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THE FRENCH GRATITUDE TRAIN

Arriving in the U.S. aboard the freighter Magellan on February 3, 1949, the "Gratitude Train" had reached its final destination: the American People.

The Gratitude Train consisted of 49 obsolete, military boxcars laden with over 250 tons of gifts contributed by French citizens. The train was an expression of thanks from the French to the people of the U.S. for aid rendered during and after World War II. It was the American Friendship Train that inspired a rail worker and war veteran named Andre Picard to suggest that France reciprocate. The response from the French citizenry was immediate and overwhelmint, and, as newspapers and radio spread the story, the project gained national momentum.

The brainchild of newspaper columnist Drew Pearson, the American Friendship Train resulted in the collection of more than 700 freight cars of food, fuel and clothing for the people of war-stricken France and Italy. This grass roots program carried personal contributions from individuals in every part of the U.S. Before it finally reached New York City in November 1947, the American Friendship Train had traveled over 37,000 miles on 54 different railroads using equipment and time donanted by railroads, railroaders and many others.

By the end of 1948, the [French] Gratitude Train boxcars were filled to capacity. The train was assembled at Paris and pulled to the port of La Havre for transport to the U.S. Even as the boxcars were being loaded onto the freighter, more gifts arrived. Over 9,000 gifts were left behind.

Today, no fewer than 43 cars from the Gratitude Train are on display across the U.S. Some have succumbed to fire or neglect. They, and many of the gifts they carried, still serve to remind us of that splendid gesture sent by the people of France more than half a century ago.

"FORTY & EIGHTS" — The French Army posted each boxcar’s capacity as: Hommes 40 – Chevaux 8, or 40 men – 8 horses. Before their trip to the U.S., each car was repaired, painted and decorated with the crests of France’s 40 provinces. Boxcars were presented to each of the 48 states, with the 49th boxcar being shared by the District of Columbia and Hawaii. This is the Wisconsin 40 & 8 on display in Milwaukee during 1949.

— SIDEBAR —

Although many in war-ravaged France had little but sentiment to offer, more than six million families gave up something of value to help fill the Gratitude Train cars. Most of the 52,000 carefully packaged and crated gifts were worth little in monetary value; yet some were priceless. They included children’s drawings, puzzles, ashtrays, wooden shoes, cricheted doilies, battered toys, the original bust of Benjamin Franklin by the great French sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon, a jeweled Legion d’Honneur once presented to Napoleon Bonaparte, the bugle which signaled the Armistice signing at Compiegne in 1918, 50 rare paintings, a Louis XV carriage, and the first motorcycle ever built. These are just a sampling of the contents. According to newspaper accounts, "one poor woman rushed past workmen to one of the cars and announced, ‘I have nothing else to send. I will send them my fingerprints.’ " So saying, she pressed her fingers into the fresh paint. As one American was later moved to remark, "They gave so much from their little, while we gave so little from our abundance."

Posted by Steven+Alison Hoober on 2010-07-27 14:21:14

Tagged: , wisconsin , green bay , trail , rail , National Railroad Museum , French Gratitude Train

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