The North Platte Canteen
"North Platte hasn't any big war industries. I guess you could say we've started our own exporting morale." - Rae Wilson, founder of the North Platte World War II Canteen.
The North Platte Canteen was one of the largest volunteer efforts of WWII. On December 17, 1941, families and friend of the local Nebraska National Guard unit (Compary D) wanted to meet them at the train depot to give them presents, but when the train came it was carrying Company D of the Kansas National Guard. They gave their presents to the troops anyway, and Rae Wilson was inspired to open the canteen and provide food and cheer to each train that stopped in their small town.
They officially met their first troop train on December 25, 1941, and handed baskets of goodies through the window. The canteen was moved to a vacant depot where they greeted as many as twenty four trains a day, where personnel were able to stop for a short 10-15 minute stopover. Residents of North Platte and surrounding towns sacrificed their extra ration stamps to buy supplies, especially the sugar needed to always have a birthday cake available. From 1941 until the canteen closed, 55,000 volunteers from 125 different towns up to 200 miles away provided food and a smile free of charge anytime day or night.
From 1941-1946, this small town in central Nebraska served over 6 million military personnel.
Each day they served:
- 36 Birthday Cakes
- 70 Fried Chickens
- 60 Dozen Hard Boiled Eggs
- 1,000 Bottles of Milk
- 100 lbs of Ham
- 80 lbs of Ground Beef
- 2,000 Sandwich Buns
- 90 Dozen Cookies
- 23 lbs of Butter
- 6 Sheet Cakes
- 16 lbs of Coffee
- 2 Crates of Oranges
- 8 Bushels of Apples
On April 1, 1946 the canteen was closed. On April 2, one more train stopped by, and the volunteers gave them the only thing they had, the coffee they had brewed for themselves.
1940-1945
As Doris Dotson served in the North Platte Canteen, servicemen would give her patches with gratitude for the hospitality. She collected these and sewed them on this jacket over the years. Dotson started volunteering at the Canteen at the age of fourteen.
1941-1946
Five gallons of coffee seems like a lot, but with as many as 24 trains arriving every day, the North Platte Canteen kept several of these brewing day and night.
The Troop Train Greeters from the North Platte Canteen was one of the largest volunteer efforts of WWII.