La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grande Voiture

du Texas

Texas Voyageur News

Several 40 and 8 members were on hand as the project got underway, and some joined in an impromptu bucket brigade to help unload lumber from the back of a pickup, but when it came to the heavy lifting, that was left mostly to the youngsters wearing bright orange Home Depot T-shirts. “I don’t know how much labor they’re gonna get out of us old retired Army guys,” said Don Taylor, who serves as 40 and 8 treasurer. “We’ve been working this (project) about a year. We also deliver school supplies to Fairview/(Miss) Jewell and (Hettie) Halstead (elementary schools). We just gave $1,500 to youth sports. We’ve got about 30 members and we do what we can.”

The 40 and 8, which meets locally at VFW Post 8577 in Copperas Cove, became an independent and separately incorporated veteran’s organization in 1960. It is designed “to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, to promote the well-being of veterans, their widows, widowers and orphans, and to actively participate in selected charitable endeavors.” Membership is by invitation only and open to honorably discharged veterans and honorably serving members of the U.S. military.

The group’s name derives from the small railroad cars that were used to transport troops during World War I. Capacity of the train cars was 40 soldiers or eight horses.