We all knew when it was a troop train because of the color of the cars.

Frank Galvin born.  1934

The Southern Railway’s cars were a bright ‘livery green’ and the troop trains were plain gray or brown.  The trains all stopped just outside of Charleston, we guessed as a safety check, and that gave everyone a chance to go down and greet the troops, mostly recruits, heading to Fort Benning, Georgia.

We brought them food, of course, mostly sweets, and we also brought them toilet items like soap and razors.  What I remember most about all that was how everyone from all around came down together.  It was like all those soldiers were our own family, including the black soldiers.

For that time we were all together.  It was too bad it took a war.