that place in Nebraska
During the 1940s, no one gave much thought to the small farming community of North Platte, Nebraska, other than its residents and those who happened to pass through it as train passengers on the Union Pacific Railroad.
Given North Platte’s location on the Union Pacific line, it was a good place for the steam locomotives of the day to make a brief maintenance stop so that mechanics could relubricate the trains’ driving wheels and refill their water tanks.
The work at the North Platte station only took ten minutes, but it enabled train passengers to get out and stretch their legs; and most did.
During World War II, most of those passengers were young soldiers heading to the West Coast.
Six million of them would pass through North Platte.
Within two weeks of Pearl Harbor, the people of North Platte organized a soldiers’ canteen to welcome these troops at the train station and offer them small tokens of appreciation.
The effort was led by twenty-six-year-old Rae Wilson.
Here is her letter to the editor of the local newspaper, describing the first troop train visit:
“Smiles, tears and laughter followed.
“Appreciation showed on over 300 faces.
“An officer told me it was the first time anyone had met their train and that North Platte had helped the boys keep up their spirits.”
Rae reminded the editor that, during World War I, soldiers’ mothers had set up a canteen at the train station to welcome transiting troops.
And she encouraged the townspeople of North Platte to do the same for the current generation of warfighters.
“We can do our part,” she said. “We can help this way when we can’t help any other way.”
Over the course of the war, twelve thousand volunteers from 125 neighboring Nebraska communities supported the North Platte canteen.
Nebraskans raised funds, made sandwiches and cake, purchased cigarettes, candy bars and magazines, and greeted the troops waylaid at the station from five o’clock in the morning until eleven o’clock at night.
A hot cup of coffee and a piece of home-made cake may not seem like much, but when you’re a young soldier who just left home, and are setting out to fight the Japanese, it can mean everything.
Especially if it is served by someone who smiles at you, even though she doesn’t know you.
She knows where you are headed, and she is pulling for you.
Years later, a war veteran still remembered:
“In 1945, I was a scared kid of 18 on my way to the west coast and Japan.
“At that time, I was living in New York and was on that troop train for 3 days.
“It was hardly what I would call luxurious travel…
“But that stop in North Platte was one of the warmest, friendliest and most rewarding half hours in my life.”
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I’ll see you tomorrow.
— Brenda
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