Photos, Letters and Stories from the WW II Canteens

"God Bless, and Save America"

Photos, Letters and Stories from the WW II Canteens

Canteen books can be found at the bottom of this page

The compelling nature of the humanitarian gestures at the canteens would not be complete without some idea of what these places looked like and how appreciative the troops were of those volunteers and their gestures.

(From the book: THE COLUMBUS AVENUE MIRACLE) Canteen at Bellefontaine, Ohio, on the New York Central Railroad. This little white hut was the hallmark of many trackside canteens during WW II Troops stepped off the trains and quickly filed through the buffet line picking up sandwiches, desserts, fruits, candy bars, cigarettes and drinks. They stood around on the platform relaxing while locomotives were changed on their train. This canteen was one of twelve in Ohio, and the one from which most others in Ohio were modeled. It was run by wives of New York Central Railroad men. -- Photo courtesy of the Logan County Historical Society Click here to learn more about this canteen

Food Served at Lima, Ohio Canteen for December 1943

12,000 cookies 4,200 eggs

280 qts. mayonnaise 248 qts. relish

245 lbs. meat 12 Turkeys

12 Chickens 3 Large Hams

1 Goose 4 Gallons Meat Spread

1 Gallon Chicken Spread 300 lbs. cheese

60 Bushels Apples 700 Quarts Milk

600 Rolls 300 Pies

1,300 loaves bread 200 lbs. coffee

200 Popcorn Balls 12 lbs Fudge

1,200 Pieces of Fruit Cake

(From the book: LIMA'S OPERATION KINDNESS) Canteen at Lima, Ohio. This canteen served trains of three railroads. Volunteers met every train with baskets and carts of food and drinks. Troop Trains were initially not to be served, but canteen volunteers wouldn't hear of not serving men on Troop Trains, so they passed food through coach windows -- Courtesy of the Allen County (Ohio) Historical Society Click here to learn more about this canteen

The Crestline Canteen served 1.2 million soldiers on the Pennsylvania Railroad. This photo in 1943, looks west, the canteen building on the right is at the end of South Crestline Street, the third site for the canteen. This building was paid for by the school children of Crestline who donated their pennies for its desperately needed construction. The larger building in the distant center is the Union Station, Railway YMCA and Pennsylvania Railroad Hotel, where the canteen started in August 1942. -- Author's collection Click here to learn more about this canteen

Dennison, Ohio Canteen manager Adjutant Elizabeth Brooks waves to a troop train as it heads east on the Pennsylvania Railroad in early 1946. -- Courtesy of Salvation Army Archives. Click here to see a brief history of the Dennison Servicemen's Canteen

A Special Note of Thanks

I call you dear folks, because you all treated me as my own family would. The food was swell, but you’ll never know the morale builder your friendship is. I live in Worcester, Mass., and had just come from burying my father, so I was pretty low and your little bit did make me feel as though the world was not all wrong.

Thanks a Million

Just a Soldier

(From the book: THE COLUMBUS AVENUE MIRACLE) The notes of soldiers who was served at Bellefontaine, Ohio

The voices of millions CLICK HERE to read many soldier letters to the canteens

(From the book: THE WEST STREET AMBASSADORS) The Junior Girls Canteen at Troy, Ohio in March 1945. In the rain and night, several girls and their mothers meet a train on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Snacks were offered from the cart sheltered by the patio umbrella. This is the only canteen in the United States operated by teenage girls. Before it was over, the girls fed over 600,000 troops. -- Cam-Tech Publishing Click here to learn more about this canteen

March 5, 1945

Somewhere in Germany

My Dear Young Ladies:

Late last Christmas Eve, a troop train rumbled across the U.S. en route from Texas to a P.O.E. The men were in their bunks but most of them were awake thinking of their loved ones and the Christmas Eves of years gone by. Being away that far from home on this particular night was pretty rough and the men’s spirits were naturally very low. On top of it all, they had been traveling across the nation that whole day and no one had so much as wished them a ‘Merry Christmas.’

Then an event happened that none of the men will ever forget. The train rolled into a town and baskets of neatly wrapped gifts were brought on board. The shout of "Merry Christmas" was heard in the still night. This event made all the men feel pretty good. They knew then that someone appreciated what they were doing.

You girls caused those men to fall asleep happy. For this we thank you with all our hearts. That welcome you gave us was a grand thing. Your gifts carried sentiment that was worth more than all the money in the world. Thanks again and may God bless all of you.

Gratefully yours,

Edward J. Krenek

Co. B 661 T. D. Bn.

(From the book: THE WEST STREET AMBASSADORS) This powerful letter was written to the Junior Girls Canteen at Troy, Ohio, after they stood out in near zero temperatures on Christmas Eve 1944, to hand out the treats and gift of a grateful region to total strangers in uniform. Five men wrote their letters of appreciation from the trenches at the Battle of the Bulge in early 1945. -- Cam-Tech Publishing

BELLEFONTAINE CANTEEN

Is everything ready? The train is in!

Here come the boys; look at them grin!

Hello there. Sailor! Hi there, Marine!

You're welcome to the Bellefontaine Canteen.

Right this way, Private, Lieutenant, too;

You girls Khaki, Green and Blue!

Help yourself to the sandwiches, cake and pie.

Our coffee urn is never dry.

Or if you'd rather, there's milk or "coke".

It's all donated by generous folk—

Whose prayers are with you constantly—

And anything you want is free.

Where are you from? What's that medal for?

You look too young to be in this war.

Send us a card. Or even better,

If you have time, write us a letter.

Here comes the conductor: "All ready, men?"

Good-bye! Good luck! Come back again!

Virginia Fortney

1945

(From the book: THE COLUMBUS AVENUE MIRACLE) A poem printed on the back of cards given to the troops who stopped by the Bellefontaine Canteen.

Identified WW II Community Based Canteens

Click on the name of any town in blue type for a link to their canteen information

FOR CITIES IN BLACK TYPE, CLICK HERE

Martinez California San Mateo, California Bridgeport, Conn. Streator, Illinois

Evansville, Indiana Elkhart, Indiana Terre Haute, Indiana Clinton, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa Oelwein, Iowa Arkansas City, Kansas Dodge City, Kansas

Neodesha, Kansas Newton, Kansas Bowling Green, Kentucky Springfield, Missouri

Helena, Montana Grand Island, Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska

McCook, Nebraska Norfolk, Nebraska North Platte, Nebraska Reno, Nevada

Rochester, New York Alliance, Ohio Athens, Ohio Bellefontaine, Ohio

Bucyrus, Ohio Crestline, Ohio Dennison, Ohio Galion, Ohio Lima, Ohio

Marion, Ohio Mansfield, Ohio Springfield, Ohio Troy, Ohio

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Connellsville, Pennsylvania Sayre, Pennsylvania

Aberdeen, South Dakota Corpus Christi, Texas El Paso, Texas Charleston, West Virginia

Parkersburg, West Virginia

ITEM MENU AT A.W.V.S. CANTEEN at LIMA, OHIO

Sandwiches

Roast Beef, Roast Pork, Baked Ham, Chicken, Turkey, Barbecue, Bologna (Ham) Salad, Meat Loaf, Egg Salad, Cheese, Chicken Salad, Goose, Rabbit

Fried Chicken

Cakes

Fruit Cake, Brownies, Doughnuts, Cookies, Peanut butter, Oatmeal, Molasses, Sugar, Gingerbread

PiesLemon, Apple, Cherry, Peach, Raisin, Strawberry, Pumpkin, Raspberry, Blackberry, Rhubarb, Pineapple

Hard boiled eggs

Popcorn balls

Candy bars

Fudge

Other candy

Drinks

Coffee, Milk; white & chocolate, Orange Drink, Orange juice, Tea, Hot Chocolate

Ice Cream

Fruits

Apples ,Oranges, Bananas, Grapes, Pears, Peaches, Cherries

Other Items

Cigarettes, Matches, Tobacco, Chewing gum, Magazines, Newspapers, Post cards, Writing paper, Pencils, Telephone calls, Telegraphs, Bus Fare, Train Fare, Taxi Fare

These books are a result of extensive research by Ohio author Scott D. Trostel. Included in his genre are four additional canteen manuscripts that will be released in 2007. Don't miss any of them!

You can purchase books on this page on line at the Add to Cart tab or by going to the Ordering tab above.

Next Stop- Dennison! Over 1,300,000 troops stopped at Dennison, Ohio canteen on the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were welcomed with bologna and cheese sandwiches, fruit, candy bars and drinks. It was a profound gesture supported by the citizens of over seven counties.

ISBN 978-0-925436-54-2 • 134 pages • 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 • Soft cover $14.95 Add To Cart

Angels at the Station Never before told is the story of 16 canteens in one of the most powerful home front stories to come out of WW II. This is a remarkable story of compassion and dedication by wives, mothers, sisters and entire regions in a profound gesture to meet the troops at several stations around the United States.

ISBN 978-0-925436-54-8 • 262 pages • 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 • Soft cover $28.95 Add To Cart