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History Highlights of the Forty & Eight
Authored by: Robert Foster
1920
In March of 1920, Joseph W. Breen, a
member of the newly formed American
Legion and an officer of Breen-McCracken
Legion Post 297, met in Philadelphia
with fifteen other prominent
Legionnaires where they originated the
idea of The Forty & Eight. They
envisioned a new and different level of
elite membership and camaraderie for
leaders of the American Legion. The box
car of the French Railways, so familiar
to American ground troops of the First
World War, was chosen as the symbolic
heart of the new organization. The
French/Railroad theme was applied to
officer titles and organizational
functions.
The organization was named La
Societe des Quarente Hommes et Huit
Chevaux (the Society of Forty Men and
Eight Horses). Its members were called
Voyageurs Militaire (military travelers)
and candidates for membership were
called Prisonniers de Guerre (Prisoners
of War). The “40/8” cargo capacity sign
emblazoned on each French boxcar that
had carried American doughboys to the
front, and also the "French horizon
blue" color, became symbols of the new
society. An initiation ceremony was
developed based on the common wartime
experiences of American soldiers,
sailors and marines, incorporating fun
making with patriotic bonding.
The first statewide Forty & Eight
Promenade (meeting) was held in June,
1920, following the 2nd Annual
Convention of the American Legion’s
Department of Pennsylvania. Several
prominent Legionnaires were wrecked
(initiated) and Joseph W. Breen was
unanimously elected Chef de Chemin de
Fer (President of the Railroad).
The new Forty & Eight organization
agreed to send a delegation to the
Legion’s national convention in
Cleveland, Ohio, with as much fanfare as
possible in order to introduce the Forty
& Eight to the nation and to other
Legionnaires. A railroad box car was
rented and in it the Forty & Eight
delegation rode the rails to the
Cleveland Legion convention. This
publicity stunt gained substantial news
coverage for the energetic new elite
organizaton. In Cleveland more than 700
Legionnaires became members of the Forty
& Eight.
1921
During the Forty & Eight’s Promenade
Nationale (national convention) in
Kansas City, a national constitution was
adopted and a national headquarters was
established in Seattle, Washington.
1922
During the Promenade Nationale in New
Orleans, a Children’s Welfare
project was established, with monies to
be raised via an annual assessment of 50
cents from dues collections, to be used
for the care of orphaned children.
1923
The National Headquarters of the Forty &
Eight was moved to Indianapolis. The
Forty & Eight was integrated as an equal
partner with The American Legion and The
American Legion Auxiliary, all with
common interests in Child Welfare.
Forty & Eight Child Welfare Program
funds ($24,823.91) were safely invested
to grow to meet future needs. A joint
policy committee of members from all
three organizations was established.
1925
During the 6th Promenade Nationale, in
Omaha, Nebraska, $25,000.00 was set
aside to establish a Child Welfare Fund.
(This was a precursor to today’s Charles
Ardery Child Welfare Trust).
1926
At Promenade Nationale in Philadelphia,
Forty & Eight membership was reported to
be 32,449.
A major focus of discussion was the
growth of American Legion membership,
which had previously been declining
annually since the Legion’s inception.
Much of the Legion’s new growth was
attributed to extraordinary recruiting
efforts by Forty & Eight’s Voyageurs who
had brought in more than 17,000 new
members for the American Legion.
Voyageur William Mundt of Voiture 24,
Bloomington, Illinois, was recognized
for having signed up 509 new Legion
members.
1928
Forty & Eight programs expanded in
concert with The American Legion.
Membership, Child Welfare, Junior
Baseball, Americanism and Emergency
Relief became key Forty & Eight
programs. Annual donations continued to
the Child Welfare Fund, with $18,960
earmarked for 1928. Additionally,
Voiture Locales devised their own
charitable programs, such as Voiture 220
of Chicago sponsoring a youth summer
camp.
During the depression years, the Forty &
Eight and The American Legion grew
steadily. Forty & Eight Voyageurs
enrolled 27,000 new members in the
Legion during 1928-1929, and were
instrumental in helping The American
Legion to pass the one million members
mark.
1932
The Forty & Eight declared War on
Childhood Diphtheria. Vaccination toxin
was distributed via Voiture Nationale to
children whose parents could not afford
it. Physicians donated their services,
and educational campaigns were carried
out to combat the disease.
From 1932 through 1936, the Forty &
Eight sought to influence Congress
regarding veteran's benefits. These
were the “Bonus March” Depression years
when WWI veterans and the federal
government were at times in open
conflict. The Forty & Eight sponsored
national radio programs, featuring well
know political figures, to bring
equitable treatment of war veterans to
the national forefront. Realizing that
power came with numbers, the Forty &
Eight brought in 111,159 new American
Legion members. The efforts of the
Forty & Eight ultimately helped convince
Congress to pass, over a presidential
veto, the compensation act for America’s
war veterans.
1936
The 17th Promenade Nationale was held in
Cleveland with a huge parade lasting
nearly three hours. Membership reached
34,809.
1938
The Forty & Eight began sponsoring Boys
State in 20 states. Charitable efforts
increased as Voitures provided iron
lungs, sponsored anti-juvenile
delinquency programs, and supported
Legion Baseball and Scouting. Many
Legion leaders are members of the Forty
& Eight.
1941
During the Second World War, the Forty &
Eight rolled up its sleeves. While
continuing to support its existing
charitable and patriotic programs, the
Forty & Eight expanded its efforts to
meet wartime needs. Individual Forty &
Eight members volunteered for military
service, served as air raid wardens and
in other civil defense capacities, aided
in salvage drives, bond drives, blood
drives, visited hospitals, and helped
recruiting efforts for the Armed
Services.
The Forty & Eight made a special effort
to insure every serviceman on transport
ships overseas had a deck of cards.
Over 60,000 decks were initially
distributed, 610,498 decks in the second
year, and a million decks in 1943-1944.
Ultimately, over 4 million decks of card
were distributed.
The Forty & Eight also began issuing
Nursing Scholarships. By September of
1942, over 100 nurses had been received
education grants.
Increasing Legion membership was deemed
vital to organizing veterans to help the
war effort. The Forty & Eight exceeded
its goals by gaining 211,301 new Legion
members, thereby helping to bringing the
Legion to an all time high in
membership.
1945
The 25th Anniversary of the Forty and
Eight coincided with the end of World
War II.
The organization began a new program to
provide free telephone calls home for
returning wounded servicemen. This
successful program was seeded by Grande
du Kentucky contributing $50,000 and
Grande du Indiana providing $39,000.
With the end of rationing and travel
restrictions, Forty and Eight members
were able to meet more frequently.
Over two hundred veteran organizations
sprouted up across the country.
Veterancy was booming. The Forty and
Eight brought more than half a million
new members to The American Legion. The
Forty & Eight continued to bring
influential Legionnaires together from
various posts, thus strengthening unity
within the Legion. Forty & Eight
membership exceeded 70,000.
The Forty & Eight’s annual contribution
to the Legion’s Child Welfare Fund
continued throughout the war. Due to an
increase in numbers of World War II
veteran's children, the Forty & Eight
increased its annual Child Welfare
contribution to $30,000 in 1945 and to
$50,000 in 1946.
1947
The Forty & Eight began its long
association with the Hanson’s Disease
(leprosy) research hospital in Carville,
Louisiana, by funding all publication
costs for the hospital’s
patient-published magazine "The Star".
The Forty & Eight purchased a printing
press and other equipment to help the
patients carry on “their fight against
the ignorance which surrounds this
disease."
Forty & Eight membership rose to
95,000.
1948
The Forty & Eight welcomed the French
Gratitude Train. French railroad
boxcar were sent to each American state,
filled with gifts from the French people
who wished to say “merci” for America
freeing the French from Nazi tyranny.
The Forty & Eight, being an elite corps
of American veterans with its symbol
being the WWI French boxcar, was
instrumental in welcoming these WWII
boxcars. Voyageurs in each state
participated in ceremonies, and in many
states took responsibility for
maintaining the boxcar in museum or
display settings.
1955
The Forty & Eight formally established
its Nurses Training program.
1959 (1960)
The Forty & Eight severed ties with the
Legion and became an independent
organization.
There had been ripples of discontent for
several years. The organizations were
fundamentally different. The Legion was
large, easy to join and non-fraternal.
The Forty & Eight was elite,
by-invitation and racially restrictive.
The Forty & Eight had monetary resources
many in the Legion deemed theirs.
Conversely, the Forty & Eight objected
to funding Legion programs with large
amounts of money, without adequate
recognition in return. The Legion
pressed the Forty & Eight to change its
constitution to be racially inclusive.
These differences brought the two
organizations to logger heads.
Eventually, the American Legion refused
to allow the Forty and Eight to hold its
Promenade Nationale in the same city
with the Legion’s National Convention.
The Forty & Eight thus became
independent, but with many vestiges of
its parent organization remaining
intact, including the Forty & Eight
continuing to only accept Legion
members.
1963
The Nurses Training Program sponsored
2,129 nurses for a total of $248,047 in
scholarships.
Female relatives of Forty & Eight
members organized the auxiliary, La
Societe de Femme. Cabanes (units)
were formed in 15 states with over 1,000
initial members. The purpose of the
affiliate organization was to, "further
the programs of the Forty and Eight".
1964
Recognizing that its previous donations
to the Legion’s Child Welfare Fund had
amounted to over 1.2 million dollars,
the Forty & Eight established the new
Charles W. Ardery Child Welfare Fund
as an irrevocable trust, seeded it with
$300,000 and drew up rules governing the
dispersal of its funds as reimbursements
to Voitures for local instances of
rendering aid/assistance.
Other programs listed for the year were;
Flag Education, Memorial Day Programs,
Boys State, Girls State, Scouting and
the Christmas Tree of Lights program.
1965
At the Promenade Nationale in Baltimore,
Maryland, it was announced that 51
Voitures had aided 770,086 children with
a total Child Welfare expenditure value
of $2,690,296.
1969
The Charles W. Ardery Child
Welfare Trust Fund granted over
$400,000. The trust’s growth was
attributed in part to a 50 cent
assessment for Child Welfare in members’
annual dues.
1972
The Ardery Trust Fund presented a
$10,000 grant to the University of
Kentucky for research into Cystic
Fibrosis. A $4,363 grant was made to
the University of Illinois for research
into the causes of Childhood Diabetes.
Total Ardery trust expenditures for the
year were over $37,000.
1973 (1974)
The Forty & Eight, by a vote of 1,280 to
467, amended its constitution to
prohibit any Voiture from restricting
its membership by race.
A nationwide gas shortage made it
difficult for many to travel to the
proposed 55th Promenade
National in Anaheim, California. The
Promenade site was changed to St. Louis,
Missouri.
A Child Welfare grant of $10,000 was
made to the University of Wisconsin for
Juvenile Diabetes research. The Nurses
Training program reported 2,475 nurses
received financial help, with $291,000
spent on nursing grants.
1975
The Forty & Eight established the
George Boland Nurses Training Trust Fund,
with a $100,000 start up grant, in honor
of Nebraska’s George B. Boland, who had
served as Chef de Chemin de Fer in 1952
and as Avocat National (national
attorney) for many years.
1977
The Forty & Eight established the
Outstanding Law Officer of the Year
award program. John C. Wodetzki, Chief
of Police of Lincoln, Illinois, was
selected as the first recipient of the
award.
1978 - 1979
The Charles W. Ardery Child Welfare
Trust Fund grated $15,600 to the
National Jewish Hospital in Denver to
purchase special medical equipment. A
second grant of $10,000 was made to
Children's Hospital of St. Petersburg,
Florida for Newborn Intensive Care Unit
equipment. $16,600 was granted to Saint
Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, to
purchase a new spectrophotometer.
$6,329,276 was reported expended in
money, materials, mileage and man hours
throughtout the Forty & Eight for the
Child Welfare program.
Voyageurs contributed a total of 6,481
pints of blood. The Carville Star
program had 100 percent participation
and contributions exceeded $93,000.
1980
The Forty & Eight began its partnership
in the Veterans Administration Voluntary
Service program. By 1985, Voyageurs
were participating in 230 medical
facilities serving veterans.
1982
The Forty & Eight adopted, as a Child
Welfare subsidiary program, AAU/USA
Junior Olympics.
1991
The Forty & Eight revised its Preamble
to reflect its charitable, non-profit
nature. --- ”For God and country we
associate ourselves together for the
following purposes: To create a
charitable and non-profit veterans
organization; to uphold and defend the
Constitution of the United States of
America; to assist and promote the
welfare and well-being of those who
served in the Armed Forces of the United
States, during all wars and conflicts,
recognized the Congress of the United
States, and their widows and orphans; to
participate in all memorial services for
and to be part in and to encourage
others to participate in the proper
observance of all days honoring
veterans' to preserve the memories of
our Services in the Armed Forces of our
Country; to actively participate within
our membership in projects relating to
(a) the welfare of the children of
America; (b) the health of our Nation by
fostering a nurses training program; and
(c) selected charitable endeavors."
1992
In response to hurricanes in Florida,
the Forty & Eight responded with
donations of clothing, household goods
and medical supplies. In Florida City
alone, 255 children were provided food
vouchers, clothing and household goods
and $11,000 was granted to needy
families. Relief teams of Voyageurs
traveled into disaster areas to
distribute clothing and supplies. In
Hawaii, where a hurricane had come
ashore on Kauai, the Ardery Trust
assisted 80 children.
The Forty & Eight’s Flags for First
Graders program is found to be popular
among Voyageurs who conduct flag
education programs in elementary
schools. The program is responsible for
educating thousands of American youth in
the flag history, respect and protocol.
1993
Additional to it conducting its many
ongoing charitable program efforts, the
Forty & Eight assisted victims of
natural disasters in Michigan and
Missouri. $30,000 in aid was given to
families of children in flooded areas.
A $3,070 grant was given to the Indiana
Soldiers and Sailors Children's Home.
Voyageurs of Washington state were
applauded for contributing in excess of
$150,000 annually (since 1985) to
charitable projects in their community.
1994
This year marked both the 100th year
founding of the Gillis W. Long Hanson's
Disease Center (leprosy research) in
Carville, Louisiana, and the 50th
anniversary of the Forty & Eight's
sponsorship of the patient-published
Carville “Star” Magazine.
The Forty & Eight established a national
Youth Sports program, to encompass and
expand beyond the narrower scope of the
existing Junior Olympics program.
2001
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
on New York and the Pentagon occurred
one day before the Forty & Eight
Promenade Nationale was scheduled to
begin in Hagerstown, Maryland, not far
from Camp David. Terrorists crashed a
civilian airliner just north of town.
Voyageurs already at Hagerstown were
briefly isolated by security forces.
Many Voyageurs and spouses were stranded
at airports, some were mid-air during
the attacks, and several found it
impossible to reach Hagerstown. The
organization voted total support for
America in its war on terror.
The Forty & Eight immediately began
around-the-clock delivery of relief
goods to New York and Washington, D.C.
215 tons of relief goods valuing
$881,000 were reported delivered in the
aftermath of the attacks. 11 trips by
truck we made over 24 days to “ground
zero” in NYC.
2006
Women veterans become eligible to
join the Forty & Eight. Like their male
counterparts, women too must be
members of the American Legion and be
invited to join the Forty & Eight.
The debate on this issue was between
honoring the all-male battle past that
created the founders of this
organization and honoring today's
male-and-female battle veterans who are
America's modern military. It was
decided that the best way to honor the
past, is by honoring the
male
and female battle veterans
who are American's future |
