Daily Bulletin | Nov. 20, 1945 Fifty-two men and women from Sidney and [the] Sidney community served yesterday at the Canteen for the first time. The group has been cash supporters of the Canteen for some time but had never before acquired a serving day. Daily Bulletin | Nov. 21, 1945 The Swanson Sales Commission company of Chappell held a sale recently for the benefit of the North Platte Canteen, which netted over $600. Everything from merchandise from local stores to sheep, hogs and puppies were donated and sold at auction. The money was turned over to the Chappell victory Canteen fund. No matter when the Canteen closed, its lead- ers and communities knew its approaching fifth Christmas was bound to be its last. Daily Bulletin | Nov. 21, 1945 Officers of the North Platte Canteen announced yesterday that the annual Christmas party for men and women stopping at the Canteen Christmas Day will be held again this year. Since this will probably be the last Christmas party held by the Canteen for the boys, the officers urge residents of North Platte and the surrounding community to donate presents to make this a real Christmas for the men and women who will be unable to be home. It is suggested that gifts from 25¢ to 50¢ value
be gift-wrapped and brought to the Canteen. Suggested gifts are cigarettes, shaving cream, ra- zors, candy and gum and anything which would be of use to a service man or woman. Semipro and high school sports teams had regularly held Canteen benefit games during the war. The last drew 2,000 fans to North Platte High School for a Thanksgiving Day 1945 playoff game between six-man powers Sutherland (8-1) and Stapleton (8-0). Half the $1,000 gate went to the Canteen. Telegraph | Nov. 24, 1945 Those who settled into their seats just a half- minute too late at Thursday’s six-man playoff game in the North Platte High School stadium missed half the scoring, and the few who left the game with but a minute remaining and the Stapleton Bronchos holding a 6-0 margin over Coach Paul Maxwell’s touted Sutherland Sailors, missed the other half, for the Bronchos from the north scored in the first 28 seconds and again with but 40 sec- onds left to play to cop the game and the Western Nebraska mythical six-man title, 12-0. Telegraph | Nov. 27, 1945 Mayor S.P. McFarland today received the follow- ing letter of appreciation to Canteen supporters of this and surrounding communities who continue to operate the Canteen for the men returning from the wars: …
Dear Sir: … Though I have long known of North Platte’s friendly and generous manner of greet- ing service men who pass through the city on troop trains, the value of your Canteen has been called to my attention specifically by a formal report of nine officers of my command who are at present serving as Troop Train Commanders. From their experience on travels that take them to every corner of the nation, they single out North Platte, and North Platte alone, for commendation. I doubt if any praise from an outside source could equal in importance the inner satisfaction that your citizens must feel over a job well done. But I am proud to add my word of admiration and of gratitude in behalf of the thousands upon thousands of servicemen who will always carry a friendly spot in their memories for North Platte, Nebr. Very sincerely, Homer M. Groniger, Maj. General, USA, commanding. Telegraph | Dec. 5, 1945 Mrs. Adam [Helen] Christ, on behalf of the Canteen committee, announced today that rumors that the Canteen will close January 1 are unfound- ed and untrue. The Canteen committee has been making efforts to continue operation of the Canteen until June, 1946, when most of the men who have been over- seas for a length of time are expected to be returned.
112 CANTEEN: AS IT HAPPENED
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