North Platte's Red Cross Canteen, circa 1918
Group portrait of North Platte's Red Cross Canteen, circa 1918, during “the war to end all wars.”
North Platte’s World War II canteen was the second time in the 20th century in which the city’s women rallied to provide aid and comfort to those servicemen traveling by train across Nebraska. For 14 months during World War I, an American Red Cross-affiliated canteen operated in the Union Pacific freight house here. The ARC canteen served about 113,190 men between July 13, 1918, and September 1, 1919. Like their successors, the ARC workers provided sandwiches, beverages and conversation. Some of the “Sammy Girls,” as they were called, would later also serve in the 1940s canteen.The second North Platte Canteen, despite its widespread recognition, was not the only such servicemen's center in Nebraska or the country at the time. Other small canteens operated in conjunction with service organizations such as the USO, or like North Platte, through the sole efforts of volunteers. In Nebraska, other canteens were operated in railroad centers such as Omaha, Norfolk and McCook — places where the troop trains paused momentarily. However, these endeavors were to be overshadowed by the dramatic outpouring of patriotism that occurred at North Platte.
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