Veterans organization hosts Easter egg hunt, complete with World War I-era boxcar

Abby Sharpe, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 8—ROCHESTER — Easter egg hunts popped up at various locations Saturday, April 8, but few had the added interest of an aged boxcar like the Voiture Locale 327 of the 40 and 8.

Like other egg hunts, every child at Quarry Hill Park received a bag of goodies handed out by members of the veterans organization 40 & 8. Attendees could also look inside the voiture, which means boxcar in French.

The organization has held an Easter egg hunt for over 70 years, said Chef de Gare Grande du Minnesota Joe Brown.

"It's for the kids and youth, give them something to do. We like going out and then they get to see us. They can see that we're veterans," said Brown, who served in the U.S. Army from 1971-1973. "We enjoy helping the kids. After we get through with the Easter egg hunt, if we have any candy and bags leftover, we take it to the Ronald McDonald House."

La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux, or the Society of Forty Men and Eight Horses, was founded in 1920 by American veterans returning from France after World War I. The title of 40 & 8 embodies the experience of U.S. troops serving in France during the war.

U.S. soldiers were transported to the front line by the French rail system. The boxcars were stenciled with "40 Hommes/8 Chevaux," meaning each car could fit 40 men or eight horses.

"This uncomfortable mode of transportation was a common experience for every Doughboy that fought in the trenches; a mutual misery among American soldiers," the organization's

national website

says. "Thereafter, they found '40/8' a lighthearted symbol of the deeper service, unspoken horrors and shared sacrifice that bind all who have endured combat."

The 40 & 8 aims to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution and promote the well being of veterans and their families. The organization also participates in charitable endeavors.

"A lot of our main programs are child welfare, nurses' training and scholarships," Brown said. "We give scholarships every year to RCTC nursing students, and then we also started giving scholarships for the law enforcement students at RCTC."

The 40 & 8's membership is by invitation of honorably discharged veterans and active duty military.