Dan Becker spent his life knowing he wanted to join the Marines, but he would have never guessed he would join the Army and one day start a coffee company. Becker has lived an interesting life and has experienced many professions, but it all began in the military recruiting office during his high school days.
Becker grew up in a Marine family, so he knew he wanted to join the Marines and work within special operations. After speaking to a recruiter, he realized he would not be able to choose what he would be doing, and decided to continue to think about the next steps. After a friend spoke to Becker about the Army Ranger program, Becker realized that fit what he wanted and he went in to speak with a recruiter.
“I didn't know anything about Army Rangers, so I talked to one of the recruiters,” Becker said. “He was telling me anytime you see anything cool on an Army commercial on TV, that's the Rangers, the guys that are doing the boat operations, doing the helicopter stuff, jumping out of planes and blowing stuff up.”
Becker realized that sounded like something he would enjoy, so he began the training process. The training process consisted of basic training, airborne school, and a Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP). RIP trained people more specifically regarding the specific job they were going to. There were 63 people interested in the program, but only 30 spots were available, so they did physical conditioning until only 30 people remained.
Becker explained the people in charge of the program were encouraging people to quit, and bribing them with warm pizza and cold pop in an air-conditioned trailer.
“I don't know what time it was, but it was late at night. I hadn't eaten all day,” Becker said. “I was thirsty. I was worn out. These guys are walking around yelling at us trying to get us to quit and I was like, ‘You know what, I don't need to be doing this for the rest of my career. This is stupid. I'm going to quit.’ I had it in my head. I was going to quit. I just started to put my hands down and they are like, ‘Alright, you 30 people get up, get your stuff, and get to bed.”
He later found out they were released at 2 a.m. and were woken back up at 4 a.m. to begin the first day of the four-week program. This program began with 30 people and only 18 graduated. Becker was the honor graduate.
Becker spent his time at the Third Ranger Battalion in Columbus, Georgia. While there, he attended ranger battalion sniper school, advanced demolition school, scout swimmer, and combat lifesaver. He was then assigned to a mission in Panama.
“My main job was as a grenadier, I carried that for 23 months, and then I switched to the M-60 machine gun,” Becker said. “When we went to Panama, and because they had a specialty, they made me an assistant gunner. When I jumped into Panama I went in as an anti-aircraft gunner because we were jumping into an airfield.”
Becker was on active duty for three years from 1987-1990, and in the Indiana National Guard until 1994 when he was unfortunately denied reenlistment due to injuries. He explained his favorite part of those seven years was the camaraderie and brotherhood.
“There's nothing like being with a bunch of guys that are willing to die for you,” Becker said. “When you're in the service, it's not about taking a hill or taking a building, or killing as many people as you can. It's about the guy to your left and right. It's all about taking care of each other. Especially in the Ranger Battalion, the team concept is just overwhelming. It just covers everything. Everything is done in teamwork.”
After his time in the service was up, Becker spent his time working and volunteering in many different places. He began volunteering at Cedar Lake Volunteer Ambulance Services. That opened the door to many more experiences including volunteer fire departments, private security, and law enforcement. After working as a police officer in Cedar Lake, Becker got an opportunity to go to Indiana State Police.
During this time, Becker and his wife found a house on a lot of land in the country and decided to move. Becker volunteered at the Wheatfield fire department and became lieutenant, assistant chief, and then chief for eight years. Just before Becker’s retirement, Coffin Coffee Company began inspired by fresh roasted coffee Becker tasted at an 1800s-style rendezvous.
“My wife and I went there and we really liked it,” Becker said. “We did it in the spring and in the fall. The fall rendezvous is when kids would come to each camp and you would teach them how things were done in the 1800s. The kid next to us was doing coffee.”
Becker explained after drinking that coffee for four days, he wasn’t able to return to drinking the coffee he was used to at home, so he decided to learn to roast coffee.
In order to sell to family and friends, he had to be licensed through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so Becker and his wife decided to start a business. They deliver their coffee locally and sell it at farmer's markets and some local stores, breweries, and distilleries.
The company earned its namesake due to Becker earning the nickname “Coffin Man” because of the trailer he had behind his motorcycle he would ride in motorcycle fundraisers. Coffin Coffee Company partners with many charities to raise money for hospice and veterans across the community.
For more information regarding Coffin Coffee Company, please visit coffincoffeecompany.com.