Patriotism Has Become a Defining Trait of Mooresville
It’s Thursday morning at Richard’s Coffee Shop in Mooresville, and upwards of 100 local veterans are filling their coffee cups as they greet friends and neighbors. That’s the typical scene at Richard’s, dubbed The Most Patriotic Coffee Shop in America by Salute Magazine, but Thursdays are especially busy because that’s when coffee is on the house for all veterans.
“I really enjoy the camaraderie and talking with other guys who may have been stationed in the same place as you and know what you’ve been through,” says Lonnie Long, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam. Long is president of the board of directors for Richard’s Coffee Shop. “Our customers run the gamut from privates to generals, so this place is like a living history museum. Students even come in and talk with the veterans to get information for school papers and such.”
Richard’s was founded in 1995 by Richard Warren, a Vietnam vet who died in May 2009.
“Richard was a pilot on a Huey Gunship, and the coffee shop became a gathering place for veterans, ” Long recalls. “They started bringing in war memorabilia – pictures, uniforms and the like – and it started going up on all the walls.”
After Warren’s unexpected death, the well-loved coffee shop was taken over by Welcome Home Veterans Inc., a nonprofit organization Warren had created to help veterans within the community. With the change in ownership, the coffee shop moved to a new location on Main Street.
“We had a soft opening on July 4, 2009, and about 300 people came,” Long says. “Richard started a guest book, and there are almost 6,000 names of veterans who’ve come from all over the world. We’ve even had guys come in and discover they have military connections from the past, and they’ve found each other again.”
The coffee shop grew naturally in Mooresville, which has a strong reputation for patriotism. The Rotary Club of Mooresville-Lake Norman is also working to show its appreciation to those who have served by participating in Rotary District 7680’s Flight of Honor program, which sends local veterans to visit the nation’s war memorials in Washington. The one-day trip includes visiting the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. The program is funded by donations from individuals and businesses around the community, making it completely free-of-charge for participants. Interested veterans apply to participate and are typically either placed on the next flight or placed on a waiting list for a future flight.
“The Flight of Honor program started in Hendersonville, and it’s grown nationwide,” says Dave McKnight, co-chair of the Rotary District 7680 Flight of Honor Committee. “Four veterans from Mooresville went on the first Flight of Honor in April 2009, and we’re planning additional trips in September and October. In the future, we plan to do two trips per year.”
Being invited to participate in the program is a dream-come-true for older vets, who knew about the World War II Memorial’s long-awaited dedication in 2004 but have been unable to visit it due to financial or physical constraints.
“It’s absolutely tremendous because these guys never believed they’d get to go, and they never dreamed a program like this would be put together for them,” McKnight says. “It’s so exciting to work with these guys. We’ve had an overwhelming response from the vets and their families.”
