The History of the Aberdeen Pheasant Canteen

by Aberdeen Area History, NSU

WWII

Aberdeen Milwaukee Railroad Depot

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States by bombing our ships at PEARL HARBOR, in Honolulu, Hawaii. This was the beginning of WWII with problems in Europe and the South Pacific.

At that time, we had a volunteer Army and Navy and the individual states had National Guard Units. These military units were immediately sent to war, and many men enlisted in the Armed Services. However, this was not enough, and the government called for a draft. Young men, ages 18-35, registered and as their names were drawn they became part of the United States Army. Much of 1942 was spent drafting these men, sending them to boot camps for training

and then shipping them overseas for war.

Because of conflicts in Europe and the South Pacific, the government needed to transport troops to either side of the country. At the time the most efficient mode of transportation was by train, so the military began using special troop trains on existing railway lines. Aberdeen, being a stopping point between Chicago and Seattle on the Milwaukee Railroad, saw a large number of troops coming through town, which led the community to try to find a way to help the war effort.

Starting the Canteen

By 1943, many troop trains were traveling through Aberdeen each day and the people decided they wanted to do something special for these troops. Mayor O.M. Tiffany called a meeting of the civic leaders and it was agreed a canteen at the Milwaukee Depot would be the best choice. The troops had little time to find food as they were never sure how long until the train would be departing.

The canteen would be sponsored by the Brown County Red Cross, with Harvey Jewett as Chairman, and the Brown County USO, with Frank Guhin as Chairman. The Red Cross and USO donated $1000 each to get the canteen into operation. The $2000 these two organizations donated in 1943 would be worth approximately $26,000 in 2013. Mrs. Max Stokes was the General Chairman of the volunteers and Mrs. Bessie Joyner and Miss Clara Flemington trained 15-20 women to work as supervisors for the canteen workers. The supervisors were trained in nutrition and managed as many as 15 volunteers each.

On August 19, 1943 the Aberdeen community opened the Red Cross/USO Canteen in the depot of the Milwaukee Railroad to provide free lunches and assistance to hundreds of troops traveling through Aberdeen on special trains. It was the only Red Cross/USO Canteen in South Dakota and the only one like it at the time in the United States.

Operations

The menu began with ground ham sandwiches, cake, cookies, donuts, fresh fruit, pie, milk, and coffee. An average of 500 troops arrived on 4 to 6 trains each day. Sometimes as many as 1,500 troops came on a single day and into the night.

In December of 1943 some farmers began bringing pheasants to the canteen workers and the pheasant sandwich became a significant part of the menu. When the troops passed the word along to friends and family about Aberdeen they referred to it as the

"Pheasant Canteen."

 

The generosity of the people was almost unbelievable. Most of the food was donated. Various groups organized fund raisers to support the canteen. Volunteers who prepared and served the food came from nearly 40 communities. Pheasant hunts were organized and the Milwaukee Railroad transported many donations to Aberdeen. At one time nearly 1,000 birds were in storage for the canteen workers. The cost to operate the canteen averaged $560 per month for the additional supplies which were not donated.

 

During the holidays there was a lighted Christmas tree and on December 24, 25, and 26 troops received a Christmas gift. At Easter colored eggs were prepared.

Pheasants for the Red Cross USO Canteen

Back in the early and middle 40's, the pheasants were so plentiful that we would have to slow down our tractors and machinery to keep from running over the pheasants. I recall many times going to the field and the pheasants would run ahead of the tractor by the hundreds.

So, as the Aberdeen Red Cross USO canteen became very popular for its pheasant sandwiches, by train after train load of service men and women coming through Aberdeen, the need for pheasants became more and more in 

demand.

Many pheasant hunts were organized by different churches and other groups. I recall one 2-day hunt that was organized by St. John's Lutheran church, rural Aberdeen. We had a good turnout of hunters (80 to 100). We organized and got safety instructions in the morning, and hunted all afternoon. The days were cool but the pheasants were plentiful. By the end of the second day hunt, we had over 900 birds to take to the K. D. Locker for processing and storage. During this time, limits were around 8 birds per day per hunter. We would have 4 trucks to haul the hunters and drop them off, one by one, along each square mile line. 

The hunters would walk to the center where the trucks would pick up the hunters for the next drive. Some of the hunters, that were really good shots, were really loaded down with pheasants when they got to the center. When the Red Cross ladies and other groups of ladies (who worked so hard) would need more pheasants, some groups would organize another pheasant hunt, so the pheasant sandwiches could continue to roll off of the assembly line, as more and more troop trains came through Aberdeen.

Closing the Canteen

Closing the Canteen

World War II ended on August 15th, 1945 when Japan surrendered. The canteen remained in operation until the very last train of service men and women left the station. 

The canteen was officially closed and the space was vacated on March 31, 1946. During those 30 months more than 586,000 servicemen and women were served delicious homemade lunches. Funds remaining in the canteen account were deposited in the Brown County Disaster Fund and remain there today.

I am sure Aberdeen, South Dakota, will long be remembered for its pheasant sandwiches during World War II.

In 1953, I was in the U.S. Army, stationed at the United States Military Academy, in West Point, New York. I had been selected to be on the Honor Guard Team. 

One week-end, another enlisted man and I were to guard a dignitary and escort him to the reviewing stand for a parade of the Cadets. We did not know who this important person would be, but he happened to be the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

Following the parade, we returned the President to the proper security. He turned and thanked the other guard first for doing what we did. Also he asked where the soldier was from. He then came over to me and repeated the Thanks and asked the same question as he had the other guard--" And where are you from, soldier?" I replied that I was from the Aberdeen, South Dakota, area. 

President Eisenhower said he remembered the town very well. When he had been a General in the Army, he was with the troop trains that stopped at the Milwaukee Depot, where they were served pheasant sandwiches. He said they were the best sandwiches he had ever eaten.

President Eisenhower also told me that when I got home and saw any of the ladies who had been involved in the pheasant sandwich meals, to be sure to say, "Thanks, from Ike". It has taken me till now in 2005, to get that Thank you done, but to you Canteen ladies, thank you very much for everything that you did.

Erv Siefkes