[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 12, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1421-E1422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE MEMORIAL MONUMENT

                                 ______


                           HON. JERRY WELLER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 12, 1995
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, today we witness a very sentimental and 
historic moment in Streator, IL--the groundbreaking for the Memorial 
Monument honoring the hundreds of civilian volunteers of the Illinois 
Valley area who operated a free canteen at the railroad depot during 
World War II. During this time volunteers from Streator and surrounding 
areas provided sandwiches, coffee, fruit, and cookies--in spite of food 
and gas rationing--for more than 1.5 million men and women in uniform 
who came by train through Streator. In some cases, the volunteers 
honored requests by the soldiers to call their families to let them 
know they were OK.
  At the darkest hours of the war--when young soldiers were being sent 
to the front-line to fight--this community came to the aid of the 
soldiers. The canteen was one of the greatest morale builders for our 
soldiers, and the efforts of the volunteers deserve to be immortalized 
in this statue.
  Many letters have been written to the canteen memorial fund since an 
article ran in Reminisce magazine highlighting how important the 
canteen was to soldiers. In some cases, soldiers who remember Streator 
and the free canteen wrote to thank the volunteers for the food and the 
memories.
  One veteran from Florida wrote ``I have never forgotten that troop 
train ride as it was a very uncomfortable trip, but the short stop at 
the Streator Station made up for the discomfort . . .''
  And, another veteran wrote ``Your letter in the Jan/Feb 1995 issue of 
the Reminisce 

[[Page E 1422]]
magazine reminded me that I was one of those 1.5 million GI's that you 
treated so royally. It made a tremendous impression on me at the time 
and in later years I would think of Streator and wonder about the good 
people who made that stop so memorable . . .''
  It is truly amazing how people come together in times of need and the 
action taken by volunteers--area men and women--is what makes this 
country so great. Even the Boy and Girl Scouts contributed by 
collecting grease from kitchens to sell to the Government to make 
explosives. Everyone pitched in and contributed to the free canteen.
  Perhaps Mary Plimmer, an organizer and worker at the canteen said it 
best ``. . . In the beginning some doubted we could feed so many hungry 
servicemen, but those of us who believed in the canteen never once 
thought it would fail. We served the soldiers every day without fail 
between November 1943 and May 29, 1946, when the canteen finally 
closed.
  We shed some tears and had a few laughs on that closing day, but we 
were proud. The Streator Free Canteen was our contribution to our 
country--a contribution we were happy to make.''
  So, this memorial is truly an opportunity for all of us to honor the 
people who gave their time, money, and resources to make the canteen 
such a success. We thank everyone who gave a part of their lives to 
help the service men and women of this great country. Your actions and 
good will has not been forgotten.


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