The Patriotism of North Platte, Nebraska: From WWII to Vietnam

A brief stop in North Platte, Nebraska, today has me reflecting on two stories of patriotism – the North Platte Canteen of World War II; and Lance Corporal Dwight David Eisenhour, a local boy who was killed in Vietnam at age 20 on July 4, 1967.

My wife and I are driving from Salt Lake City back to our home in Michigan. Today we detoured through North Platte to see the site of the North Platte Canteen, where local people greeted and fed six million soldiers as they passed through town on troop trains during World War II. We have both read the book Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen by Bob Greene, and highly recommend it. The train depot is gone, but there’s a marker at the site of the canteen. There’s also a museum a few miles away, but it was closed at the time of our visit.

Lance Corporal Eisenhour is one of the men profiled in my book, Died on the Fourth of July. He grew up in North Platte and, despite the slight difference in spelling, was named for the World War II hero and future president, Dwight David Eisenhower. Dwight’s father served under Ike in Europe and named his son for the famous general. When Dwight was born in 1946, Ike sent the baby a signed photograph of himself, and 20 years later sent a letter of condolence when Dwight was killed in Vietnam.

As I stood at the Canteen site I wondered if perhaps young Dwight ever rode by the old depot on his bike with friends when he was growing up in North Platte. (I know from experience that train yards hold a special attraction for young boys.)

Leaving North Platte, we headed east on old U.S. Highway 30, the Lincoln Highway, to take a break from the 75-mph race on I-80. About 10 miles out of town we passed a sign pointing south to the Ft. McPherson National Cemetery. Twelve men from North Platte or Lincoln County died in Vietnam. Seven of them, including Dwight, are buried at Ft. McPherson. Four others are at cemeteries in North Platte, and one is at Arlington.

North Platte did its share in World War II, and again during Vietnam.