After World War II, France said 'merci' to U.S. with trains

You don’t have to travel to Normandy, France to understand how D-Day impacted history.

For the past 72 years, a unique boxcar gifted by the French people has been on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

Museum Executive Director Kris Hoellen, Hoellen said France gave the cars, known as Merci Cars, to the United States in a spirit of gratitude following World War II - even though the French infrastructure had largely been destroyed as a result of the war.

Hoellen said that in 1947, American radio commentator Drew Pearson came up with a plan to send aid to France, which was reeling from the effects of the war.  A Friendship Train went across the United States, ultimately growing to 700 cars with an estimated $40 million value of food, clothes anf fuel that was sent to France and Italy.

“This was citizen-led,” she stressed.

Hoellen said the French people were deeply moved by the actions of Americans during and after World War II and wanted to publicly show their gratitude. In 1949, they responded with their own Merci Train.

Andre Picard, a French veteran and railroad worker, organized the Merci Train, which was composed of “40 and 8” boxcars, Hoellen said.

“They could hold 40 men or eight horses,” she explained.

A total of 49 of the Merci Train boxcars were sent to the United States, with one sent to each

of the then-48 states and one to be shared by the Territory of Hawaii and the District of Columbia, Hoellen said.

“Again, this is citizen-led, people were just bringing what they had,” she said.

Hoellen said when Maryland’s Merci Car arrived in Baltimore, it contained 37 cases of French gifts, including books, ashtrays, paintings, prehistoric relics, statues, model boats, dolls, vases, war souvenirs and a 1780 letter from Benjamin Franklin to John Paul Jones.

The car has 40 shields – 20 on each side - representing each of France’s provinces.

“What’s particularly unique about our car is it's the only remaining Merci Car that has never been restored,” she said. “Everything that is on it is authentic.”

Hoellen said many do not realize the importance of railroads to the military. The “iron horse” played an important role in transporting men and goods during the Civil War, World War I and World War II.

Of the 49 Merci Cars delivered to different states, there are 43 that have survived and are on display at various museums, state parks and American Legion posts.

Hoellen said the cars are a unique reminder that France and the United States have been allies for centuries, and the connections between the two countries appear almost everywhere.

“It’s a beautiful symbol of relationships and gratitude,” Hoellen said. “It’s the power of the human spirit. The Merci Car exemplifies unification.”

To learn more about the B&O Railroad Museum, visit here.

Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com .