Merci Boxcar, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin, TX - Gifts from Other Countries on Waymarking.com

The Merci boxcar was a gesture of gratitude from the people of France to the people of the United State for and given to France after World War II. In 1919, the Merci Train was sent to the United States. It consisted of 49 "40 & 8" boxcars, one for each of the 48 states and one shared by District of Columbia and the Territory of Hawaii.

...........................
The info-board by this train reads:

"French Gratitude Train
The Second World War devastated the economies, cities, transportation networks, industrial infrastructure and agricultural bas of most European nations. Those who survived the war faced severe shortages of food and other basic necessities. In 1947, American newspaperman Drew Pearson spearheaded a grassroots fund raising effort to aid the struggling populations of France and Italy. This campaign--predating the Marshall Plan by one full year--was enormously successful and resulted in sending an "American Friendship Train" carrying $40 million worth of relief supplies to the continent.

In response to this incredible generosity, the Italians donated four statues to the United States. French war veteran and railroad employee, Andre Picard, suggested France reciprocate by filling an old Forty and Eight boxcar with gifts of appreciation for America. The people of France, thankful not only for the American aid by the sacrifice of American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in two world wars, did much more. In 1948, France created a "Gratitude Train" consisited of 49 boxcars (one for each of the then 48 states and another to be shared by the Territory of Hawaii and the District of Columbia), filled with 52,000 gifts collected from every French district and province. The boxcars, each emblazoned with the message "Gratitude Train" and 40 seals representing French provinces and cities, were sent to the United States on the freighter Magellan in 1949 and arrived amid great fanfare.

The Texas "Forty and Eight"
The boxcar given to the Lone Star state was placed under the care of the Society of Forty Men and Eight Horses--a separately chartered veterans' honor society established in 1920 by veterans of World War I and an elite component within the newly created American Legion. After touring several cities in Texas, the "Merci Boxcar" was housed at Camp Mabry. The outbreak of the Korean War, however, put a premium on space at the post and the boxcar ws moved to the grounds of American Legion Post 76, overlooking Town Lake adjacent to the MoPac Expressway, where a special covered pavilion was built to protect the railway car. In 2014, the boxcar was moved to the Texas Military Forces Museum to better protect it from the elements and ensure its long term preservation. Most of the gifts that were included in the boxcar were earmarked for, and distributed to, specific cities or orphanages, sold to raise funds for various charities or presented to prominent officials. However, a significant number of these priceless pieces became part of the collection of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. More information about the Texas Boxcar can be found at www.texasboxcar.org. "

Country or International City that Gave the Gift: Franch Country or International City that Received the Gift: United States of America Website Verifying this Item as a Gift from Another Country or International City: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
When visiting a waymark, please take a picture that clearly shows the gift item. If you have a picture with yourself and/or your GPSr at the item, that would be great too. Please tell us a little about your experience.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/12/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it