Coca-Cola Reunites Famed Prisoner of War Group as Part of Its Veterans Day Recognition
10 November 2014 - 3:47PM
Business Wire
Company’s Week-long Activities Honor the Men
and Women of the U.S. Military, Including the Thousands of Veterans
Employed by Coca-Cola
They were Navy and Air Force pilots captured in North Vietnam.
They were the most uncooperative, influential and subversive POWs
during the Vietnam War. These men survived for up to six years in
captivity at an infamous POW camp called Alcatraz. Much of their
time was spent in solitary confinement. They are the “Alcatraz
11.”
Every year Coca-Cola pauses to honor the veterans and members of
the U.S. military who sacrifice to serve their country and protect
our freedoms. This Veterans Day, the Company will recognize the
famed “Alcatraz 11” by reuniting four of the five remaining members
of the group during a special recognition ceremony on Wednesday
evening. The company also will honor the thousands of veterans
employed by Coca-Cola.
“Since the 1940s, The Coca-Cola Company has held a longstanding
commitment to support our service members. This tradition continues
today as we pay respects to the many men and women, including our
associates, who have proudly served their country,” said Sandy
Douglas, President of Coca-Cola North America. “It will be a true
honor to welcome and reunite the distinguished members of the
‘Alcatraz 11’ and their families. They embody the incredible
sacrifice and perseverance of veterans and their families across
the country.”
The four “Alcatraz 11” members who will attend the recognition
ceremony are George Coker, George McKnight, James Mulligan and
Robert Shumaker. Other special guests include Louise Mulligan,
spouse of James Mulligan and one of the founders of the POW-MIA
movement, and Alvin Townley, author of DEFIANT, the definitive
account of the “Alcatraz 11” experience.
Retired Lieutenant General Mick Kicklighter, current director of
the Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration Team (DODVCT),
will recognize this year as the 50th anniversary of the beginning
of the Vietnam War during the ceremony. The Coca-Cola Company is a
corporate sponsor of the DODVCT.
As part of the week-long Veterans Day observance, Coca-Cola will
also host its annual USO care package stuffing party tomorrow. Many
Coca-Cola associates will assemble more than 3,100 wounded soldier
care packages. These packages will be distributed to soldiers
wounded on the battlefield and evacuated directly to field
hospitals with little to no access to basic hygiene items or other
supplies.
Finally, the World of Coca-Cola is making a special offer to
members of the Armed Forces (Active Duty, Reserves and Retired) and
their families now through this Sunday, November 16 in recognition
of Veterans Day. The attraction offers complimentary admission to
members of the Armed Forces on an ongoing basis. During this
special promotional period, service members may purchase up to four
half-price general admission tickets for their friends and
family.
To take advantage of this special promotion, military members
and retirees should simply present their valid Armed Forces ID
cards at the World of Coca-Cola ticket windows.
In addition to the Company’s veteran hiring efforts, Coca-Cola
recently joined American Corporate Partners (ACP), a nonprofit
organization dedicated to assisting veterans in their transition
from the armed services to the civilian workforce. Over the next
year, more than 50 Coca-Cola associates will serve as mentors to
veterans transitioning out of the military into civilian
employment.
Coca-Cola began its support of U.S. military troops in 1941
during World War II when former Company President Robert Woodruff
committed “to see that every man in uniform gets a bottle of
Coca-Cola for five cents, wherever he is and whatever it costs the
Company.” That same decade, the Company began a more than 70-year
partnership with the USO. Today, the Coca-Cola system provides
approximately 2.4 million beverage servings per day to active-duty
members of the armed forces, reservists, retirees and their
families. In addition, throughout the year many marketing programs
pay tribute to and reward veterans for their service.
Specific information about Coca-Cola’s career opportunities for
military veterans can be found at
http://www.enjoycareers.com/en/military.
About The Coca-Cola
Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage
company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and
still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable
and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 17
billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola
Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del
Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages,
ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the
world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more
than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion
servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable
communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our
environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a
safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance
the economic development of the communities where we operate.
Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top
10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For
more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at
www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at
twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at
www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at
www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
The Coca-Cola CompanyAbby Todd,
404-676-5873atodd@coca-cola.com
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