Telegraph | Aug. 16, 1946 The Canteen Workers’ Reunion held here Wednesday on the first anniversary of V-J Day proved to be the largest and most colorful celebra- tion ever held in the city of North Platte. The two-mile-long parade, in particular, was the most outstanding ever witnessed here. Many floats evidenced long hours of hard work in the mak- ing and were rewarded by the admiring applause of some 25,000 people who lined the downtown route to see it. … The day’s activities opened at 10:30 a.m. when the Gothenburg American Legion Junior baseball team trounced the North Platte Legion Juniors in Cody Park. Attorney [and future Gov.] Bob Crosby was in charge of the luncheon held at 11:30 a.m. in the [Hotel] Pawnee for visiting dignitaries and mem- bers of the North Platte Canteen Board. When the Army Air Forces say 1:00 p.m., that’s exactly what they mean. On the dot, six B-29s flew over the city for the first time and then repeated their performance several times. Dr. T.J. Kerr, who led the parade on a prancing white steed, also is a stickler for promptness and the parade started as scheduled, promptly at 1:30 p.m. Bob Crosby, acting as master of ceremonies at the speaking program in Cody Park, intro- duced Canteen originator Rae Wilson, … Mrs. Adam [Helen] Christ, staunchest youthful sup- porter Gene Slattery, and board members Mrs. T.J. [Edna] Neid, Mrs. Amiel [Grace] Traub, Mrs.
board of directors, was used for the purchase of [a piano, phonograph, radio and movie] equipment for the veterans hospital at Lincoln. … The following from H.A. Scott, Manager, tells the story in its own words: …“We haven’t been to the North Platte Canteen, but they have come to us. We echo with thousands of others, ‘Boy, are they swell folks.’” As promised, North Platte staged the biggest parade in its history — bigger than Gen. Miltonberger’s — for its home-front heroes.
Julius [Florence] Forstedt, D.J. Fredrick and well- loved adviser Ira L. Bare. … As personal representative of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz [Pacific Theater naval commander], Rear Admiral Fredrick L. Conklin extended the appreciation of the U.S. Navy Department for the moral, physical and other support given the mili- tary by the North Platte Canteen and commended the efforts of the people who helped. The Lexington Plum Creekers presented their horse drill at Cody Park to round after round of applause from the thousands of people who formed a huge circle to watch the proceedings. … The Lexington-North Platte Vets [VFW] baseball game in Jeffers [park] drew the largest crowd seen in that park this year. … The Ft. Riley Band Concert drew a large crowd, and the band proved its versatility by playing a variety of military marches and popular pieces. The climaxing fireworks display brought oohs and aahs from the thousands of persons on hand. The Kiddies in particular were thrilled with the soaring rockets of vari-colored lights. Daily Bulletin | Aug. 15, 1946 Delegates came from more of 100 of the 125 com- munities which served at the Canteen during the war years. Hundreds of them participated in the parade. … Led by a mounted color guard, the parade lasted approximately an hour past any given point.
The North Platte Telegraph
130 CANTEEN: AS IT HAPPENED
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