# North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill honors the volunteers and donors who ran the North Platte Canteen during World War II by awarding them a Congressional Gold Medal. The canteen was a volunteer-run operation in North Platte, Nebraska, that served free food and hospitality to American troops traveling by train during the war from late 1941 through 1946. Over 55,000 volunteers—mostly women—from communities across Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas donated food and their time to welcome and feed approximately 6 million soldiers passing through the area.

The bill authorizes the U.S. Treasury Department to create a gold medal recognizing this collective effort. The main gold medal will be displayed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte, where people can see it and learn about this important piece of American history. The Treasury Department can also make bronze copies of the medal and sell them to the public at a price that covers the production costs, with any profits going back into the U.S. Mint's budget.

This is essentially a symbolic recognition rather than something that directly affects most Americans' daily lives. It's Congress's way of saying thank you to people who made sacrifices during wartime to support troops. The canteen operated entirely on donations and volunteer work without any government funding, and this medal acknowledges that remarkable community effort. The bill doesn't create new programs, change any laws, or require any spending beyond the cost of making the medals themselves.

North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act

Smith, Adrian

North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize the individuals and communities that provided financial and other support for the North Platte Canteen in North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II. The North Platte Canteen, a volunteer-run effort, provided entertainment to U.S. troops traveling across the country.