Merci Train - Recent Additions
If you have a personal experience with the history of the Merci Train or the artifacts that came from the train and would like to share your experience please let us know. Maybe you have a neighbor or relative who may have served in the wars and actually rode on one of these cars.
Photos and or stories are always welcome. Please contact Earl Bennett at the address on the main page of this site. New articles are added to the top of the page. Please stop back often.
2/26/12
by John Stevens
February 26, 2012 turned out to be a momentous day in the history of the MerciTrain.org website. After almost 18 years, Earl Bennett, Sr. finally completed his quest to visit all 43 existing Merci Train boxcars. Earl saw his first boxcar while visiting with his son and his family when he was stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho. They decided to visit the Old State Historical Museum in Boise where one of the displays is the Idaho car. That chance encounter was the catalyst for this website, a book, and travel to visit all the remaining cars.
In the fall of 2011, I had a conversation with Earl that included the fact that my wife and I were going to travel to Hawaii in February 2012 to take a cruise between the islands. We were married in February 1978 and although we didn't have the opportunity to take a honeymoon trip we have always considered the trip we took the following June to Hawaii to be our "honeymoon". Now it just turns out that February is also the month that Earl and Gloria got married. Before you know it, we were planning to meet them in Hawaii and visit the HI car.
As this plan was coming together, I contacted the people that have helped Earl throughout the years with the website about a presentation commemorating Earl's accomplishment of visiting all 43 cars. Roxanne Godsey put together the beautiful certificate you see below.
Finally, the big day arrived. As you can see from the picture below-right, there were five of us in attendance to present the certificate to Earl. They are from left to right...Sue Stevens, John Stevens, Gloria Bennett, Earl Bennett, Sr., Dorothy Scheele (owner of The Friendship Train 1947 website), and Todd Schannuth, who assists Dorothy with her website.
Here is a thumbnail of the certificate presented to Earl.
Click on image below to view full size
Click on the images below to view full size
John Stevens presenting the certificate to Earl |
Earl proudly displaying the certificate |
left to right Sue Stevens, John Stevens, Gloria Bennett, Earl Bennett, Sr., Dorothy Scheele, Todd Schannuth |