Merci Boxcar, Missouri State Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO
N 38° 41.503 W 093° 15.548
15S E 477464 N 4282598
This special historical artifact was a gift from France following World Wars I and II.
Waymark Code: WMBVT6
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/24/2011
Views: 5
The sign on this boxcar reads:
"The Merci Boxcar
This is an original French boxcar. The 40 Homme et 6 Cheveaux painted on the ends means this car holds 40 men and 8 horses (or mules). The plaques represent the French provinces. American troops rode these boxcars to and from battle in WWI and WWII.
If you think they were comfortable, just think the men could be in these cars for days with no bathroom facilities....or image yourself and 39 other men trying to sleep in this unit at the same time. The veterans' organization, La Societa of 40 men and 8 horses, takes its name from these cars and is simply known as 40 & 8. Our motto is "Service in War, Charity in Peace". We ar a fun organization that takes its responsibilities serious. Our main tasks are scholarships for student nurses and child welfare. For more information to to the web: fortyandeight.org."
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Additional information:
During World War I and II army troops were transported around France in trains. Troops were frequently loaded into boxcars which were boldly stenciled with their carrying capacity: "Hommes 40-Cheveans 8" (40 men or 8 horses).
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" boxcarrs, one for each of the 48 states and one shared by District of Columbia and the Territory of Hawaii.
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I located a GREAT article about the Merci Trains on this website, and it has a paragraph that is particular to the Missouri Merci Train: (
visit link)
Whatever Happened To Those Forty And Eights?
By Lt. Col. (Ret) Manuel A. Conley, USA
(This article was published in the January, 1983 edition of The Retired Officer Magazine. It is reprinted on the above referenced website by the author's permission.)
"One state, however, did run into unexpected complications. The Missouri Forty and Eight was scheduled to be exhibited at the state’s Capitol Museum, but it was just 15 inches too long to fit inside. Lacking alternatives, state authorities parked the car where they thought it would be most secure: inside the walls of the Jefferson County State Penitentiary. There the immured boxcar sat for almost a year, until bailed out through the joint efforts of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Forty and Eight Society. Moved to the fairgrounds at Sedalia, its dignity was restored with a fresh coat of paint and a permanent site for display. Over the years it has remained there, a major historical attraction to Missouri fairgoers."