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 50,000 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 Group. Membership in the
American Legion remains a requirement for membership in the Forty & Eight.