Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
Welcome to the home page of the
La Societe des Quarante Hommes
et Huit Chevaux.
(The Society of Forty Men
and Eight Horses).
Suffolk County, N.Y.,
Voiture #713.
Preamble
"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 have served or are now serving in the Armed Forces of the United States and their widows, widowers and orphans; to participate in all memorial services for and to be present at the funerals of departed comrades; to take part in and encourage others to participate in the proper observance of all days honoring veterans; to preserve the memories of our Service 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."
What is the Forty & Eight ?
La Societe des Quarante Hommes at Huit Chevaux, popularly known as the
Forty and Eight, is an independent Fraternal Organization of Veterans and
was organized in 1920 by American Legionnaires as a fun and honor society.
The Forty and Eight is composed of Veterans of both World War I,
World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm conflicts.
The Forty and Eight has nearly 36,000 members in over 900 Voitures Locale
(local units) located throughout the United States, Germany, Mexico, and France.
The Forty and Eight draws it's 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 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.
Those who nobly served our Nation in war, would henceforth as Forty and
Eight Members, charitably serve our communities in peace.
In the 1950’s, while continuing to honor the traditions of it’s founders, the
Forty & Eight became an Independent Veteran’s Organization. Membership in the
American Legion is no longer a requirement for membership in the Forty & Eight, but being invited into the organization and having an honorable discharge is.