Streator Canteen Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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This cache was placed, at a location that honors the citizens of
the area for their generous selfless efforts to serve the troops
that passed through Streator during World War II.
World War II affected every part of the American society. Despite
the recent Great Depression, the public was very generous and gave
all they could to help the U.S. win the war. The massive war effort
moved thousands of troops across the country by train, for training
and deployment. Many of the troop trains came through the Streator
Santa Fe station. Local citizens organized the Trackside Streator
Free Canteen, one of hundreds of canteen across the country, to
provide fresh food and drinks free to the service people when their
train stopped in Streator. The canteen was open from Nov.26, 1943
to May 29, 1946 and served more than 1 ½ million service people in
less than three years, on the busiest day the canteen fed 5,500
troops. Word of the Streator Canteen spread quickly during the war,
even catching the attention of celebrities like Shirley Temple and
Claudette Colbert who visited the canteen. The founder of the
canteen was Mrs. Plimmer, along with two others. The sponsoring
organization was the Parent Service Club. Volunteers came from 47
communities in 9 counties around Streator. Thirty service
organizations supported the canteen. Troops were fed by volunteers
who boarded the train or serviced them on the platform, while the
train was be serviced. The canteen often served 1,000 troops a day.
Everything from sandwiches, donuts, cookies, coffee, milk and soup
to cigarettes chewing gum, magazines, papers and letter writing
supplies were given free to all service personnel. The canteen had
different meaning and memories for everyone, a young lady from
Pontiac hastily wrote her name and address on a sack lunch before
handing it to a young soldier. Later the young lady received a
letter from that soldier and they corresponded throughout the war,
and at the end of the war that soldier returned to Pontiac and
married that young lady. The monument was the idea of Helen
Knoedler-Sand who proposed it as a project for Streator’s Women’s
Club in 1993. Funding came primarily from the sale of memorial
bricks to hundreds of people from 26 states and a significant
monetary donation by Streator resident Bob Dieken. The dedication
of the monument was on Veterans Day Nov 11, 2006. As always be
respectful of the locations, and replace the cache as you found it.
For more information on the Canteens there is a book "Angels At The
Station", that is very informitive. You are looking for a micro
container with only a log sheet, so bring your own writing utensil.
Please be aware of muggles in the area, there are children who live
across the street, please disquise your search.
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CIGA Member
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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