What Is The 40 &
8
La Societe des Quarante Hommes at Huit Chevaux, an independent fraternal
organization of veterans, popularly known as the FORTY & EIGHT, was organized in 1920
by American Legionnaires as a fun and honor society. Now composed of veterans of both
World Wars and the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm conflicts, it draws its origin from
World War I when young Americans were sent to France to fight a war to end all wars. The
narrow gauge railroads of France had boxcars (Voitures) that carried little more than half
the capacity of American boxcars and these voitures were used to transport the men and
horses to and from the fighting fronts. On the side of these little boxcars was stenciled
the capacity of each, holding either forty men or eight horses, and these voitures became
the trademark of our organization. If one could laugh at the train ride from the coast of
France to the trenches crowded in these little boxcars only recently vacated by eight
horses, one could surely adapt to the changes in his life when he returned home.
Membership in the Forty & Eight is by invitation only for recognition of service to
the American Legion and/or its programs.
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