CYPRESS, Texas - Students at Black Elementary in Cypress may not fully understand the significance of Veteran's Day, but they still put on quite the patriotic show on Wednesday for military family members.
One of the men honored at the morning program was 10-year Navy Combat Veteran Brandon Buttrey, who felt lucky to soak up the ceremony.
"You see your boys up there, you see all these other kids, and all the Veterans, World War II to current, and it's just outstanding," said Buttrey.
Buttrey spent a decade serving as a Navy FMF Corpsman, completed three tours of duty, and he finally came home for good in 2011, which is something he and his family make sure to never take for granted.
"I'm home! It's great, it's great knowing that I don't have to worry about people worrying about me," said Buttrey.
When Buttrey did return, he relied on the help of local veteran organizations to get reacquainted with civilian life.
With their help, he was able to build a new life, and start a new mission, with Counter Strike Coffee, his very own company.
"This coffee is special, because it's roasted by veterans, organized by veterans, and what we do is we sell the stuff and give a portion of it back to the veteran community," said Buttrey.
Proceeds from every bag of coffee sold are donated local veteran services.
Counter Strike Coffee currently has three military-themed flavors, and later this month, Buttrey is releasing a fourth, called 'Never Quit.'
Twenty five percent of the proceeds from that new variety will specifically benefit the Lone Survivor Foundation.
"Giving back to these veterans organizations, it's a part of who I am. It's all about not leaving your brother behind. You wouldn't do it there, and I'm sure as hell not going to do it here," said Buttrey.
You can find Counter Strike Coffee online or find Brandon at Tomball Farmers Market on weekends. To find more information on Counter Strike or any of the other veterans organizations they partner with, visit the links below:
Cigars and Sea Stories:
Website: http://www.cigarsandseastories.com/
Lone Star Veterans Association:
Website: http://www.lonestarveterans.org/
Chili Off The Grid TV Show: Wednesday nights on the Sportsman Channel
Website: http://chilioffthegrid.com/
Veterans List:
Website: http://veteranslist.us/
Range 15 Movie:
Website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4687276/
