Email: "Starbucks/Marines"

"Starbucks/Marines"

[note - all mistakes below are original to the text]

From: XXXXXXXXX@aol.com
To: XXXXXXXXX@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2009 4:27 PM
Subject: Starbucks/Marines

Guess I won't be drinking Starbucks anymore!

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted to let them know how much they liked their coffees and to request that they send some of it to the troops there.

Starbucks replied, telling the Marines thank you for their support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee.

So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them by buying any of their products! I feel we should get this out in the open. I know this war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground fighting street-to-street and house-to-house.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you can discard it and no one will ever know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I deploy once more.

Semper Fidelis.
Sgt. Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

Also, don't forget that when the Twin Trade Towers were hit the fire fighters and rescue workers went to Starbucks because it was close by for water for the survivors and workers and Starbucks charged them!!

JUST A NOTE TO THIS; STARBUCKS HAD STORES ON SEVERAL MILITARY BASES IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE NOW BEING REMOVED BECAUSE OF THIS.

PLEASE DON'T DELETE THIS. ALLOW IT TO BE PASSED TO ALL IN MEMORY OF ALL THE TROOPS WHO HAVE DIED SO THAT WE MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO SUPPORT THEM OR NOT!! !   

Response

Thanks for sending this my way.  Something in the e-mail looked fishy so I looked into it a bit and found that this claim made against Starbucks is wholly unsubstantiated.  Naturally, a multinational company such as Starbucks has a very important corporate image to uphold and generally makes most of its corporate decisions based on its bottom line and the interests of its shareholders.  How likely do you think it is that such a large company would do something this controversial and risk alienating not only our troops but, more broadly, the American people?

Starbucks themselves responded to the rumor:

On behalf of Starbucks more than 160,000 dedicated partners (employees), we want to set the record straight on an old rumor concerning Starbucks lack of support for the military and our troops. This rumor, dating back to 2004, claims a lack of Starbucks support for the U.S. Marines, and has evolved to include a lack of support for the British Royal Marines. In both instances, the rumor is not, and has never been, true.

When Starbucks learned of the original email, we immediately contacted the author, a Marine Sergeant, who subsequently sent an e-mail to his original distribution list correcting the mistake. Unfortunately, rumors have a way of continuing even after the truth has been revealed.

At Starbucks, we respect the efforts of the men and women who serve their country in the military - including our fellow partners who serve during this time of war. In fact, Starbucks has partnered with the American Red Cross and the United Service Organizations (USO) to provide coffee to relief efforts during times of conflict, donating more than 141,000 lbs of coffee. In 2009 alone, Starbucks provided over 71,000 lbs of coffee to the USO for distribution to troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. Additionally, troops all over the world are enjoying Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew in care packages they receive not only from Starbucks, but from their family and friends as well.

http://news.starbucks.com/about+starbucks/myths+facts/militarydonations.htm

I hope this clears up this rumor.

See you soon.