Why this Book: I had read an OpEd by Bob Greene that I liked, and in the postscript about the author, it mentioned this book which sounded interesting, The subject appealed to me, and it appeared to be short, so I put it in my Audible library and listened to it.

Summary in 3 Sentences: In the late 1990s/early 2000s (the book was published in 2003) Bob Greene decided to visit North Platte Nebraska, to look into what he’d heard about the North Platte Canteen during WW2, which served troop trains stopping there for 10-20 minutes carrying troops to their units to fight in Europe or the Pacific. Greene writes what he learned from his research in the town’s archives, but mostly through his interviews with those (mostly women) who volunteered at the North Platte Canteen supporting the troops and interviews with men who had experienced their hospitality when the troop trains stopped briefly in North Platte. He also shares his experience and impressions of what has become of North Platte in the second half of the 20th century after the war, as our country has changed and the phenomenon of the North Platte Canteen has faded into history, as the town changed with the times and the rest of America.

My Impressions: Loved this book! I listened to it and thoroughly enjoyed the voice and inflection of the reader Fritz Weaver – which added to the emotional impact of the book. The book is only 6 hours long in its audible rendering, but the audible version has the disadvantage of not having pictures – and I assume the print version includes a lot of photos to help bring the story to life.

Early in the war, a number of citizens of North Platte assembled at the train depot to meet and give gifts to soldiers from their community who were to be stopping briefly at the depot on their way to their initial duty stations. But when the train stopped, they’ gotten incorrect information, and the train they greeted wasn’t the train with their young men on it. But they decided to give the food, gifts, and appreciation to the fellows who did happen to be on that train, and wished them well and good luck. And the citizens of North Platte were amazed at how much these men appreciated their gifts and support.

A young woman who had been part of that North Platte group was so moved by how those men reacted and the reception the group had gotten from the soldiers on that train, that she volunteered to organize a regular greeting party for ALL the trains coming through. She proposed that the people of North Platte and the surrounding communities organize to greet the trains to offer a little affection and support to the troops, and provide them with amenities that were not available on the train, like home cooked food, cigarettes, candy, magazines, desserts and other simple pleasures from home – to show the boys that what they were doing was appreciated. The town and other nearby towns and communities responded enthusiastically to the request..

A committe was formed in North Platte, which created a “watch bill” and an organization was set up. The different towns, clubs and civic organizations signed up and were present to greet each train, express appreciation to the soldiers and sailors and provide food and othr the amenities to the trooops on every train that came through – for over four years of WW2! It was estimated that during that window, in the vicinity of 6 million American servicemen were greeted and given home prepared food and other amenities, and received love and appreciation from volunteers working at the North Platte Canteen.

In doing his research Greene was able to find dozens and dozens of first hand accounts of the North Platte Canteen experience. He spoke to the women who so long ago had greeted and served the soldiers on the trains, but he also spoke to many soldiers and sailors themselves, expressing many decades later how important that experience had been for them. In the process of giving their interviews, they also shared their lives, where and with whom they’d served during the war, and how they had lived their lives since. Those interviewed were mostly in their 70s and 80s, with a few in their 60s and 90s, and their stories provide a picture of how different America was in the middle of the 20th century than it is now.

He noted that while the women were fairly matter of fact in describing what they had done and their experiences at the Canteen, a large percentage of the men got emotional and teared up during their interviews. Their stories moved me as well, and indeed I choked up several times, as I listened to the book on my walks through my neighborhood in Prescott, Arizona.

The nostalgia for simple and patriotic community values of middle America in that era is palpable – we feel it in the memories shared in those interviews, as well as in the author’s reactions to those interviews. He (and we) are amazed at how much sacrifice and effort the communities around North Platte made to support the troops, in what seemed like the small gesture of providing them a few amenities and a sense of home, hospitality, love, and appreciation for what they were doing for their country. They got no public funding or federal support for their efforts – they used their own ration stamps and resources to provide the food and amenities they gave to the soldiers and sailors, in addition to receiving generous donations in food and cash from individuals and private companies alike. They had a love for and faith in America, the government and what it was asking of its citizens that seems quaint and almost naive today. And they loved and respected the boys who were being sent off to fight. The story of the North Platte Canteen reflects a version of patriotism and love of country that so many of us miss today.

The book concludes with Greene describing how North Platte reacted to the news that Japan had surrendered in August 1945. In his interviews, he heard about the sense of relief, and the joyful celebrations that followed the announcement of the end of the war, and about the dances and other events to commemorate the victory. And of course, the relief and joy among the troops who were still coming through. The Canteen coordinating committee realized however, that their work was not done, and they continued for 8 more months after VJ day, serving the troops on the trains bringing them home, until that number grew fewer and fewer. The last troops were served at the North Platte Canteen on the evening of 1 April 1946.

Sadly, in the 1970s, the Union Pacific tore down the depot building that had housed the North Platte Canteen when passenger trains no longer served North Platte.

If you’re looking for a feel-good book about the heart of America and what hopefully remains good about our country amidst today’s heightened polarization, anger and acrimony, this is it. I only regret that I didn’t get to read this with my parents, both of whom grew up in Nebraska during that time frame – my father may even have experienced the hospitality of the North Platte Canteen as he went to war in 1943. My mother grew up in that same era in Falls City, Nebraska, a small farm town much like North Platte, but on the eastern side of the state. She would have loved and been able to personally relate to so much in this book that describes the culture and ethos of that small farming community, so much like the one she grew up in. I wish I’d been able to share the joy this book brought me with her.