The Forty & Eight Charitable Veterans Since 1920
501(c)(19) non profit, tax exempt
40&8 National Headquarters; 777 N. Meridian Street; Indianapolis, IN 46204-1420
317 634-1804 ~ Voiturenationale@msn.com ~ www.fortyandeight.org
MEDIA RELEASE
M. Anich; publiciste408@cox.net
40&8 Veterans Invite Media to National Convention in Springfield, Illinois, Sept 7-11, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS August 16, 2010 The national headquarters of the Forty & Eight veterans organization will hold its 91st annual Promenade Nationale (national convention) at the Springfield Hilton Hotel, in Springfield, Illinois, September 7-11, 2010.
The Forty & Eight’s national commander, Chef de Chemin de Fer Jerry Brady, cordially invites members of the media to attend the group’s national convention in Springfield.
Convention activities at the Springfield Hilton will feature several colorful events, including, on Wednesday, September 8th, a color guard competition at 8:30 a.m. and a clown party for disadvantaged children at 11:00 a.m. Video crews are welcome.
Convention recipients of the Forty & Eight’s 2010 Annual National Awards include:
Americanism Award recipient Major General Benjamin L. Harrison, U. S. Army, who commanded a brigade of the 101st Airborne in the last major ground battle of the Vietnam War.
Law Officer of the Year recipient Detective Ed Troyer of Tacoma, Washington, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, for his work in law enforcement and with the Amber Alert program, foster parenting and disaster relief.
City of the Year, Sedalia, Missouri, for its exemplary support of veterans and its supportive relationship with nearby Whiteman Air Force Base.
Hero of the Year recipient Mr. Bobby Black of Morenci, Michigan, who suffered burns when he rushed into a raging house fire the night of August 9, 2009, to save the life of a 11 month old child.
The Forty & Eight is an honor society of American veterans. Founded in 1920 by veterans of the First World War, the group's French railroad boxcar theme plays on the common experience of soldiers traveling to the battlefront in boxcars. Each car was emblazoned with a white, stenciled load limit of "40/8"; meaning either forty men or eight horses. Always overloaded and seldom cleaned, this minor misery of traveling to war was symbolic of the deeper, unspoken things that bind all war veterans and continues to be a lighthearted focus for the close comradery and charitable efforts of members of the Forty & Eight.
The Forty & Eight is primarily a charitable veteran’s organization. In the 1930's, it lead the fight against Childhood Diphtheria and in the 1950's against Hansen's Disease (leprosy). Today the Forty & Eight continues its charitable efforts by providing scholarships to nursing students, children of POWs, youth sports and other chartable endeavors.
For more information regarding the Forty & Eight's national convention in Springfield, please contact Forty & Eight National headquarters Promenade Corp., at 317 634-1804.
The Forty & Eight’s National Media Kit is at http://www.fortyandeight.org/national_media_kit.htm .
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