Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful tale of dedication and human spirit
Review: This is an incredibly beautiful story about a small town in Nebraska who turned a train depot into a "canteen" for service men travelling by train across the US during World War II.Bob Greene intersperses tales from 60 years ago with a description of present-day life in North Platte. Once along a major passenger route of the Union Pacific railroad, the town in now just another exit off of the interstate. Passenger trains no longer travel through North Platte, but during the war, it was a different story. Although they weren't supposed to know the movement of troops, somehow the people of North Platte did find out when troop trains were due to arrive and from December 25, 1941 until April 1946 they met *every* troop train that stopped in North Platte. The train stopped only to take on water for the steam engine, so the soldiers had ten to twenty minutes. Women's groups from North Platte and other cities in Nebraska and even Colorado would meet the trains with baked goods, coffeee, magazines and a smile. Over 6 million soldiers passed through North Platte during the war years. Their brief time at the canteen remained a precious memory to them in times of battle and even years later, when thoughts of the canteen and the kindness they experienced there still brought tears to their eyes. The stories of the men and women touch a deep place in the heart. One is left to wonder if this spirit of America is as long gone as the building that once housed the canteen. A wonderful tale of dedication and human spirit. Keep a hanky handy.
Rating:
Summary: A Town Lost in Time?
Review: Bob Greene is a gifted writer who wrote a great book about a remarkable town that did extraordinary things in some of the most trying times in our nation's history. The miracle of the North Platte Canteen is a story about little-known wartime heroics, filled with many first-hand personal accounts and recollections from some of our diminishing remaining national treasures-our WWII veterans. This book should be read by all, especially those not old enough to have experienced WWII America. This book describes and explains Greene's love affair with the North Platte, Nebraska railroad canteen and the people whose lives were positively influenced by what happened there between Christmas Day, 1941 and April 1, 1946. The residents of that small town, and neighboring towns, took it upon themselves to provide food, love, and support to the millions of servicemen riding in the endless, cramped WWII troop transport trains that stopped briefly in North Platte. Greene captured the volunteer canteen workers' incredible spirit of selfless sacrifice, and the everlasting gratitude of the mostly drafted young men who briefly stopped at North Platte on their way to war. Although most stops lasted maybe ten minutes, their memories of their canteen experiences have lasted all their lives. As Greene noted, "He started to cry softly in mid-sentence. I would have attributed it to the stress of being about to go into surgery, except that it was happening regularly when I spoke with the men who had come through North Platte on the trains. The volunteers from the canteen, while emotional, usually remained composed. But the soldiers they had welcomed...as often as not, they would weep at some point during our conversations as they recalled the experience." The memory of any place that brings tears to the eyes of men who have seen and experienced combat is a very special memory of a very special place. The story of the North Platte Canteen is a story of a long ago and largely forgotten America when times were slower and people seemed more morally balanced and values-centered. However, according to a January 31, 2003 "Washington Times" article, the staff at a North Platte motel revived the canteen tradition by providing a friendly dinner "with a bit of hospitality for dessert" for over 500 North Dakota National Guard troops who stopped there after a long day on the road on their way to the Persian Gulf in preparation for war with Iraq. Read this book and learn all about this very special tradition.
Rating:
Summary: Uplifting
Review: This story ranks as one of my favorite reads of this year. It is the touching story of how the author, Bob Greene visited North Platte to research and discover the history, truth and story of the North Platte Canteen. The narrative is filled with his own questions, reflections and details of this journey and the people in whom lives he crossed. So it's sort of two stories, his own, and the story of the Canteen. The Canteen was an ongoing service effort during WWII. A towns' attempt to feed and deliver warmth and friendsip to the wartime troops traveling through North Platte, Nebraska during those war years. Since our family are regular volunteers for our communties' soup kitchen, (I'm in charge of the meal when it's our turn), the logistics of how they made this work, interested and humbled me. It makes my own efforts seem small. Bob Greene asks some tough to answer questions here- Could any town do this again? How are our communties different now? Are they better as far as reaching out to one another, or are we becoming indifferent? What are the consequences to that? Some of these questions might seem in the way if you're merely interested in the stories of the soldiers who passed through. Or the many volunteers who sacrificed food, labor, and time in wartime when all of those things were in short supply. It is important that we note that this town pulled this off WITHOUT goverment support. Amazing since we now live in a time when we EXPECT support or hassle stores about donations for civic and school projects. KUDOS to the town of North Platte and Mr Greene.
Rating:
Summary: A Gem: History + Heart
Review: Don't be mis-led by the brown-on-brown cover and the uninformative title. This book is a small gem -- a rare combination of heart-warming story and solid history. North Platte, Nebraska, is truly middle-of-nowhere. In the 1940's, however, thousands of people came through North Platte on cross-country trains. And during World War II, more than six million GI's came through North Platte on troop trains. And here's the miracle.During the war, this tiny town transformed its modest depot into a canteen for soldiers, sailors and airmen passing through on the trains. With no government aid (President Roosevelt sent five dollars), people from the town met every train with baskets of home-made food, farm produce, good coffee and milk. They were "on duty" 24/7, as we would say today.
Train movements were supposed to be secret, but after awhile the railroad staff would spread the word. GI's, mostly teenagers dazed by their new world, remembered North Platte for the rest of their lives. Of course, most of the servers were women, and that was a gentler time. One local group made popcorn balls, with tiny pieces of paper holding names of local girls who could write to the men. Many friendships and at least one marriage resulted.
North Platte was a small miracle. The town became a legend among servicemen overseas. And it was truly a miracle born of its own time. It couldn't happen now, one of the aging residents said. Nowadays everyone would stay home and watch the war on television.
World War II buffs, admirers of Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation, and nostalgia fans would welcome this book as a holiday gift.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Midwestern Character on Every Page
Review: Bob Greene captures the spirit of community and shared purpose endemic to the Midwestern United States. Mr. Greene is from Ohio and worked as a columnist at the Chicago Tribune. I too was raised in Michigan and Ohio, lived and worked in Chicago and travelled throughout the MidWest. I have lived in Boston for 20 years now and miss the sense of community of the Midwest captured in this book. (see also the book - "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam). Mr. Greene was fortunate to interview so many veterans of World War II. Many World War II veterans are passing away each day now and soon none will be around to interview. The nostalgia I felt while reading this book was not just nostalgia for a simpler time, for a World War cannot be a simpler time; but, for a time when sacrifice was shared among many and our communities watched over us. ajdjr73@earthlink.net
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful tale of dedication and human spirit
Review: This is an incredibly beautiful story about a small town in Nebraska who turned a train depot into a "canteen" for service men travelling by train across the US during World War II. Bob Greene intersperses tales from 60 years ago with a description of present-day life in North Platte. Once along a major passenger route of the Union Pacific railroad, the town in now just another exit off of the interstate. Passenger trains no longer travel through North Platte, but during the war, it was a different story. Although they weren't supposed to know the movement of troops, somehow the people of North Platte did find out when troop trains were due to arrive and from December 25, 1941 until April 1946 they met *every* troop train that stopped in North Platte. The train stopped only to take on water for the steam engine, so the soldiers had ten to twenty minutes. Women's groups from North Platte and other cities in Nebraska and even Colorado would meet the trains with baked goods, coffeee, magazines and a smile. Over 6 million soldiers passed through North Platte during the war years. Their brief time at the canteen remained a precious memory to them in times of battle and even years later, when thoughts of the canteen and the kindness they experienced there still brought tears to their eyes. The stories of the men and women touch a deep place in the heart. One is left to wonder if this spirit of America is as long gone as the building that once housed the canteen. A wonderful tale of dedication and human spirit. Keep a hanky handy.
Rating: 
Summary: Memories of Small Town America
Review: Having grown up in a small town, this book really hit home about how things have changed.... and not always for the better. The story of Noth Platte is remarkable simply based on the huge number of soldiers who passed through the Canteen when compared to the tiny size of the town's (and surrounding area's) population. Their generosity reflects the way things used to be - when we weren't so busy worrying about ourselves that we failed to see the needs of others. This is a great book that will bring back memories for many adults, and should be a required reading for teens when learning about the sacrifices made during WWII.
Rating:
Summary: Humanity at its best
Review: Mr. Greene did us all a great favor by tracking down this story and writing this book. There is no adequate way to thank the soldiers of WWII for what they did for us, but North Platte came the closest to an adequate thank you.
Mr. Green tells of the resourcefulness of the canteen volunteers in providing food--food not available at army camps, food only available at home--for 6 million soldiers who came through North Platte, Nebraska on the troop trains. Mr. Green interviewed the soldiers and the volunteers. It is such an inspiration and who knows what wonderful events this example of humanity at its best might inspire. Maybe this book should be required reading in our schools.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Tribute To The American Spirit
Review: I was familiar with the story of the North Platte Canteen through my father's own memories (he was one of the six million servicemen who stopped there) and a great feature Charles Kuralt did as part of his "On The Road" series. So I looked forward to this book with eagerness, and was not disappointed. Greene tells the story of the canteen, from the standpoint of both the volunteers who came from all over that part of Nebraska to make the mircale happen; and from the view of the surprised and grateful servicemen. It's a remarkable story that needed to be told, as Greene observed poignantly, before all the participants were gone. At another level, though, the book is a meditation on how the US in general, and small town America in particular, has changed in the decades since the canteen ceased operations. Greene doesn't hammer you with his opinions, but makes it clear that while some things have evolved for the better, we also seem to have lost something priceless. Can it ever be recaptured? I hope you'll read this book and contemplate that question.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT WERE YOU DOING 12/25/1941?
Review: If you wish to learn the tone of our country after WWII was declared this would be a good book to start with as you learn of preparation and training of war only through the passing of trains in a small town named North Platte, Nebraska. You learn of the love expressed by many toward the boys that had to go to war through a 10 minute or so visit in North Platte. Many a lump was formed in my throat because of nostalgia as I lived through those days. The change in our country from then to now is dramatic.
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