Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen

One of the the best books I’ve read in years. I could picture my dad as an 18 year-old, 115-lb army private being on one of those troop trains to the west coast to fight in the Pacific Theatre, being one of the six million soldiers served a 10-minute feast by the generous folks of North Platte and its surrounding towns. Wow. Every day of the war from 5am to past midnight, around 36 trains a day. All volunteers. Heartwarming and well-researched.

Good book to read, and have my grandchildren read

Much as been written about World War II, but the war became particularly personal for the people of North Platte, Nebraska. Imagine this: You expect to greet and treat "your" soldiers traveling through town on a train; instead, it's a train filled with strangers serving our country. What do you do with the cake, coffee, sandwiches, and gifts? In North Platte, Nebraska, you serve the gifts to the strangers and treat members of the military like family! The stories are inspiring as they involve sacrifice and ingenuity. No chicken eggs for angel food cake? Experiment with turkey eggs until you get it right. Save your ration coupons so "the boys" can have coffee and sandwiches. Comfort those in the hospital car. Young girls often "hid" their names and addresses in the gifts, corresponded with the soldiers who found the slips of paper, and eventually celebrated their weddings in North Platte. I read this book when it was first published. I'm giving my daughter-in-law, the wife of a Marine pilot, a brand new copy for her birthday. This book is timeless and reminds us of the sacrifices made by civilians, as well as soldiers, in a time of war.

I heard about this town several years ago, I forget where. Then I heard about this book and decided I needed to read it. so I ordered it and read it. I did not rush through the book, but took my time reading to enjoy it. Here it is.On one hot midwestern July day, Journalist and Author, Bob Greene, rented a car and drove across Nebraska to find this little out of the way town. He checked into a motel, had meals at restaurants, walked around the town to get the feel of North Platte. His main reason was to meet and interview people who were volunteers at the canteen during World War II. Several thousand people volunteered, six million troops passed through. All were made welcome, made to feel special. These were young men, mostly in their late teens, now in their seventies and eighties. A few were young ladies. Mr. Greene wanted to talk to the town volunteers during that period., So many are now gone. Volunteers are in their sixties, seventies, eighties.The young men, going to war were for the most part, in their late teens. Many had never been so far from home. Mr. Greene went to different parts of the country to talk to these old men. Many had tears in their eyes when they talked of the goodness of these midwesterners, how these people made them feel at home. Many of the young men said that the ladies and girls reminded them of their mothers, sisters, cousins. Too many of these young military men would never go home again.North Platte, at one time, was the hub of passenger trains in that part of western Nebraska. During the Second World War, troop trains went through. Now there is only a railroad yard, biggest in the world, freight trains only. The station which contained the canteen has been torn down. Only a memory.All this began when a troop train filled with military, supposedly Nebraska troops, stopped at North Platte. However, these were Kansas troops. The canteen was filled with tables full of food. Then the canteen began to honor troops from all over the United States.Citizens from neighboring towns were recruited to help, churches volunteered their parishoners. So much was rationed, gas, food, so much of everything. Cars would drive to North Platte from as much as one hundred miles, filled with produce, sandwiches, baked goods in spite of rationing. One lady, making angel food cake, eggs were somewhat scarce, found an outlet, turkey eggs, larger, made more. When the troops arrived, they were met with baskets of sandwiches, fruit, candy, magazines were provided. Chicken, baked goods, cookies, cupcakes of all kinds, hot coffee, cold milk, soda were provided. There was a piano where whoever could play played dance music, inviting those who liked to dance could. Young girls made popcorn balls, young girls names and addresses were placed in the balls in case any of the young men wanted pen pals. Mr. Greene interviewed two sisters, now widows, who wrote to young soldiers. The young men had never met the sisters, but went to North Platte to meet who they were writing to. Marriage. The young troops told their buddies about the wonderful people. All looked forward to coming to North Platte and looked forward to returning. Counters and tables filled with food for the short time, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes these lonesome young boys were in town. Mothers and daughters came together. Mothers brought younger children. All were put to work. One young girl, now a much older woman watched the news about fighting overseas and worried about all the young men she had met. A wonderful time, but in a way very sad.This book was chosen by One Book, One Nebraska as the book of 2014.

A few years ago, I caught the show "On The Road with Charles Kuralt". It was a beautifully done travel show of Kuralt's travels, looking for the real America.I enjoyed many of his segments, but one has stayed with me for years.The story of the North Platte Canteen during World War II.I am a serviceman, having served in the Army during the early 1970s, and even though I wasn't even born when the War was going on, the story struck an emotional chord with me.My thanks to Mr Greene for preserving a piece of history that might have gone forgotten.The generosity and love those people showed all those boys going off to war will (and should) never be forgotten.

Bob Greeneは日本人にも人気のあるコラムニストであり、その内容にもその言葉遣いにも私は魅了され続けてきた。ただしこの作品はあまりお薦めできない。第二次世界大戦中にアメリカ人兵士を乗せた列車があるNorth Platteという駅で止まると、女性を中心にしたボランティアが、自分たちの食事を我慢してまで、戦争に向かう兵士に食事を与えたことがあった。その事実を、兵士やボランティアの女性へのインタビューをふんだんに取り入れながら描いた本である。そのような駅があったことは驚きである。またその駅がその後たどる跡を読めば時代の変化の様々な面が見えてくる。このあたりの様子をGreeneは彼の標準的な力で書いている。しかし、それ以上の感動や余韻が伝わってこないのだ。インタビュー内容を料理するGreeneの腕前に酔いしれるという瞬間があまりに少ないのだ。Greeneのファンであればすべて読むのは苦労はしない。ただし彼の作品をあまり読んだことのない人は途中で読むのをやめるかもしれない。Greeneにしては中途半端な本であると言わざるを得ない。次回作を期待しよう。

The story is compelling but the writing lacks sophistication. I would have liked it better if it had been a much shorter read.