85R10761 JGH-D
By: Arévalo H.R. No. 433
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Members of the Grande Voiture du Texas are
commemorating the 100th anniversary of the entry of the United
States into World War I by bringing the famous "40 & 8" boxcar to the
State Capitol on February 18, 2017; and
WHEREAS, In April 1917, the United States Congress formally
declared war on Germany, bringing our nation into the global
conflict that had been raging since 1914; by the time the guns went
silent in November 1918, 4 million Americans had served in the
victorious Allied war effort, with more than 116,700 making the
ultimate sacrifice; and
WHEREAS, During their service in France, American
"doughboys" were often transported in small railcars that came to
be known as "40 & 8" boxcars because they could hold either 40
soldiers or 8 horses; in 1920, veterans of the war formed La Societe
des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux (the Society of Forty Men and
Eight Horses); today, this invitation-only veterans organization
is commonly known as "the Forty and Eight," and it is represented in
the Lone Star State by the Grande Voiture du Texas (the Great Car of
Texas), which was chartered in 1922; and
WHEREAS, In 1947, when Europe lay in ruins after World War II,
a "Friendship Train" traveled across the United States soliciting
donations for the people of France and Italy, eventually delivering
more than $40 million in food, clothing, and fuel; in gratitude, the
people of France sent to America an authentic "40 & 8" boxcar filled
with gifts, and in 1948, Texas governor Beauford Jester put this
boxcar in the care of the Grande Voiture, which displays it at the
Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry in Austin; and
WHEREAS, In this year of the World War I centennial, the
Grande Voiture du Texas has been designated as an official
commemorative partner by the Texas World War One Centennial
Commission, and on February 18, the chapter is presenting the "40 &
8" boxcar for public viewing at a ceremony on the grounds of the
State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, The fabled "40 & 8" boxcar is a remarkable
historical artifact of World War I, a powerful reminder of the
sacrifice made by American soldiers, and a potent symbol of the
bonds of friendship between two great nations; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby welcome the "40 & 8" boxcar and the Grand Voiture
du Texas to the State Capitol and commemorate the 100th anniversary
of our nation's entry into World War I; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the Grand Voiture du Texas as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.