ... there was us and one other unit that had the flak vest. We knew we didn't have proper equipment going through. ... That and I think morale was a huge thing. Just because I dealt with things a certain way and other people didn't ... there was a little bit of conflict with that.
I actually had a Sergeant tell me at one point that I was going to get in trouble if I didn't start contacting my house, my family. I'm like I don't really want to focus on that right now... Also, too they were giving us two weeks, or a couple days leave where you could go to Dubai or like Qatar. Where they let you go ... I might have misspoke on Dubai. Qatar, I think they'd send you down there for R & R. I was up for rotation there and I denied it. ... We got into an argument because I was like I'm deployed I don't want to leave everyone else and go relax when no one else is. ... I think those were like the biggest challenges I had.
My deployment was good. I think hearing other people's stories and knowing what was going on around us, just our supply issue I think, the lack of equipment, other than that we were really lucky. ... They filled in other places, our NCOs, our foreign officers were able to get things from the areas we're in. They were able to go in the markets... I was in Missoula for months and we got in there...we were doing single vehicle convoys through Missoula where there'd be two of us. Then it'd switch where you'd have to go at least three vehicles before we left. ... We had like one or two injuries where one of our other sections hit an IED. But it was minimal injuries so looking at what our people dealt with physically we ... we didn't have that. I think we're just really lucky. ...I guess we were blessed. Someone was watching over us.
U.S Army: Aug. 2001 - Aug. 2004
Well, I would say one thing, the biggest challenge we faced was trying to find water. So, we were given MREs but most of the time we didn't have water. So, we'd have to locate water. We'd hide water otherwise most of the time we ate our meals dehydrated. That'd be one of the biggest challenges we faced.
I went into the military when I was 17. I didn't like school, so I thought I'd go into the military. My parents signed me in. I went with an open contract so I could go through jump school and everything. I was stationed out of Fort Bragg, we were with a rapid deployment team. We went everywhere just as teams to wherever we needed to go. ... A lot of the things never existed ... we did.
A funny story I guess with ... how small the world is. We went... The United States had an issue with EL Salvador and Honduras ... A whole bunch of us went in there. ... It was funny because 20 years later I was working at a job and one of the El Salvadorian gorillas was also working at the same site. It was funny to hear their perspective of the U.S Army compared to what theirs was. ... We were there to help the Honduran Army if the El Salvadorian gorillas came up the mountain too far, they hit us. One of the gorilla patrols came up, and they met unfriendly fire ... So, they went back down. It was funny to hear him telling the story to the employees (at the work site) how they made the mistake to see how tough the Army was, they got scared and went back down. They never tried again. I was talking to him, and I go "Really? I was there." and he goes "No way!" And it just so happens he had to go in at 12 (I think) as an El Salvadorian gorilla.
Like I said the weirdest thing was the food, the water. Unlike the new MREs that come with the heat packs, they were just dehydrated food. There were no heat packs ... they were totally dehydrated. We'd find water and burry it. We hid water in five-gallon water jugs so we'd have water to mix our food.
The only positive thing while I was there, I met some people, and I got to go to Honduran jump school. So, I got my Honduran Jump Wings too in country. That was fun.
U.S Army, 1982 - 1985
President's Message
Happy October
This month, October 4th, the Vietnam Veterans of America-355 and Coffee4VETS. Inc. are together hosting a dinner at the Santa Clarita Senior Center in Santa Clarita honoring the 250th anniversary of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. These three institutions were created before the Declaration was penned. All three Branches worked to create and defend our nation during the very beginning when no country in Europe thought it was possible to stand against the British might. Our dinner on October 4th, is purposely in the middle of all three birthdays to show the unity that honors them all. We look forward to a superb evening.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNITED STATES NAVY
The official dates for the Army were June 14th; the Marine Corps is November 11th. The official birthday of the United States Navy is Oct. 13, 1775. Back then, it was known as the Continental Navy and consisted of a small fleet of ships patrolling to intercept ships sent to resupply British Army troops at or near the colonies. The creation of this fleet was not without controversy. In fact, it was hotly debated for 11 days in the Continental Congress and in the end, the debates were won by “natalists” who were in favor of adding a naval fleet as another branch of defense in addition to the already-created Continental Army which was authorized in June of 1775.
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and like many such observances, military bases at home and overseas play host to a variety of events, activities, and awareness campaigns to fight breast cancer. Statistics from the American Cancer Society reveal that in 2015 alone, more than a quarter million women were diagnosed as having some form of breast cancer, with more than two thousand men also diagnosed and according to some statistics, approximately one in eight women may develop an invasive form of the disease.
The Veterans Administrations’’ efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month include articles and micro-sites at the VA official site promoting early detection and providing resource links to government sites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Cancer.gov
We also recognize in October Columbus Day. October 14th is observed in the United States on the second Monday in October and it commemorates Christopher Columbus and his journey to what was then known as the New World.
Halloween will be celebrated this year on the last Friday of the month, Oct. 31, 2025.
The holiday season is often a tough time for military members, families, veterans, and friends. Most associate this struggle with Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Halloween is really the start of the fall/winter holiday season, and military communities know that for some-especially military parents separated from their children at this time of year-there should be some form of military community activity and outreach.
Coffee4VETS continue to fill the void by meeting every Tuesday in Lancaster and the First and Third Thursday in Sata Clarita during the holiday season and know that we will be there to share this holiday season with you. On behalf of the board, we wish you, a very safe and happy October and Halloween.
Our Moto: “Honoring Our Veterans of Yesterday Who Secured Our Today.”
Our Purpose: Pride of Service
Highlight of The Month
September 2025
Save the Date
We Invite You to Join Us
Join us for our weekly Coffee4VETS event! Veterans and active-duty military can enjoy FREE coffee and 1/2 off breakfast!
Date: Every Tuesday
Time: 7 A.M – 9 A.M
Where: Crazy Otto’s Diner at 1228 W. Ave I, Lancaster, CA
Date: 1st and 3rdThursday of the month at the
Where: Crazy Otto’s Diner at 19132 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA
Come celebrate 250 years of the Army, Navy, and Marines with us at this special event!
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Time: 4 P.M – 9 A.M
Where: Santa Clarita at 27180 Golden Valley Road, Santa Clarita, Ca 91350
Click on link for more info: EventBrite
HDMG Senior Health Expo Happy Birthday
A Very Happy Birthday from Coffee4VETS!
October observances
Mark Your Calendars
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Ms. Veteran America Pageant
Columbus Day
U.S Navy Birthday
Columbus Day
Day of the Deployed
Navy Day
Happy Halloween
Previous Coffee4VETS Newsletters
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