The Story of Two Trains

By Emma M. Sedore, Tioga County Historian —

This is an incredible piece of history that needs to be told and never forgotten.

When the German Nazis defeated the French military forces, they occupied Paris from 1940-1944. The people were traumatized by violent physical treatment; most of their food supplies were used to feed the occupied German army, and anything of value was either stolen or ruined beyond repair. Finally, in August of 1944 Paris was liberated. Spirits were lifted, and hopes were high! But not for long. 

Three years went by, and in 1947 conditions were appalling. The roads were in terrible shape from being bombed, and because the Nazis took all the machinery from their factories to send back to Germany, there was no way the French could get businesses restarted. Their most immediate concern was food. The people were still starving, but they did the best they could with help from other foreign countries, especially from America. 

Our temporary relief agencies were shipping tons of food to them, but the Russian Communists would print their own country’s name on the sacks of wheat and other items, then tell people that the Americans were doing nothing to help them. With Stalin doing his best to divide Europe between the eastern Communist states and the western democracies, the U.S. government feared that France could be taken over by them.

Added to that, the Black Market was rampant. And shamefully to say, it included our GIs. The May 1945 Yank Magazine’s cover story, “The Lowdown of GI Racketeers in Paris,” compared them to the “Chicago-style gangs and Al Capone.” It was led by former American soldiers who were either dishonorably discharged or deserters who stole truckloads of American supplies and sold them at prices that the French could barely afford, if at all. When Gen. Eisenhower found out, he had them arrested and brought them to a halt.

It was a grave situation, and America knew it. In June 1947, under the leadership of the U.S. Secretary of State, Gen. George C. Marshall, a landmark aid plan was in the works called the Marshall Plan. It would provide foreign countries with much-needed medicine, food, money, and other necessities; but it was taking far too long for Congress to pass a bill to enact it.

Newspapers kept reporting how deplorable conditions were in Europe. They informed the public that children were suffering from malnutrition and that their parents were picking through garbage to feed them. American citizens were increasingly concerned and began to write to their elected officials and to the newspapers, pleading for someone to find a way to help them as soon as possible. And one of the letters hit its target!

It was sent to a famous radio broadcaster and newspaper journalist by the name of Drew Pearson. His column, Washington Merry-go-Round, was published in 600 newspapers and aired on his daily NBC radio program, Drew Pearson’s Comments.

Once he learned how critical the situation was, he devised a brilliant idea to use a train that would travel across the country, pulling freight cars for citizens to fill with food and supplies for the impoverished people in France and Italy. On October 11, 1947 he began to ask his audiences to donate whatever they could from their homes and gardens. One thing he made sure to do was to let his audience know that the project would not be from the US Government, but straight from the hearts of the American people. The train would be dubbed the “Friendship Train.”

He had a lot of influential friends, and the first one he contacted was Harry Warner, Chief Executive of Warner Bros. Studio in California. Warner volunteered to be chairman of the Friendship Train committee and started things off with a flair, including filming many of the Friendship Train’s activities. A massive send-off was held in Los Angeles with a huge parade, bands, dozens of movie stars, and, of course, politicians who eagerly joined in along with thousands of everyday citizens. 

On November 7, the first eleven railroad cars full of food, clothing, and other desperately needed items started out on their cross-country trip across America, heading for New York State, where they would be unloaded on a ship to France. 

Pearson also helped to organize a committee consisting of farmers, labor unions, businessmen, service clubs, and railroad officials. Little did he know that it would turn out to be one of the most humanitarian events that ever took place in our country.

Pearson’s radio and newspaper audiences literally numbered in the millions, and the average American responded with unexpected enthusiasm and great benevolence! They gave all they could, and what they didn’t have to give, they sponsored fundraising events all over the country.

As it headed east, it picked up many more loaded freight cars along the way. Radio stations made daily announcements about where and what time the train would arrive or be passing through. It gave people a “heads-up” so they could have their donations ready to connect with the Friendship Train. 

People lined up for hours to donate money. Schoolchildren of all ages brought small donations such as a can of milk, a bag of beans, a Raggedy Anne doll, a box of Animal Crackers, or any other thing they could afford if that was all they had, and they were proud to do it. They would bring it to the railroad station, where adults would pack them into cartons to load onto the train. 

The hundreds of towns, villages, and cities that weren’t on the Friendship’s line would telegraph ahead to have their freight cars or trucks meet at a junction so they could make the connection.

It traveled through 11 states, but instead of one train, it ended up with seven different sections and five railroads. Every state in the union, including the territory of Hawaii and Washington, DC donated to the Friendship Train and all who volunteered in any way did it for free!

The train started out with eleven cars in California, and 11 days later, it reached New York City on November 18, 1947. By then, the number of cars had increased to 700. The estimated value was $40 million, in part due to monetary donations.

Here in the Southern Tier, a newspaper listed Binghamton, Endicott, Johnson City, and Windsor as places where items would be picked up to be taken to New York City. Although Owego or Tioga County wasn’t mentioned, it seems likely they made their connection at one of the pick-up points.

A crowd of 25,000 people noisily welcomed it to New York City with a ticker-tape parade. The first group of cars were unloaded onto the U.S. ship S.S. American Leader, which was rechristened the S.S. Friendship just for that occasion. The Friendship was the first of four ships to leave for France and Italy; but before leaving, two railway barges loaded with food took victory laps around the Statue of Liberty. It was a small gesture to acknowledge Frances’ gift to America in 1886. 

For months after, donations continued to pour into New York where other ships delivered them to 14 nations in Europe, which included some of our former enemies.

The Friendship Train docked in Le Havre, France, December 17. It was immediately unloaded onto ten different trains and trucks, with the first 50 trucks going straight to the city of Paris, where they drove through its famous streets.

Even though it was a cold winter day, thousands of happy school children waved American and French flags while a band played both national anthems. They cheered and smiled with unabashed gratitude as the trucks made their way filled with the desperately needed food. In fact, it would be the first time many of the children ever tasted treats such as lollipops, bubble gum, and other penny candies sent to them by American boys and girls.

A reception was held at the Paris City Hall, and speeches were made by officials from America and France, including President Charles de Gaulle’s brother, Philippe de Gaulle, and Drew Pearson and his wife, Luvie Pearson, who were especially welcomed. 

By the end of the day, the atmosphere was filled with warm camaraderie, and “Thank you” was heard over and over; but none more sincerely than when the French people said, “Merci.” 

It was an exciting, joyful day that would be remembered for a long time, and they did. In fact, two years later, they found a unique way to do more than just say, “Merci.”

The Merci Train 1949 

The gratitude that people felt for the Friendship Train couldn’t have been more genuine, especially from a French war veteran and railway worker by the name of Andre Picard. Like Drew Pearson, he started a movement for a way to thank the Americans for their role in the Liberation of Paris by sending a train of their own to thank them. The difference would be that instead of tons of food and supplies like the Friendship Train brought, the French train would be filled with thousands of all kinds of gifts from anyone who wanted to show their gratitude, no matter what age or class. 

Thousands of French and Italian citizens loved the idea, and like the Friendship Train, just about everybody was thrilled to have the opportunity to personally thank America.

Picard suggested that since there were 48 states in America in 1949, they would use 48 boxcars, one for each state, plus one extra to be shared between the Territory of Hawaii and Washington, DC. The boxcars were unique because they were used to transport men in World War I and World War II and were known as 40 and 8 because they held 40 men and 8 horses. The Nazis used them for a more reprehensible reason between 1940 and 1944 to transport innocent citizens to concentration camps.

Each car was refurbished and decorated with 40 colorful coats of arms that represented the provinces of France. A ribbon with the colors of the French flag was painted on a diagonal slant and each car had a plaque denoting which U.S. state it would go to. 

On the front of the steam engine and on each of the cars was a drawing of colorful flowers, symbolic of Flanders Field where many American Doughboys from World War I are buried. This symbol was also printed on tags that were placed on every one of the gifts.

Although most of the people didn’t have much to give, they donated important family treasures that would make a personal connection. Listed are many of the gifts from various boxcars that ranged from a simple hairnet to dozens of silk wedding dresses; a doll from a little girl who cut off her own hair to make a wig for it; a French church donated its bell; toys made from bullet casings; an ashtray made of a broken mirror; a set of black lingerie intended “for a beautiful blonde;” priceless works of art; 49 miniature mannequins dressed in fashions from 1706-1906; cases of wine; military medals; an 11-foot statue of the Winged-Victory Nike, just like the one in the Louvre; and too many more to mention. 

The French boxcars were loaded with 52 thousand gifts on the ship, S.S. Magellan that had “MERCI AMERICA” painted on its hull. By the time it was loaded, 9,000 gifts had to be left on the docks because there wasn’t enough room for them.

The Magellan arrived in America February 2, 1949 and was greeted by a flotilla of boats and Air Force planes overhead. Before docking, the ship sailed around the Statue of Liberty that was given to America by the French in 1886 to commemorate its 100th anniversary of Independence and its alliance between the Americans and the French. 

Many Americans did call it the Merci Train, but even more called it the Gratitude Train, both meaning “thank you.” Our New York boxcar was paraded up Broadway, while the boxcars for other states were unloaded and transported on flatcars because their wide wheel axles were not compatible with the width of our tracks in America. They were sent off to the rest of the nation, where each state committee had a reception eagerly waiting for them before they were opened and distributed. Some states did not distribute them but put them in their museums for safekeeping.

The gifts from the New York State car were first sent to Albany by Governor Dewey, who appointed a New York City politician, Grover Whalen, to distribute the rest of the gifts to the counties. It is likely that some of the most valuable items went to the New York State Museum at Albany.

A section of the train traveled through the Southern Tier, stopping at Binghamton from 6-9 a.m. While in Binghamton, Civic leaders held a ceremony at the D&H RR on Eldridge Street.

Here in Tioga County, in the Tioga County Journal of Proceedings dated March 14, 1949, Resolution No. 25-49, Gift to the Historical Society, was passed. It was approved to donate the gifts from the French Gratitude Train to the Tioga County Historical Society. They consisted of only four items: a doll dressed in a blue silk dress, a small ashtray, and two books.

To date, after checking with the Historical Society, there were no documents or gifts from the Gratitude Train to be found. However, after 76 years and relocating everything in the museum archives from one building to another, plus the 2011 catastrophic flood, there is still hope that the gifts will eventually be uncovered.

Each state got to keep its own boxcar. They were originally placed at veteran posts, municipal parks, railway museums, and fairgrounds, to name a few. As time passed, many of them were moved to different locations; some were damaged, sat in disrepair, and/or were vandalized. However, 43 of them still exist. 

Our New York State boxcar, known as 40 & 8 #92 is located at the corner of Judd and Halsey Roads, Whitesboro, N.Y., in Oneida County 13492. The caretaker is Ray Blaich and can be reached at (315) 736-9774.

It is important to know that the French were not the only ones to express their gratitude to the Friendship Train. As mentioned above, Italy received food and supplies in 1947 and documented everything on film, which was shown in movie theaters across our country. To show their gratitude to America for helping with their country’s reconstruction after the war, the Italian government sent a gift of four huge bronze equestrian sculptures, each weighing about 80,000 pounds. 

Before being shipped to America, the sculptures were on exhibition in Italy and then transported from Milan to Norfolk, Virginia, aboard the SS Rice Victory. At Norfolk, they were loaded onto a U.S. Navy barge and taken up the Potomac River to Washington, D.C. Two of the sculptures were installed on the northeastern end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and the other two were placed near the bridge in Potomac Park. The inauguration of the four sculptures was held on September 26, 1951.

Hopefully, this incredible piece of history will cause some people (including other countries) to think about expressing their gratitude more often, even if they don’t have boxcars handy to fill with gifts.

Much of the Merci Train history is from a manuscript written by Earl Bennett, Sr., and from various state websites, history books, and newspapers.