Remembering the day a World War II Merci Train from France came to Providence | Opinion

Mike Fink, a retired Rhode Island School of Design professor and occasional contributor, lives in Providence.

Directly after the liberation of Europe and the celebrations and congratulations to the Allied troops of World War II, I began my career as a columnist.

As the 14-year-old editor of the (Nathan) Bishop Bugle, a graduation mimeographed junior high school newspaper, I was sent downtown to greet the "Merci Train."  As some among you may recall, the new French republic delivered boxcars to each of the then 48 states, filled with classic treats, lace doilies, varied cheeses and patisseries, to spell out gratitude and camaraderie. 

Well, I tapped out a tale on a typewriter that had only capital letters, and then ... years, decades flew by and the memory dimmed ... until The Providence Journal printed a possibility that perhaps the wreck of the thank-you boxcar might be found in some junkyard.  Not all the states had preserved that moment, that monument; some just tossed them out, while others kept them as historical treasures. I followed the guidance of that Journal article and voila! I found the ruined train in South County and the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket sent a team to get ahold of it and restore it to the grandeur of yore. 

I have a few snapshots that I took of that endeavor and I hereby share them with you. Along with my respect and affection for this museum and all who work within its space. The restoration is a work of art and devotion and dedication, and I dare to add a personal conclusion. My late mother grew up in Montreal and taught me a few French proverbs.  One was, "Ne dis jamais a la fontaine, je ne boirai pas de ton eau," which translates into "Never say to a fountain, I will never drink your water." Which meant to me that everything happens to everyone ... or something like that.

It may even be that proverb that sent me for a full year to Paris to figure out what further treat was in that Merci Train.  I found my answer today when I visited that very boxcar that came back to life. Like a special thanksgiving message to me to return the generous gesture and to thank France for launching my career.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Remembering the day a WW II Merci Train from France came to Providence