North Platte, NEBRASKA - Union Pacific Railroad Canteen - 1945 - FREE WWII MAIL

Description

North Platte, NEBRASKA - Union Pacific Railroad Canteen - 1945 - FREE WWII MAIL:  The North Platte Canteen (also known as the Service Men's Canteen in the Union Pacific Railroad station at North Platte) was a railroad stop manned by local citizens of North Platte, Nebraska, United States, that operated from Christmas Day 1941 to April 1, 1946.  Located along the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad, its purpose was to provide refreshments and hospitality to soldiers who were traveling through the area on the way to war during their ten- to fifteen-minute stopovers. During its run, nearly 55,000 Nebraska women served almost seven million soldiers on their way to fight in WWII.  The history of the canteen can first be traced back to December 17, 1941. Just ten days after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, men of the 134th Infantry Regiment of the Nebraska National Guard were on their way from Camp Joseph T. Robinson, near Little Rock, Arkansas[3] to an unknown destination. Rumor had it that the train would arrive at 11:00, but by noon it hadn't shown up. After another false alarm, the train finally rolled in around 16:30. By this time, at least five hundred relatives and friends of local servicemen had shown up at the depot.  The crowd cheered, but the soldiers weren't members of the 134th. The crowd gave them the gifts and food that was originally meant for their own sons and wished them off. The reason that the train stopped in North Platte was because the town was a designated tender point for steam trains. Stopping the train allowed for the train crews to relubricate the wheels, top off the water levels in the tanks, and other tasks for the maintenance of the locomotive. This practice continued until the Union Pacific Railroad switched to diesel locomotives.  This Photochromatic postcard, mailed May 8, 1945, is in good condition.