Although the calendar only marks two days out of the year to honor military Veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, it is important to be thankful for the sacrifice of Veterans in our community all year long.

Veterans are some of the bravest and hardest-working members of our community, and it is important to give back to the men and women that fought for our freedom. After serving in the military, many go on to new professions or business ventures and we want to highlight the businesses in our community that are owned by Veterans.

Supporting these businesses shows your support for our troops and the sacrifices they have made for our country. Coming back from deployment is often not an easy task, so having a supportive community around them makes the transition a lot easier.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental disorder that occurs after a person experiences a stressful event, affects about 15 million people each year. 21+ Veterans commit suicide daily, so it is important to keep strong relationships with their local Veterans Service Office and Veterans Associations. Over 1.7 million Veterans received mental health services at VA last year. Their services range from peer support with other Veterans to counseling, therapy, medication or a combination of these options. Their goal is to help you take charge of your treatment and live a full and meaningful life. Military OneSource is another free service that provides expert support to connect military personnel and their families with the best available resources to fit their needs.

All of us at Strictly Business are honored to get the chance to highlight these businesses and the Veterans that run them every day. Your bravery, strength and dedication to our country does not go unnoticed. Thank you for your service!

If you would like to be featured in next year’s Veteran Owned Business feature, please reach out to Cemre at cemre@strictlybusinessomaha.com or call our office at (402) 466-3330.

John Berry Jr. – US Army

John Berry, Jr. is a trial attorney at Berry Law Firm (jsberrylaw.com) since 2003. For the past twenty years, John has been a powerhouse when it comes to his clients. As a Veteran himself, he has skilled knowledge of the Veteran Affairs system and commits himself to finding justice for thousands of Veterans.

John served in the US Army for over 20 years, retiring as a Battalion Commander and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the 209th Regimental Training Institute for his service. He has spent his whole life committing himself to the betterment of the community around him and continues to do today. His passion extends to his family as well, his wife and four children continually encourage him to be the best family man he can be.

Berry Law’s success stems from the foundation John has laid. His most recent accomplishment was being recognized by “Best Lawyers in America Criminal Defense” in 2023. He has successfully led teams in Bosnia and Iraq and continues to lead successfully both in the courtroom and in the firm. Berry Law represents veterans with VA appeals nationwide and maintains a regional trial practice that includes criminal defense, personal injury, civil litigation, and military law. John makes sure their high standards are met with each case.
With over 250 years of combined legal experience and 300 years of combined military service, the team at Berry Law is well-equipped to handle the most serious legal needs. The firm has expanded to offer Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Veterans Law. To learn more, go online to jsberrylaw.com.

John Stevens Berry Sr. – US Army

John Stevens Berry Sr. has written several books over the years, including fiction, nonfiction, biography and poetry. His writing is heavily influenced by his esteemed military service, and he takes his readers on a journey into his brilliant mind with each page.

His first published work was Darkness of Snow in 1973, a beautiful collection of poetry. With his next publication, a prose memoir, he explores his experiences of the ambiguities of law within the walls of the military. Those Gallant Men: One Trial in Vietnam, was published in 1984. In 2014, John Sr. co-wrote The Twelfth Victim: The Innocence of Caril Fugate in the Starkweather Murder Rampage. This book covers the life and crime of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Fugate. This shocking story went on to become a documentary series on Showtime released in early 2023.

In May, John Sr. released his latest book, Foot Soldier. This piece is a memoir, a collection of free verse poetry written after his diagnosis of PTSD. It offers insights into war, small-town America and a life fully lived. Fellow author Marcia Southwick says about Berry, “I used to think J.S. Berry was a famous attorney who had once studied poetry with Yvor Winters at Stanford. Now I realize, after reading these poems, that he’s really a famous poet who has been disguising himself as an attorney for the past 57 years.”

Currently, John Sr. is living in Lincoln with his artist wife, Margaret Berry. He passes his leisure time with his grandchildren and farming interests. If you would like to get a copy of John Sr.’s latest work, you can find it for sale on amazon.com by searching for Foot Soldier.

Brian Roeder – US Navy (1997-2003)

Roeder Mortuary (roedermortuary.com) has been family owned since 1912. We have three locations in the Greater Metropolitan Area to help serve our ever-growing community. Theodore J. Roeder founded the business and was followed by his two sons, Norman Roeder and Ronald Roeder. Jon Roeder continued the tradition as the third-generation. With Brian Roeder taking over the business, as the fourth-generation, Roeder Mortuary remains local family-owned and is now Veteran-owned.

At Roeder Mortuary, “Our Family Helping Yours,” is more than just a slogan. It’s how we do business.

We believe that our primary purpose is providing careful and caring service to our community, the people who are our friends and neighbors.

We also believe that independence, fairness, professionalism and integrity are necessary in building a relationship of trust with our families.

We are very proud of our Roeder family of service to our community and plan on continuing that service for many years to come. Roeder Mortuary offers a full-range of personalized burial, cremation and Veteran services. We also offer no-cost pre-arrangements with several pre-funding options to fit a variety of budgets. To schedule an appointment at any of our locations, please call (402) 496-9000.

John Sievers – US Air Force (1988-2014)

When John Sievers retired after 26 years of service, he knew he wanted to be in business for himself and still be able to give back to the military, its families and to the community. His thoughts kept drifting back to the Green Beans Coffee (greenbeanscoffeeomaha.com) shipping container cafés, where he enjoyed his daily cup of coffee and “15 minutes of home away from home” while deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq. He contacted the brothers who started it all, and in October of 2014, John opened his first Green Beans Coffee café in Omaha.

Under John’s leadership, Green Beans Coffee has become a pillar of the Omaha community. As the first family/Veteran owner of a Green Beans Coffee café, John was able to give back to the military and to the local community, which he so dearly loved. His leadership at the café inspired strong work ethic, friendship, a family environment and creativity; this included hanging meaningful artwork, commissioning a War Memorial Battlefield Cross statue and creating a commemorative wall for fallen heroes. This dedication resulted in a huge family of loyal employees, customers and peers who loved and respected him. John’s personal success eventually led to his expansion of the business into a second café location in Bellevue.

While we still carry the burden of his loss in 2022, Green Beans Coffee will carry on to serve the community in the way John intended. His love for his country, his family and coffee will continue on. To support the Green Beans Coffee Company mission, you can visit greenbeanscoffeeomaha.com or stop by one of our locations in Millard or Bellevue.