Many wonderful things have come to the U.S. over the years courtesy of France. A rather unique gift arrived at New York Harbor on February 3, 1949, when the freighter Magellan unloaded 49 antique boxcars, one of them destined for Vermont. Each boxcar was filled with remarkable gifts from the people of France as a way of saying “thank you” for the help we provided during and after WWII.
Earlier this month, the Wake Robin community was treated to a presentation by Brigitte Kibler Helzer who told the story of the journey of the Gratitude Train, or the Merci Train as it is usually called now, and how the Vermont boxcar ultimately survived. Brigitte was born in Alsace while it was under Nazi occupation. Her family’s emigration to the United States coincided with the shipment of the Merci Train to New York, and this amazing parallel is part of her life story.
The Merci Train was a heartfelt gesture from the citizens of France who donated thousands of gifts and filled 49 boxcars, one for each state (Alaska was not with us yet). The train was a response to the Friendship Train, which had delivered relief supplies from the U.S. to war-torn Europe in 1947.
Many of these train cars are still on display today as a reminder of this powerful act of international goodwill. The boxcars themselves had been used in both world wars and were themselves a type of survivor. The Merci Train was met with great fanfare upon its arrival in New York including a U.S. Air Force flyover and fireboat salutes.
So what happened to Vermont’s gift? When it first arrived in Brattleboro on February 10, 1949, it was welcomed with a ceremony before traveling to Montpelier, where gifts were displayed at the Vermont Historical Society Museum. The boxcar contained a variety of gifts including paintings, photographs, dolls in period costumes, commemorative medals, books, clothing, wind-up toy Renault cars, and even live trees. Many of these items were later distributed to towns, libraries, and museums throughout Vermont.
Today, the Vermont Merci Train boxcar is located at the Vermont National Guard Library & Museum in Colchester. All these years later, it is still appropriate to say, “merci beaucoup!”
