08/13/2024
(Read to the end of this post to see how BELLVILLE may connect to this article). This World War II canteen stood in Crestline Ohio and served transiting servicemen.
The community-based canteen movement—of free trackside food service to transiting military—got its start in the Midwest early in 1942, as towns across the U.S. railroad map responded in supporting the troops with free coffee. Crestline recognized it had a prime opportunity to be of service because it is an intersection of major railroad lines: there would be troops passing through the village every day of the year on passenger trains, troop trains, and hospital trains.
The organizing committee in Crestline had the idea that all the churches in town could divide up hours of duty, and be on hand to serve 200 troops a day.
They couldn’t imagine at that point, in August 1942, that they would see 800 to 2500 troops on a regular day, and up to 5000 troops on a hectic day. In the first year of operation, they had 116,000 troops at their window.
It is rumored that this canteen was moved to Bellville after World War II. If this is true, does anyone know of its existence here in Bellville?
