Identified WW II USO Canteens

As America mobilized, the United Service Organizations, USO, was formed in partial response to the need for providing Canteen services for the troops. This was 1940, preceding the United States entry into World War II. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt solicited six private organizations-the YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Service, the National Jewish Welfare Board, the Traveler’s Aid Association and the Salvation Army. Their task was to find some way to meet on-leave recreation needs for the members of the Armed Forces. They focused on the spiritual, religious, educational and welfare needs of men and women in the Armed Forces.

The six organizations formed a joint entity and the USO, was incorporated in February 4, 1941. One place they set up recreation and food facilities was in the railroad stations of larger towns. For troops on layover between trains, such locations were satisfactory. The first one was opened at Cleveland, Ohio, February 4, 1941 at the Terminal Tower. Facilities at the Terminal Tower were not ready for occupancy on that date so the USO opened in a bus station at the corner of 9th and Superior Avenues for a few weeks. This chapter of the USO was founded by Lucy Pierce and Harvey Firestone Jr.

The national USO organization was temporarily disbanded from 1947 to 1951. It has operated continuously ever since.

The USO (United Service Organization) sanctioned and operated a number of lounges in larger railroad stations and terminals during WW II. The list below covers many of those facilities and is courtesy of the USO unless highlighted in blue.

These canteens are separate from community oriented canteens and Red Cross canteens.

Alabama

Birmingham

Montgomery

California

Los Angeles

Oakland

Sacramento

Colorado

Denver - at Denver Union Station

Pueblo

Connecticut

New Haven

New London

Delaware

Wilmington - at PRR station, not listed on national USO list

Washington DC - at Washington Union Terminal

Florida

Jacksonville

Georgia

Atlanta

Savannah

Idaho

Pocatello

Illinois

Mattoon

Indiana

Fort Wayne - at PRR station, not listed on national USO list

Indianapolis - at Indianapolis Union Station, plus two other sites, not listed on national USO list

Richmond - at PRR station

Terre Haute - at joint PRR/NYC Union Station

Iowa

Council Bluffs - at C&NW station, not listed on national USO list

Oelwein - at CGW station, not listed on national USO list

Kansas

Dodge City

Newton

Kentucky

Louisville - at L & N station

Louisiana

New Orleans

Maine

Portland

Massachusetts

Buzzard Bays

Springfield

Worchester

Michigan

Battle Creek - not listed on national USO list

Detroit - at PRR station

Grand Rapids - at PRR station, not listed on national USO list

Minnesota

Minneapolis

Missouri

St. Louis

New Jersey

Newark - at PRR station

Trenton - at PRR station, not listed on national USO list

New York

Albany

Buffalo

New York City - at PRR Penn Station and Grand Central Station (?)

Schenectady

Troy

Utica

North Carolina

Asheville

Charlotte

Salisbury

Winston- Salem

Ohio

Cincinnati - at Cincinnati Union Terminal

Cleveland - at Terminal Tower FIRST ONE OPENED IN THE UNITED STATES February 4, 1941.

Columbus - at Columbus Union Depot

Dayton - at Dayton Union Station

Toledo - at Toledo Terminal Station

Oregon

Portland

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg - at PRR station

Philadelphia (2) - at Broad Street station and 30th Street station

Pittsburgh - next to PRR station

Scranton

Wilkes-Barre

York - at PRR station, not listed on national USO list

Tennessee

Chattanooga

Knoxville

Memphis

Texas

Dallas

Fort Worth

Houston

San Antonio

Slaton

Virginia

Petersburg

Portsmith

Richmond

Portsmouth

Roanoke - at N & W station

ANGELS AT THE STATION

Scott D. Trostel

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One of the most compelling books of humanitarianism ever!

Stories of many of the canteens and the

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