La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux is an independent, by invitation, honor organization of male and female U. S. veterans, more commonly known as the Forty & Eight.

The Forty & Eight is committed to charitable and patriotic aims. Our purpose is to uphold and defend the United States Constitution, to promote the well being of veterans and their widows, widowers and orphans, and to actively participate in selected charitable endeavors, which include programs that promote child welfare and nurse’s training.

The titles and symbols of the Forty & Eight reflect its First World War origins. Americans were transported to the battle front on French trains within boxcars stenciled with a “40/8”, denoting its capacity to hold either forty men or eight horses. This uncomfortable mode of transportation was familiar to all who fought in the trenches; a common small misery among American soldiers who thereafter found “40/8” a lighthearted symbol of the deeper service, sacrifice and unspoken horrors of war that bind all who have borne the battle.

The Forty & Eight was founded in 1920 by American veterans returning from France. Originally an arm of The American Legion, the Forty & Eight became an independent and separately incorporated veteran’s organization in 1960. Membership is by invitation of honorably discharged veterans and honorably serving members of the United States Armed Forces.

I regret to announce that our Web Master/Editeur has submitted his resignation.  Therefore, I will assume the duties temporarily until a new qualified person can be found.  We wish Larry the very best and thank him for his service to Grand d’ Illinois.

For now, please submit any input you have for the Web or the News to me at cearlock@aol.com or Robert Cearlock, 7 Lawnwood Drive, Jackson, TN 38305.

Please bear with me while get the website updated.

Robert “OB1” Cearlock Sous Web Master/Editeur

See the Important Announcements and Events Menu Item for the Flyer, Official Call, and Agenda for the 2024 Spring Cheminot.

All, use caution when replying to unsolicited emails, especially those that are asking for electronic gift cards. These have typically been proven to be scams. They generally start out with someone supposedly out of country, or a relative in jail or other trouble, and request pre-paid gift cards. Today, one such email arrived, purportedly from our Grand Chef de Gare. It wasn’t. If it looks suspicious, it probably is. Find another way to contact the sender to check on the validity of the email, before you take any other action, don’t even reply to the email.

REQUIRED SUBMITTALS:

Correspondants; your Officer Certifications are past due.

Grand Cheminots; Petite Cheminots must be completed 30 days prior to the Spring Cheminot. Submit your schedule to the Grand Correspondant ASAP.

Voitures; See the Forms and Reports tab for Petite Cheminot required reports.

See Wally’s World for Important notes from the Grand Correspondant

CHECK OUT THE NEW HISTORY TAB FROM THE GRAND CORRESPONDANT!

The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of other wars were Treated and Appreciated by their Nation.”

-George Washington-

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