During WWII, people in North Platte and neighboring towns in Nebraska and Colorado took it upon themselves to show their appreciation to the soldiers on troop trains that passed through town, sometimes more than thirty a day. The locals never missed a day throughout the war. They baked cakes, fried chickens, made sandwiches, and poured glasses of milk. Young ladies danced with the soldiers. High school girls' names and addresses were placed in popcorn balls for the soldiers to find, so the soldiers could write to them.
Despite the fact that the train stops were no more than twenty minutes, soldiers who were located over fifty years later and interviewed, seventy and eighty year old men, often were reduced to tears remembering the kindness with which they were treated by the people at the North Platte Canteen.
Many of the soldiers, eighteen or nineteen years old, were away from home for the first time. They faced uncertain futures, with little life experience on which to draw. From my Vietnam era experience, I know that they were afraid and that the thought of what lay ahead of them seldom left their consciousness.
This book has some of the feel of "The Greatest Generation". It is hard to remember the American society of those days, how little people had and how little they expected. It is good to be reminded of a time when people did something for someone else because they thought it was the right thing to do. The people who worked at the canteen knew that many of the soldiers they met would never return home, and these people were determined to do something for them.
When the canteen closed at war's end, the administrative committee declined to spend any of the funds that had been collected, for a memorial to the canteen. A memorial was fine they thought, but not with money that had been raised for the soldiers. The remaining balance was donated to VA hospitals that were taking care of wounded veterans.
Author Bob Green, who visited North Platte to examine local records and to interview, writes that the old railroad depot that was used as the canteen was torn down some years ago. All that remains of the canteen, that became famous among servicemen during the war, are old city records, newspaper clippings from a defunct newspaper, the memories of the folks who worked there, and those of the surviving servicemen who visited.
If there is a message in this book, it is, perhaps, that, through the canteen worker's efforts for the soldiers, these good people found their finest hour.
I've heard a lot of people complain about traveling through Nebraska because it's a boring ride -- they think there is no scenery to speak of. But within those wide open spaces and rolling hills and canyons there are folks with hearts of gold, and Bob Greene helped us see some of that. Good for him! We need to know the good that is in the world.
Soldiers and sailors all over the country spoke in awe about the wonderful food and treatment they got from the townspeople of North Platte, Nebraska. Many soldiers struck up penpal correspondence with townspeople they met. A number of women in the North Platte area ended up marrying soldiers when they returned from the war.
Bob Greene takes a "Studs Terkel approach" to this subject and much of the book consists of narratives of older people who were present at the time. One thing that really stands out is the unbelievable effort that the people in North Platte (and surrounding areas) made to run the canteen. Only a few thousand people lived in the area. Yet, millions of soldiers passed through the town. Nevertheless, very soldier was served food and drink. Many people contributed their ration coupons, personal savings, and a huge amount of unpaid labor to see that the canteen was always running. These people will forever remain in the hearts of the soldiers and sailors who received their warm hospitality
Greene also relates the changes that have come to North Platte since the war. Sadly, many have not been for the good. A town that used to see 32 passenger trains a day pass through it, now sees none at all. The railroad station and area where the canteen operated was torn down by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1973. All that remains is a small historical marker commemorating the canteen. It strikes me that North Platte has suffered the way many small towns in America have. Agriculture has declined. Industry and technology tends to base itself in large urban areas.
This is a "feel good" book. As I read this, I was reminded of the adage that when it comes to saving our world all of us must "think globally and act locally". This is precisely what the people of North Platte, Nebraska did during World War II. Any serviceman who passed through there will tell you that it made an enormous difference too.
