Starbucks Urban Legends: one true and one false

False: 2004 claim that they were told Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it
"It is that e-mail which continues to circulate to this day. Sgt. Wright has since learned
that what he heard was in error, and he has subsequently tried to set things right by
issuing the following retraction:

Their new logo

Dear Readers,  Almost 5 months ago I sent an email to you my faithful friends. I did a wrong [thing] that needs to be cleared up. I heard from word of mouth about how Starbucks said they didn't support the war and all. I was having enough of that kind of talk and didn't do my research properly like I should have. This is not true. Starbucks supports the men and women in uniform. They have personally contacted me and I have been sent many of their Company's policy on this issue. So I apologize for this quick wrong letter I sent out to you. Now I ask that you all pass this email around to everyone you passed the last one to. Thank you very much for understanding about this.      Howard C. Wright Sgt USMC

"As for what Starbucks has to say about the matter, it refutes the rumor on its website,
stating:

In fact, Starbucks has partnered with the American Red Cross and theUnited Service Organizations (USO) to provide coffee to relief efforts duringtimes 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 totroops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. Additionally, troops all overthe world are enjoying Starbucks VIA Ready Brew in care packages theyreceive not only from Starbucks, but from their family and friends as well.Through December of 2010, Starbucks has provided 800,000 3-packs ofStarbucks VIA to the USO for their care package program.

True: Starbucks Charged Rescue Workers at the World Trade Center Collapse for Bottled Water  "There have been several media accounts documenting this story as true.  According to an article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer on September 25, 2001, a representative of the family-owned Midwood Ambulance company wrote a letter of complaint to Starbucks.  He said his employees, whom he called heroes, were charged $130 for the water, which they paid for out of their pockets.  It was at a Starbucks in Battery Park.  The letter said the company representative was rebuffed when he called a Starbucks number from their website, so he wrote a letter to the CEO of the company.  The ambulance company eventually got a call from the President of Starbucks with an apology, a promise of a refund, and free coffee for their employees."
More here at Snopes.


Hat tip to Bob Hope, Sacramento.