Local groups make progress in Scottsdale

By Cyrus Guccione
Mail

Two East Valley groups have made it their mission to keep a piece of American and French history alive at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

Upholding American preservation, restoration and education, the Four Peaks Questers Chapter #1207 has made it a priority to update the aged signage for the Merci Train at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park by raising a total of $7,500 to complete its first of a three-phase project.

Raised through individual donations and grants, the funds will cover the cost of an eight-panel storyboard that will tell the Arizona Merci Train story.

One of 49 other “Gratitude Trains” sent to the U.S. by France in 1949, these railway boxcars were filled with toys, clothing, food, wine, artwork and other items as a gesture of gratitude for American aid during and after WWII.

Many of these boxcars were put on display as memorials to the longstanding French and U.S. friendship, including the Arizona Merci Train (boxcar #47) at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

The Four Peaks Questers Merci Train Committee is working closely with the City of Scottsdale and the Arizona Capitol Museum, the boxcar’s owner, to design the eight-panel storyboard.

“The more I read about (the Merci Train), the more interesting the individual stories are,” said Betsy Stambaugh, Four Peaks Questers treasurer and Merci Train committee member.

Susan Armanovs is the senior recreation leader for the City of Scottsdale who says the significance of this project is to keep history intact.

“A lot of people aren’t familiar with the story of the Merci Train,” Armanovs said. “After they visit, a lot of people then search out boxcars in other states that they visit, or when they go back home if they’re not from here, they search out their state’s boxcar, so it just keeps that history alive.”

The Arizona Merci Train is currently on loan from the Arizona Capitol Museum along with its many artifacts that are on rotation including dolls, sculptures and trench art - artwork created from shell casings and metal artillery.

According to Armanovs, the Arizona Merci Train has the most intact artifact collection of all the boxcars thanks in large part to the work of Polish Army Veteran Zina Kuhn and author and Historian Joan Fudala.

Preserving French and American Heritage

Working alongside the Four Peaks Questers is The Forty & Eight Society of Arizona, a group of American military veterans and active service members who seek out charitable causes.

The Forty & Eight contributes an annual maintenance fee for the upkeep of the train cars located throughout the country according to Doug Adamson, Forty & Eight state director and retired Air Force veteran.

The Forty & Eight has also supported the City of Scottsdale in refurbishing the individual shields on the boxcar that represent the various provinces in France.

“We have been in concert with the Questers who have a strong interest in the boxcar,” Adamson said, who organized the Merci Train’s 75th anniversary in February with help from students in the Sunnyslope Air Force JROTC.

The anniversary event was attended by Scottsdale city council members including Mayor David Ortega along with the Honorary Consul of France in Arizona, Nathan Fidel.

“My personal opinion is the City of Scottsdale has done an outstanding job of keeping up with the heritage of the boxcar,” Adamson said.

The Forty & Eight East Valley locale includes members from American Legion Posts in Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Apache Junction and Gilbert, according to Adamson.

The name behind the Forty & Eight originates from the physical capacity of the French-built boxcars that could transport a total of forty troops or eight horses.

As the capital improvement project at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is underway, Stambaugh says the Arizona Merci Train’s second stage is to complete the verbiage for the new eight-panel storyboard while the third and final stage is the ground installation which is expected to be completed in mid-summer.

“This is a story of friendship between two countries that our country needs to remember,” Stambaugh said.

To support the Questers in its renovation efforts of the Merci Train, contact Betsy Stambaugh at betsystambaugh@gmail.com or by calling 630-728-9653.

For more information about AZ Questers, visit azquesters.org. For more information about The Forty & Eight Society, visit fortyandeight.org.

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Cyrus Guccione can be reached at cguccione@iniusa.org.