The Gleaner
Henderson, Kentucky
November 15, 1997

Depot brings back family memories

Editor:

I love that old Henderson depot. It seems like yesterday that I walked in there with my four children, ages three months to five years, on our way to Karlsruhe, Germany, 1956, forty-one years ago. The memories of that morning will remain in my heart forever.

When I walked into the beautiful depot, the first words I heard were, “You must be the LYON family.” What a surprise to hear that, so I asked them how they knew us. They had a call from Louisville telling them to make sure we got on that train. When the government spends that much money on you, they want you on that train.

It seems the train was called the “Hummingbird.” They gave us three rooms. I traded that for one big room. That was the first time my children saw a depot and their first train ride.

In 1951, I heard people talking about the train stopping at that beautiful depot, and the train was filled with young soldiers that had just finished training and were on their way to Korea. They were climbing out windows faster than they could be put back on that train. They were just kids and scared to death.

I always had a place in my heart for the young solders. I watched so many of them in training at Fort Knox and Fort Wood, Missouri. My husband was a career man. Is there anyone out there that remembers about the young soldiers on these trains?

Beatris Lyon

Henderson, Kentucky