Not all Hero's are soldiers

Not all hero's are soldiers. some are police officers, some are firemen, some risk their lives to help others in need. And some are heroic by the simple act of giving someone a sandwich and a cup of coffee.

During world war two American servicemen by the thousands boarded buses and trains and made their way to various bases across the country to report for training, learning the art of War.  For many this was their first time away from home, away from friends and family and everything they knew and loved. And yet it was for the sake of those loved ones that they went.

It must have been both exciting and disorienting to be thrust into places and situations they had never thought about prior to leaving, along with the underlying concern that for some of them they would never be coming back.  But at various stops along the way they surely must have found a smile coming to their lips as they discovered hordes of ordinary citizens, housewives, mothers, daughter, sisters, all coming to together to bring just a small touch of Home to them as they sped on to an uncertain future.

On a recent outing Lil' Nick and I found a memorial to one such place in Streator, IL.  The Railroad Canteen was organized by the USO and distributed sandwiches, pies, cookies, and other treats to servicemen heading off to war, boosting their morale and reminding them that while They might fight ALL would serve. Standing behind them and giving them unwavering support for the struggle that lay ahead. It's a quiet spot on the line that pays homage to the women that wanted to bring a smile to a soldiers lips and remind them, just for a moment, of Home.