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Pics from 1074th Homecoming! Courtesy of Chuck Salestrom Mid-Plains Community College

The 1074th is home from Iraq

It was summer 2006 and the 1074th National Transportation Unit from North Platte and the surrounding region got the call to deploy.  Iraq was their destination.  (See photos and news story). 

In a time of war, that call is scary for any and all who are affiliated with someone in the service of our country's military, and even for some who aren't.  The 1074th departed for Iraq for what they knew would be a long journey. 

Late last week that journey came to a close.  The 1074th came home.   It was a joyous homecoming for everyone there.  Crowds waited endless minutes for the bus to arrive and families were reunited when it did.  Our hearts go out to all those families (not just of the 1074th) whose children, fathers, brothers, daughters, mothers, do not come home.  They are heroes always, as are all who serve their country honorably.

In attendance at the Welcome Home ceremony were the mayor of North Platte, former governor Mike Johanns, and many family and friends.
Thank you to all the troops home and abroad for the work you do.

Read local news stories about the homecoming below:

October 12, 2007
By Mark Young, The North Platte Telegraph
Johanns to troops, Welcome home
Republican senatorial candidate Mike Johanns flew into North Platte Friday, as the former governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture continues his campaign for the senate seat being vacated by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R). His visit coincided with the community celebration of welcoming back the 1074...

October 12, 2007
By JENNIFER NELSON, The North Platte Telegraph
No Longer Apart: Soldiers of 1074 reunite with their families
It was a day of long hugs, kisses, tears of joy and wide smiles exchanged as the men and women of the 1074th were reunited with loved ones Friday. The soldiers were welcomed home by the community in a sea of red, white and blue. The Fisher Family of Tryon "We were kind of nervous,...

October 12, 2007
By JOHN LINDENBERGER, The North Platte Telegraph
Heroes back home
Although it's been 60 years since the North Platte Canteen members treated soldiers passing through the area like celebrities, that Canteen spirit was alive and well Friday. Hundreds of area residents lined the streets to welcome home members of the 1074th National Transportation Comp...

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Pics from the North Platte Railfest 2007

North Platte's Inaugural Railfest 2007

North Platte's annual Rail Fest is a celebration of the town's heritage and community.   The Union Pacific Railroad plays a great part in the expansion and development of North Platte.  Providing numerous jobs and being a world commerce hub, the UPRR is a much welcomed part of the town.   Rail Fest is a celebration designed to entertain the public and recognize the contributions made by the Union Pacific Railroad and its employees to the past, present and future development of North Platte.

Over the course of three days, Rail Fest was jam-packed with excitement.  Daily events at Cody Park made for wonderful family fun.  Children enjoyed the locomotive simulator, while parents wandered the many craft booths.  Young and old alike were entertained with music and a kids hobo contest.  Also at Cody Park was an event for the employees of Union Pacific Railroad.

Cody Park was not the only location for Rail Fest fun, though.  Throughout town there were things happening all over.  On Front Street families were able to view the Union Pacific Railroad's #844 Living Legend.  Also in the area was the Open Motorcycle and Car Show, put on by Platte Valley Car Club, Harley Owner's Group, Gold Wing Touring Association.
The North Platte Cemetery was even part of the fun.  The North Platte Library Foundation hosted the Ghosts of the UPRR Cemetery Tour at the North Platte Cemetery, where railroad stories were narrated.  The Nebraska Athletic Club hosted a Strongman Classic Competition that was railroad themed.  All the events involved the railroad in some fashion, from the spike squat to the rail carry and the tie drag.  Art was also on the menu of events at this year's Rail Fest.  The Platte Valley Mall hosted a railroad themed art exhibit.  There were many other events throughout the weekend, for a complete listing please visit www.nprailfest.com/events.

All in all the inaugural North Platte Rail Fest was a huge success.  It brought families not only from the local area but from all over the United States and some from around the world.  Adults and children alike were able to stand in awe of the enormity of the Union Pacific Railroad and celebrate the wonderful things they provide.  So, plan on coming next year to North Plattes Annual Rail Fest and join in the fun for yourself.

Hearings in North Platte:
Omaha and Norfolk will consider Bill Jeffers for Nebraska Hall of Fame

North Platte native William M. Jeffers, will be among seven candidates to be considered by the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission at hearings in Omaha, Norfolk and North Platte during September and October. The hearings are open to the public. The commission is required to hold open hearings in each of the three congressional districts.
The North Platte hearing is October 11 from 7-9 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express. The commission has allowed 15 minutes for testimony on each of the nominees.
Hearings are scheduled at the Mormon Trail Center Historic Winter Quarters in Omaha from 7-9 p.m. Sept. 20 and at the Norfolk Arts Center from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 3.

Jeffers, the quintessential railroader, was nominated by the Lincoln County Historical Society.
The Lincoln County Historical Museum has created a special exhibit on Jeffers in the main building in addition to the exhibit housed in his boyhood home, now located on the museum grounds.

Jeffers is described as the quintessential railroader in Maury Klein's two-volume history of the Union Pacific. Klein devotes a large part of two chapters to Jeffers with titles The Railroader and The Czar. (Both volumes of Klein's comprehensive history Union Pacific have been reprinted in paperback by University of Minnesota Press.).
The Hall of Fame nomination focuses on Jeffers contribution to the nation's war effort during the critical early years of World War II, when he broke through bureaucratic and political barriers to create a synthetic rubber supply.

Japanese operations had cut off most sources of natural rubber needed for tires and parts for military vehicles and aircraft. A special committee headed by presidential advisor Bernard Baruch said the knowledge existed to produce synthetic rubber but attempts to build plants were stalled.

The report underlined the important need. It said shortages of steel, copper, aluminum and aviation gasoline could hurt, but the military could still operate. "But if we fail to secure quickly a large new rubber supply, our war effort and our domestic economy both will collapse. Thus the rubber situation gives rise to our most critical problem."

Jeffers started as a call boy with the Union Pacific in North Platte when he was 14. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt called him to Washington, Jeffers was president of the railroad. Roosevelt asked him to be the administrator of the rubber program. Jeffers said there were already too many administrators in Washington and he would decline unless he was named director. The press soon dubbed him the "Rubber Czar".

He promised to have the problem solved in a year. Political insiders laughed. He turned to his contacts in private industry, had synthetic rubber supplies rolling in nine months and went back to Omaha and the railroad he loved.

Lincoln County Historical Society member Keith Blackledge said most people tend to think of Jeffers for his long and colorful career with the Union Pacific. "While that in itself might qualify him for the Nebraska Hall of Fame, his contribution to the entire country at a critical time in our history is even more important."

Persons selected for the Nebraska Hall of Fame are memorialized with a bronze bust in the Nebraska Capitol building. North Platte's Buffalo Bill Cody is among previous honorees.

The hearings are part of an extensive process that will result in the induction of one nominee in 2009. Selections are made at five-year intervals.

Other nominees being considered at the hearings are:

• Grover Cleveland Alexander, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
• Charles Bessey, University of Nebraska botanist.
• Georgia Arbuckle Fix, physician.
• Andrew Jackson Higgins, manufacturer of the World War II landing craft that carried his name.
• Evelyn Sharp, aviation pioneer.

Malcolm X, black civil rights leader who was born in Omaha.

       Criteria for Selection to the Nebraska Hall of Fame

• A person shall have been deceased thirty-five years to be considered.
• A person shall have been born in Nebraska, have lived a significant part of his or her life in Nebraska or, made a contribution to society that was affected by his or her residence in Nebraska.
• Primary consideration is given to contributions in public affairs, the arts, the sciences, the professions; secondary consideration is given to entertainment, athletics, and kindred fields where interest, publicity, and general recognition may for a time be intense, but where a contribution to society is secondary.
• Activities that have added to the welfare of society and to the reputation of the state shall be weighed more heavily than activities primarily benefiting the individual himself or herself.

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North Platte Lincoln County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Around North Platte

There are a number of historical attractions as well in and around North Platte, many pertaining directly to the railroad and UPRR.
Some railroad attractions in the area are:

• Cody Park  Railroad Museum located just on the north edge of town is home to Union Pacific locomotive No. 3977.  The Union Pacific Railroad Co. donated and installed steam locomotive UP 3977 in the railroad museum area of Cody Park in 1968. The UP 3977 is one of two remaining 3900 class Challenger type locomotives, and the only one on display.  Accompanying the 3977 Unit is a baggage car, mail car, caboose, orderboard water crane, baggage truck, and semaphore block signal. In 1985, Unit 6922 was donated to the City of North Platte by the Union Pacific Railroad. Also on display is a railroad Depot which houses railroad memorabilia.
• Memorial Park is home to the No. X480.  Another historical locomotive.

Other area attractions include:

• Buffalo Bill State Historical Park, located on the northwest side of town.  The legacy of the life and times of the man who personified the frontier spirit lives on at Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park.
• Lincoln County Historical Museum, located on the northwest side of town.  The history, heritage and frontier spirit of Lincoln County are captured at the Lincoln County Historical Museum. The Museum contains treasures of life in Lincoln County.
• 20th Century Veteran's Memorial, located on the south side of town by I-80.  The 20th Century Veterans Memorial is a permanent memorial dedicated to and honoring the military men and women of the United States who served their country during the 20th Century. The monument is located in North Platte's Iron Horse Park, which is adjacent to the busy crossroads of the Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 83 junction.
  http://www.visitnorthplatte.com/attractions.htm