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VOITURE NO. 595 RICHMOND COUNTY
STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK
Has been serving Staten Island and the Nation for over sixty years.
La Societe Des 40 Hommes Et 8 Chevaux, Forty and Eight or 40 & 8 are only a few ways our organization in known as.
The Forty and Eight background is of French origin. A quick French lesson . Hommes - men (40) Chevaux - horses (8) Voiture - box car Voyageurs - members.
When the Forty and Eight was formed they selected the French tarin system as their symbol. The locomotive and box car to remind them of being jammed into these tiny box cars which could only carry 40 men and 8 horses, while being transported to the front lines and back. Thus the name Forty and Eight. Each County has a Voiture (box car). Voiture #595 is Richmond Countys.
Very few people know us even after all thews years. But mention the Locomotive, or the guys in the funny looking hats and vests! Everybody remembers them, but know us well! That is another story.
While the Voiture has passed its 60th birthday, the Locomotive has just passed its 50th birthday.
Over the years the membership of the Forty and Eight have initiated many programs on a National level. The first child welfare of the American Legion. Still supports and maintains a child welfare program. Began a free program of immunization for children. Over the years they have expanded their programs to include Nurses Training programs, Hanse's disease research, Americanism programs and many youth related programs. Your own Local Voiture #595 supports its own Nurses Training program. We support the Special Olympics on Staten Island, a baseball team (Colts). We also support various other youth activities.
For these type of activities we have special fund raising drives. The money we raise goes back to Staten Islanders.
We also support Carville Star National Research Center for Hansen's disease. The funds for this is raised through the membership and not the public. We also donate to the Child Welfare fund, this also is through membership alone.
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