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North Platte Canteen
The North Platte Canteen has been called one of the most outstanding volunteer efforts in history. During World War II, Canteen volunteers provided food, cigarettes, magazines and a boost in morale to more than six million servicemen and women on their way to combat or on their way home from Dec. 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946.
Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, a rumor circulated in North Platteth at CompanyDof the Nebraska National Guard was scheduled to pass though the city on a troop train.
The commander of CompanyD was Denver Wilson. Wilson’s sister, 25-year-old pharmacy clerk Rae, joined about 500 other North Platte residents at the Union Pacific train depot with treats for the troops.
When the troops turned out to be from Kansas, Wilson was the first to present the gifts to them. Walking home from the station, Wilson learned from her mother that at the World War I canteen, local women had folded bandages. So Rae Wilson wrote a letter to the newspaper. After writing the letter, Wilson called nearly every merchant in town, asking for candy, magazines, tobacco, and lining up cake bakers.
At a meeting four days later, Wilson was named chairwoman, with an executive committee formed to create a permanent organization for the duration of the war.
Eight days later, on Christmas Day, when a troop train pulled into the station, the servicemen were greeted by a group of smiling woman and North Platte had a Canteen.
Wilson became ill in March 1942, and moved to California. Her replacement was Helen Martin Christ, who held the post for the duration of the Canteen. Wilson returned to North Platte for the closing of the Canteen. She died on Aug. 5, 1986, at age 70.
Every day anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers, sailors and marines visited the North Platte Canteen in the Union Pacific Depot. During a 10-minute stop, they were supplied with coffee, sandwiches and cigarettes, given a handful of current magazines and sent on their way, warmed not only by the hot coffee, but also by the smiles and friendly greetings of the busy canteen workers.
The North Platte Historical Museum, 2403 North Buffalo Bill Avenue, features a permanent Canteen display. Visitors to the museum can also purchase journalist Bob Greene’s book “Once Upon A town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen,” as well as copies of the Nebraska ETV Network documentary, “The Canteen Spirit.”
The Union Pacific Railroad Depot that was home to the canteen was torn down by the railroad in 1973. A plaque and small garden mark the spot where the Canteen once stood along Front Street.
In 2008, the 20th Century Veterans Memorial board announced that a sculpture honoring the Canteen would be added to the Memorial, along with the sculptures for each branch of the Armed Services.
The sculpture, called simply “The Canteen Lady,” will stand 5 feet, four inches, and feature a young woman carrying a basket filled with fruit, candy and tobacco on one arm, and, holding out an apple with the other.
In the years since the Canteen closed, hundreds of service men and woman have written letters about their experience at the North Platte Canteen. Many of those letters, along with historical photos are on display at The Canteen Grille, 2102 South Jeffers.
