March 15 Meeting at Alice's

THE GTG Book club selection for March 2018 was ONCE UPON A TOWN by Bob Greene, a short non-fiction selection told by the people of North Platte, NE about their having a "whistle stop" on the east-west train line during WWII for troop trains.

I learned about the North Platte Canteen appropriately last Veteran's Day at the South Jefferson Library in Summit Point where a celebration took place to re-create the NP Canteen with invited guests and the community.  It was very lively with music of the era, food, and lots of photos -- which I borrowed to hang up at my house for book club night.

The style of writing in OUAT was repetitive and dragged in places (lots of the same story but it was the local people remembering and telling it) Bob Greene is a newspaper columnist so it was very much along that model - who, what , when, where, why. and how.  And we all liked a good story about FOOD! :)

Never the less, a heartening story!  Dedicated they were in many central Nebraska towns and villages to make it happen for every single train (so impressive with rationing and food shortages) It gave the community such a morale boost. Double that for the troops.

I came to realize after reading the book and talking to my mom, that my dad went through North Platte during the war on his way from California to Paris Island, North Carolina for Marine Corp boot camp.

We enjoyed fried chicken, salad, fresh veggies, angle food cake and many desserts == thanks everyone for coming over.  VICTORY!   ALL ABOARD!!

Alice