Five Years Afloat: Why We Chose October 25 — and What The Battle off Samar Taught Us About Building Old Salt
Old Salt turns five on October 25—the same day brave tin cans charged enemy battleships and heavy cruisers at The Battle off Samar in 1944. Different fight, same code: show up, close the distance, do your duty, deliver.
Why October 25
I didn’t spin a calendar and point. I chose October 25 for a reason, because I’m a former Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), and—since I’m writing this blog— in the SWO world, the Battle off Samar is the Surface Navy’s finest hour.
That morning, a thin screen of destroyers (DDs) and destroyer escorts (DEs) guarding slow escort carriers (CVEs) suddenly found a wall of enemy battleships and heavy cruisers bearing down on Task Force 3, affectionately known as "TAFFY 3." Our “tin cans” were outgunned in every way—speed, armor, caliber, and sheer gross tonnage. Picture a handful of lean escorts and “jeep” carriers facing hundreds of thousands of tons of enemy steel, including - literally the biggest guns afloat.
So why charge? Because there were exposed U.S. Marines on the beach head at Leyte. Because protecting those carriers—and the Sailors and aircrew on them—was the responsibility of the escorts of TAFFY 3.
CDR Ernest Evans flung USS Johnston (DD 557) headlong into the fray, laying a heavy smoke screen, guns blazing, firing torpedoes —until Johnston was shot to pieces; Evans earned the Medal of Honor for that valor. LCDR Robert Copeland, in USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413), told his crew: “This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.” And they did—closing the range, landing hits that mattered, and buying time for the carriers to live.
When it was over and survivors floated among the wreckage, accounts describe Japanese Sailors rendering honors—a quiet recognition of the courage they had just witnessed. TAFFY 3's spirit inspired Old Salt Coffee, and we've attempted to capture that spirit in every roast: courage in the face of uncertainty, excellence in the craft, and a crew that never flinches.
Sidebar - If you want the deep-dive? Read our 80th-anniversary DECKLOG from last year: Honoring Heroism: The 80th Anniversary of the Battle off Samar—and Old Salt Coffee’s Founding.
If you haven’t read it, I also recommend James D. Hornfischer’s Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.
So Samar in ~60 Seconds ... well maybe 120 Seconds
Situation: October 25, 1944—TAFFY 3 (six escort carriers with three DDs and four DEs) is covering the Leyte landings when Vice Adm. Kurita’s Center Force—battleships, heavy/light cruisers, and destroyers—surges out of the San Bernardino Strait. The light escorts of TAFFY 3 were never meant to slug it out with that kind of weight.
What happened: The escorts threw up smoke screens, made torpedo runs, and poured rapid, accurate 5-inch gun fire to disrupt the enemy and shield the carriers. Johnston, Hoel, Heermann, and Samuel B. Roberts closed to knife-fight ranges they had no business surviving, inflicting significant damage and causing mass confusion within a vastly superior force. Overhead, the CVE aviators kept the pressure on: Wildcat fighters and Avenger bombers launched with whatever they had—rockets, guns, depth charges, sometimes nothing but guts—and cycled attacks to harass, distract, and damage Japanese capital ships. Some pilots even made dry passes to draw fire by conducting dummy torpedo runs even though they weren't armed with torpedoes; others re-armed with whatever was on hand and charged back into the fracas.
Why it mattered: Those combined actions from sea and air protected Taffy 3, preserved the beachhead, and helped turn the wider battle. Their actions convinced Kurita he was up against a much larger force of Fleet Carriers and he retreated. It’s the clearest example I know of small, tight crews choosing duty over odds—and winning the only victory that mattered: saving their Shipmates. Their heroism turned the day and won the battle against incredible odds.
So that's why I chose 25 October to launch Old Salt Coffee.
From Founding Watch to Year Five
Five years ago, a small crew of Navy Veterans set a simple course: Premium Coffee, Maritime Heritage , and Giving Back. We roast to order, we celebrate the stories of our Navy, and with every bag we support our nonprofit Shipmates who preserve that heritage and care for our community. It’s been a humbling ride—mess decks, ready rooms, and home kitchens across America Hoisting Mugs together. We have made mistakes, a ton of mistakes actually, but we keep plugging away and we will keep plugging away for what we hope are years to come.
Tin Can Courage → Startup Grit (Lessons From Samar)
1) Close the distance. Samar’s Tin Cans didn’t wait for perfect conditions; they moved towards the fight because it was their duty.— so do we. We move first, learn fast, and keep quality tight so every roast earns its place in your mug.
2) No Fear. We launched Old Salt Coffee in the middle of a global pandemic and a crashing economy - bring it on!
3) Stay True North. Hold the heading when seas get choppy: keep our voice authentic, our standards high, and our brand anchored in what we believe—no gimmicks, no decaf, no drift.
4) Punch above your weight. No fluff, just execution. We prioritize fresh roast cycles, tight QC, and authentic service—earning trust one mug at a time.
5) Crew over ego. Samar was won by Sailors who trusted each other. Same here: take care of the crew, listen to customers like Shipmates on watch, and back each other to the hilt.
6) Mission first, always. When it gets rough, return to our three pillars: Premium Coffee, Maritime Heritage, and Giving Back. That’s our heading—and our promise.
Birthday Offer: One Week Only
To mark five years afloat, we’re running a Birthday Offer from Saturday, October 25 through Saturday, November 1, 2025. Get 20% off when you purchase Old Salt Coffees Birthday Bundle - any two 12 oz bags of Joe and and Old Salt's Original Anchor Mug. Hoist a Mug, bring a Shipmate aboard, and celebrate with us.
Sea Stories Wanted
Lastly, I know you have a Sea Story, lesson learned, or salty laugh from your time underway? Submit it—plus a photo—so we can feature you on our website and share your saltiness with others. Submit here:
oldsaltcoffee.com/pages/sea-story-submissions