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March 2020 Special Edition VOLUME LXXXVII The Reveille, March 2020 NUMBER 3 SPECIAL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS EDITION 40/8 GREETINGS CONGRATULATIONS! VOITURE 97 American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1 extends its congratulations to the 40 & 8 for its WISHES TO CONGRATULATE Centennial celebration of 100 years of THE AUXILIARY exemplary service to Veterans and their families. A job well done. CENTENNIAL – 1919-2019 Enjoy your year and look forward to another 100 and beyond. GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS FROM YOUR LCW POST 1 COLOR GUARD Greetings And Congratulations To The Auxiliary and 40 & 8 On Celebrating 100 Years Of Service To Veterans, Active Military, And Communities. If We All Keep Doing Our Part, The Next Century Will Be More Successful Than The First. In honoring our fathers, grandfathers, mothers and grandmothers who serve or served this great nation, the Sons of The American Legion Squadron 1 congratulate the Auxiliary and 40 & 8 for 100 years of service to our Veterans and Communities. Page 2, THE REVEILLE, March 2020 WHAT IS THE 40 & 8? March of 1920, Joseph W. Breen, a member of the newly formed American Legion and an officer of Breen-McCracken American Legi- on Post 297, met in Philadelphia with 15 other prominent Legion- naires where they originated the idea of The Forty and Eight. The organization was named La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux (The Society of For- ty Men and Eight Horses). Its mem- bers were called Voyageurs Mili- taire (military travelers) and candi- dates for membership were called Prisonniers de Guerre (Prisoners of War). The cargo capacity sign “40 Hommes/8 Chevaux” emblazoned on each French boxcar that carried American doughboys to the front, and “French horizon blue” color, Eight’s Promenade Nationale (na- partner with The American Legion became symbols of the new society. tional convention) in Kansas City, and The American Legion Auxili- The first statewide Forty and a national constitution was adopted, ary, all with common interests in Eight Promenade (meeting) was and a national headquarters was es- Child Welfare. Forty and Eight Wel- held in June 1920, following the tablished in Seattle, Washington. fare Program funds ($24,823.91) 2nd Annual Convention of the 1922 — During the Promenade were safely invested to grow to meet American Legion’s Department of Nationale in New Orleans, a Chil- future needs. A joint policy commit- Pennsylvania. dren’s Welfare project was estab- tee of members from all three organ- The new Forty and Eight organi- lished, with monies to be raised via izations was established. zation agreed to send a delegation an annual assessment of 50 cents 1926 — At Promenade Nationale to the Legion’s national convention from dues collections, to be used in Philadelphia, Forty and Eight in Cleveland, Ohio, with as much for the care of orphaned children. membership was reported to be fanfare as possible in order to intro- 1923 — The National Headquar- 32,449. A major focus of discussion duce the Forty and Eight to the na- ters of the Forty and Eight was mov- was the growth of American Legion tion and to other Legionnaires. ed to Indianapolis. The Forty and membership, which had previously 1921 — During the Forty and Eight was integrated as an equal been declining annually since the Le- gion’s inception. Much of the Le- 40 & 8 Charter gion’s new growth was attributed to extraordinary recruiting efforts by tims, sponsored anti-juvenile delin- donors for transport to the strug- The Forty and Eight’s Voyageurs who quency programs, and supported gling people of post war France and had brought in more than 17,000 new Legion Baseball and Scouting. Italy. members for the American Legion. 1941 — During World War II, The Merci Train, composed of Voyageur William Mundt of Voiture The Forty and Eight rolled up its 49 cars, and filled with “gifts of 24, Bloomington, Illinois, was rec- sleeves. Individual Forty and Eight gratitude”; the Merci Train arrived ognized for having signed up 509 members volunteered for military in New York City on February 3, new Legion members. service, served as air raid wardens 1949, and was divided amongst the 1928 — Forty and Eight pro- and in other civil defense capacities, 48 states with the remaining car to grams expanded in concert with The aided in salvage drives, bond drives, be shared by the District of Colum- American Legion. Membership, blood drives, visited hospitals, and bia and Hawaii. Child Welfare, Junior Baseball, helped recruiting efforts for the Donations from the Merci Train Americanism and Emergency Re- Armed Services. came from over six million citizens lief became key Forty and Eight The Forty and Eight made a spe- of France and Italy in the form of programs. Annual donations contin- cial effort to ensure every service- dolls, statues, clothes, ornamental ued to the Child Welfare Fund, with man on transport ships overseas had objects, art, and furniture. $18,960 earmarked for 1928. Addi- a deck of cards. Over 60,000 decks 1955 — The Forty and Eight for- tionally, Voitures Locaux devised were initially distributed, 610,498 mally established its Nurses Train- their own charitable programs, such decks in the second year, and a mil- ing program. as Voiture 220 of Chicago sponsor- lion decks in 1943-1944. Ultimately, 1959 (1960) — The Forty and ing a youth summer camp. over 4 million decks of cards were Eight severed ties with the Ameri- During the depression years, The distributed. can Legion and became an indepen- Forty and Eight and The American The Forty and Eight also began dent organization. Legion grew steadily. Forty and issuing Nursing Scholarships. By There had been ripples of dis- Eight Voyageurs enrolled 27,000 September of 1942, over 100 nurs- content for several years. The orga- new members in the Legion during es had received education grants. nizations were fundamentally dif- 1928-1929 and were instrumental in Increasing American Legion ferent. The American Legion was helping The American Legion to membership was deemed vital to large, easy to join and non-fraternal. pass the one million members mark. organizing veterans to help the war The Forty and Eight was elite, by- 1932 — The Forty and Eight de- effort. The Forty and Eight exceed- invitation only, and racially restric- clared War on Childhood Diphthe- ed its goals by gaining 211,301 new tive. The Forty and Eight had mon- ria. Vaccination toxin was distribut- Legion members, thereby helping to etary resources many in the Legion ed via Voiture Nationale to children bring the American Legion to an deemed theirs. Conversely, The whose parents could not afford it. all-time high in membership. Forty and Eight objected to funding Physicians donated their services, 1947 — The Forty and Eight be- (Continued on Page 4) and educational campaigns were gan its long association carried out to combat the disease. with the Hanson’s Dis- THE REVEILLE From 1932 through 1936, The ease (leprosy) research Forty and Eight sought to influence hospital in Carville, Published Six Times A Year, Congress regarding veteran’s bene- Louisiana, by funding Jan., March, May, July, Sept. and Nov. by The American Legion, fits. These were the “Bonus March” all publication costs for Leyden-Chiles-Wickersham Post No. 1 Depression years when WWI vet- the hospital’s patient- 5400 E. Yale, Denver, Colorado 80222 • 303-757-1919 erans and the federal government published magazine in Mile High Denver, Colorado, the Heart of the Rocky Mountain West. were at times in open conflict. The “The Star.” The Forty Subscription Rate: $1.00 per year. Forty and Eight sponsored national and Eight purchased a Periodicals Postage Paid at Denver, Colorado, USPS 463-400. radio programs, featuring well printing press and other known political figures, to bring equipment to help the POSTMASTER: Send form 3578 to: equitable treatment of war veterans patients carry on “their 5400 E. Yale Ave., Denver, Colorado 80222 to the national forefront. Realizing fight against the igno- Approved as an advertising medium by the that power came with numbers, The rance which surrounds DENVER RETAIL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION. Forty and Eight brought in 111,159 this disease.” Commander Tom Yagley, Senior Vice Commander Ken Burge, Junior Vice new American Legion members. 1949 — The Forty Commander Tony Jones, Junior Vice Commander Lenny Mares, Adjutant The efforts of The Forty and Eight and Eight welcomed Patrick Burch, Finance Officer Jeff Pitchford, Chaplain John Holland, ultimately helped convince Con- The Merci Train, also Sergeant-At-Arms Alan Jaffe,Veterans Service Officer Richard Hassell, gress to pass, over a presidential known as the French Historian Don Roche. veto, the compensation act for Gratitude Train. America’s war veterans. The Merci Train was 1938 — The Forty and Eight be- the 1949 Europe to gan sponsoring Boys State in 20 U.S. response to the states. Charitable efforts increased as 1947 Friendship Train, Voitures provided negative pressure which collected food- ventilators (iron lungs) for polio vic- stuffs from American March 2020, THE REVEILLE, Page 3 About The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1 The power of service to others not to self This is your Invitation to join the grams of The American Legion American Legion Auxiliary LCW • To foster patriotism and respon- Unit One. sible citizenship We are located at 5400 East Yale • To award scholarships and promote Avenue, Denver, CO. We meet on the quality education and literacy second Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 • To provide educational and lead- p.m. monthly September through ership opportunities that uphold June. Membership applications can the ideals of freedom and democ- be obtained at the Post building or can racy and encourage good citizen- be downloaded at www.legion-aux ship and patriotism in government .org.
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