Telegraph | Dec. 29, 1945 The answer to the question of whether the North Platte Canteen should continue operating can be answered best by the servicemen themselves — and the answers already are beginning to pour in through the medium of telegrams and letters. Mayor [S.P.] McFarland received the follow- ing wire this morning: “Thanks for saving a dull Christmas away from home. Gifts, food and loyal spirit fix your town in our hearts. Happy New Year to all. Signed: 400 Pacificians.”
Daily Bulletin | Dec. 29, 1945 “We extend our thanks and appreciation to everyone who donated gifts to the Canteen to be distributed on Christmas,” the [Canteen] of- ficers said yesterday. “To show what those gifts meant, here is one of the letters we have already received from some of the boys”: … “About 98 per cent of us are married and have at least one offspring, while one has five. Most of us have 3. “Steaming along thru Christmas Eve, we all inwardly were hoping our families were having a swell evening and that Santa was generous to our children. We went to bed feeling slightly blue and lonely, not being with them. “Some of us have gone for a couple of months waiting for our pay to catch up to us and even cigarettes were scarce, but at the stop in North Platte, someone called out — free coffee, sand- wiches, etc. He might just as well of hollered ‘fire.’ “Everyone dressed and dashed toward the merry Christmas lights and colors … to have a cup of coffee in a western town with friendly western people — to actually receive a Christmas gift from under a Christmas tree, with even the aroma that only a true Christmas tree can produce — all blended together to make us feel right at home. “And on this Christmas Day, we are still enjoying sandwiches, nuts, candy, popcorn and cigarettes. As we go farther and farther away our Continued on page 116
remembered to buy and wrap a Christmas present for each of them who had so hoped to be home for Christmas — will make them know that, Santa Claus or no Santa Claus, the spirit of Christmas lives in the hearts of Nebraskans. Daily Bulletin | Dec. 25, 1945 Christmas gifts, candy and popcorn balls came into the Canteen in increasing numbers yesterday afternoon. Groups of workers gathered around the piano to sing Christmas carols in between trains. “Prowler,” Daily Bulletin | Dec. 28, 1945 Christmas was held over at [the] North Platte Canteen, and a great many presents were handed out yesterday. Last-minute responses for gifts had accounted for a larger supply than was expected, and the holiday was featured by light traffic when only an estimated 3,000 members of the armed forces passed thru the city. Recent days have seen as many as 8,000 visitors.
Once more, the Canteen’s regular donor of holiday-dinner turkeys came through at Christmas.
Telegraph | Dec. 29, 1945 Father Patrick McDaid, of St. Patrick’s Catholic church, sent nine turkeys and $10 worth of candy to the North Platte Canteen on Christmas Day, it was reported today.
Bob Getty’s next Canteen ode appeared on Dec. 27, 1945. The North Platte Telegraph
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