H.R. 1502: North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act
Sponsor
Adrian Smith
Republican · NE-3
55,000 wartime volunteers deserve national recognition
Why it matters
About 6,000,000 troops passed through North Platte and were met with food, coffee, and encouragement. H.R. 1502 would give one of Congress’s highest honors to the 55,000 volunteers and donors from 125 communities who made that happen.
H.R. 1502 would award a Congressional Gold Medal to the volunteers and communities behind the North Platte Canteen, a home-front effort the bill’s findings say served about 6,000,000 U.S. troops.
The bill’s findings describe a huge volunteer operation that ran from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946. According to the bill, 55,000 people from 125 communities in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas donated food or worked at the canteen, and most of them were women.
The numbers are what make the story stick. The bill says volunteers handled as many as 24 troop trains a day and, in a single month, served more than 40,000 homemade cookies, 30,000 hard-boiled eggs, and 600 birthday cakes.
This is mostly a recognition bill, not a spending bill. The medal would be presented on behalf of Congress, designed and struck by the Treasury, and then placed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte so the public can view it and researchers can use it.
The bill also lets the Mint sell bronze duplicates, but only at prices that cover production costs. That means the honor becomes a permanent public artifact in North Platte, while any duplicate sales are set up to pay their own way.
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 21, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
H.R. 1502 Bill Summary
What H.R. 1502 actually does.
Congress honors the North Platte Canteen
H.R. 1502 awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the individuals and communities who volunteered or donated items to the North Platte Canteen during World War II.
Recognition covers a massive troop-support effort
The bill’s findings say the canteen served about 6,000,000 U.S. troops traveling through North Platte between December 25, 1941, and April 1, 1946.
55,000 volunteers across 125 communities are included
According to the bill’s findings, 55,000 people from communities in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas helped run or supply the canteen over roughly five years.
The original medal stays on public display in Nebraska
After presentation, the gold medal would go to the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte, where it would be available for display and research.
Collectors could buy bronze duplicates
The Treasury could strike and sell duplicate bronze medals, but the price has to cover labor, materials, machinery, dies, and overhead.
Mint costs are handled through an existing fund
The bill allows medal costs to be paid from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, and any duplicate-medal sales would be deposited back into that fund.
Who benefits from H.R. 1502?
The 55,000 volunteers and donors the bill identifies
Their wartime work gets formal national recognition through a Congressional Gold Medal, including the mostly female volunteer force described in the bill’s findings.
Families and descendants of North Platte Canteen workers
If your relatives baked, donated, organized, or served at the canteen, this bill creates a lasting federal honor tied to that service.
North Platte and the surrounding communities that kept it running
The bill recognizes support that came from 125 communities across Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas, not just one train station in one town.
Museum visitors, students, and historians
The original medal would be housed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum, giving the public a permanent place to learn from the story.
Who is affected by H.R. 1502?
The United States Mint
The Mint would have to produce the medal, manage any bronze duplicates, and make sure duplicate sales cover production costs.
The Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary would determine the medal’s design and oversee its striking.
House and Senate leadership
The Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate would arrange the formal presentation on behalf of Congress.
Lincoln County Historical Museum
The museum would receive, preserve, and display the original medal as a public historical object.
HR1502 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 21, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
About the Sponsor
Adrian Smith
Republican, Nebraska's 3rd congressional district · 19 years in Congress
Committees: Joint Committee on Taxation, Ways and Means
View full profile →
Cosponsors (258)
This bill has 258 cosponsors: 74 Democrats, 183 Republicans, 1 Independent, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 44 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, and 41 more.
Don Bacon
Republican · NE
Mike Flood
Republican · NE
Seth Moulton
Democrat · MA
Marc Veasey
Democrat · TX
Tracey Mann
Republican · KS
John Moolenaar
Republican · MI
Derek Schmidt
Republican · KS
Kristen McDonald Rivet
Democrat · MI
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Republican · IA
Nikki Budzinski
Democrat · IL
Jason Smith
Republican · MO
Terri Sewell
Democrat · AL
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Financial Services Committee
30 of 53 committee members cosponsored
5 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 1502 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Financial Services
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Introduced
- Feb 21, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Feb 21, 2025
Official Sources
Official congressional bill page for the North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act, including text, sponsors, and status.
Official U.S. Code chapter referenced by the bill for the status of medals as national medals.
Official statute cited in the bill alongside section 5134 for how medals are treated under federal numismatic law.
Official National Archives portal for World War II military records and historical research relevant to the troops served by the canteen.
H.R. 1502 Common Questions
What does H.R. 1502 actually do?
It awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the people and communities who volunteered or donated to the North Platte Canteen during World War II.
How many troops did the North Platte Canteen serve?
The bill’s findings say the canteen served about 6,000,000 U.S. troops traveling through North Platte from late 1941 to 1946.
How many volunteers were involved?
According to the bill’s findings, 55,000 people from 125 communities in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas volunteered or donated food and supplies.
Why is the North Platte Canteen such a big deal?
The bill describes it as one of the largest volunteer efforts of World War II, handling as many as 24 troop trains a day without federal assistance.
Where would the original medal go?
The original medal would be placed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte, Nebraska, for display and research.
Would taxpayers fund the medal?
The bill names no fixed appropriation. Minting costs could come from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, and duplicate-medal sales would go back into that fund.
Could people buy a copy of the medal?
Yes. The Treasury could strike duplicate bronze medals and sell them at prices that cover production costs.
What kind of food did volunteers serve?
The bill’s findings cite more than 40,000 homemade cookies, 30,000 eggs, 6,500 doughnuts, 4,000 loaves of bread, and 600 birthday cakes in one month.
Based on H.R. 1502 bill text
H.R. 1502 Bill Text
“To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the individuals and communities who volunteered or donated items to the North Platte Canteen in North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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