Merci Train Boxcar

One of forty-nine Merci or Gratitude Train boxcars, this 40&8 car was a gift from the citizens of France to the American people. Named for its capacity to carry either 40 men or 8 horses, such boxcars transported soldiers and horses to and from France battlefields during WWI, and many soldiers rode them during WWII as well. Kansas received its boxcar in a ceremony on Armistice Day, November 11, 1949, in Hays, Kansas, and it was placed on the Fort Hays Kansas State University ground. All forty-nine states received a boxcar filled with gifts ranging from humble offerings to priceless art and antiques, while the District of Columbia and the Territory of Hawaii shared the forty-ninth car. These gifts expressed gratitude to America for liberating France in two world wars and for sending the Friendship Train, a $40 million food relief effort carried out by American volunteers in 1947 that saved many French citizens from starvation. In 1975, the 40&8 boxcar was moved to its present location at the home of the American Legion-Hays, where it was completely refurbished and transformed into a military museum. The Merci Train boxcars stand as a tribute to the sacrifices and bravery of American veterans who served in France in two world wars and as a symbol of friendship and gratitude between the people of the United States of America and the citizens of France.

Hays, Kansas · United States