The Friendship Train in Virginia
by Dorothy R. Scheele

The Friendship Train was the United States’ present to the people in France and Italy after World War II. The Friendship Train’s cargo was $40 million dollars of food for the cold and starving people in France and Italy after war. The Friendship Train crossed the United States of America in 1947 collecting the food. The Friendship Train was not the Marshall Plan. Every ounce of food was donated by the American people. A more complete history of the Friendship Train is on the home page of this site.

Virginia, one of four states officially called a commonwealth and one of the 13 original colonies, had an impressive donation to the Friendship Train, six boxcars. The state had an enthusiastic and patriot response to the call for food to send to the hungry and cold Europeans. Virginia had filled 12 freight cars for the incredible Friendship Train. Six of those cars were from Richmond and the surrounding environs, and the other six came from Bristol. Contents from those cars were filled by contributions from Lynchburg, Danville, Roanoke, and Pulaski County.

The sponsors and major organizers in Virginia for this unparalled event were two American Legion posts: the Hackler-Wood Post in Bristol, Virginia, and the R. E. Cooke Post in Bristol, Tennessee. These two cities are located on the Tennessee-Virginia border, and the Tennessee city was an inevitable partner with its sister city in Virginia. The commanders of these posts were Wesley Davis and R. E. (Tubby) Cooke, respectively. Charles Bray was chairman of transportation and pick-up, and Arthur McBerry was in charge of loading.

Other American Legion posts were involved with the train helping to organize and to contribute. Ray V. Long, State Citizens Food Committee chairman, held the leading role in organizing the entire state of Virginia and in fostering the contributions of food.

The collection of non-perishable food did not follow definitive rail lines or locations of cities as it had in most of the other states. The contributing areas were scattered throughout the Commonwealth, thus creating a varied landscape of collection areas.

Big Stone Gap, VA, located in the southern part of the Commonwealth is known, among facts and events, for its visit from Elizabeth Taylor, who was then campaigning with her politician husband, John W. Warner. The Lions Club donated 7,100 pounds of sugar which the club specified would go to Hungary. In addition, the club contributed $250 from their treasury and from individual members.

Bristol, VA is located 56 miles southeast of Big Stone Gap and on Virginia’s southern border. Bristol, Virginia’s contribution to the Friendship Train consisted of two boxcars. Four local groups assisted with packing and loading $25,000 worth of food. Those assisting with donating, soliciting, packing and transporting the food were the Junior Red Cross in Bristol, Tennessee; Mrs. Oleva President of Bristol Business and Professional Women’s Club, and the Norfolk and Western Rail Line. American Legion Post 30 contributed one boxcar. Saul Simon, a service officer of the Post, declared that churches and civic organizations helped the Post members with collections.

Loading the Bristol freight car took place at the passenger depot platform. E. G. Richardson instructed his loading crew to put spotlights on the platform and on the cars which would receive the goods. Bristol boxcars would travel to Lynchburg to be joined to other boxcars. Glen Elliot, the Virginia state adjutant of the American Legion Post, announced that the Norfolk and Western Rail Line would set cars along the route between the two cities so that any Legion Post which wanted to contribute could place its donations in these cars. Charleston, West Virginia, had hoped to send their Friendship Train donation to Bristol, the closest city but could not because of time restraints. Other southern towns had intended to send their donations to Virginia or the District of Columbia, but strategic problems again prevented that development.

A few suggestions had been made of having an Atlantic coast Friendship Train, but that idea did not develop mostly because of planning difficulties. One of the major reasons for the failure of a southern Friendship Train was time and strategy. There was only a five week difference between the time Drew Pearson announced his plan and the launching of the Friendship Train on November 7th. Undoubtedly, with an additional east coast train, the total amount of donations would have been far larger than the $40 million worth of food which crossed the Atlantic Ocean. However, other trains, also calling themselves Friendship Trains came into existence at least one year and occasionally two years after the November 1947 Friendship Train.

Bristol’s Friendship Train departed 8:30 on the morning of November 17th. High school bands from Bristol, VA and Bristol, TN played. The involvement of school bands and the fact that there was a ceremony intimates the emotional connection of the Friendship Train to Americans. Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic clergy each gave short prayers.

Abingdon, VA had set up a house-to-house collection strategy. The Washington Motor Company offered its facilities as a receiving point. Checks and cash were sent to an address in Bristol. Mr. N. O. Akers of American Legion Post in Abingdon declared that the Post would definitely contribute to the Friendship Train. Among cash and check donors were Wesley Class of State Street; the Methodist Church; Mrs. George Turner, Circle #7 of State Street Methodist Church; M. H. McCrary; Mrs. Hershel Dove; Ford Furniture Company; Mr. and Mrs. Ed Arrants, and Guy Arnold.

Radford, VA, approximately 103 miles northwest of Bristol, gave to the Friendship Train. An officer of the American Legion Post 30 declared that churches and civic organizations had helped with the collection and that the Legion intended to connect with the Friendship Train as it traveled through.

Danville, VA on the southern border of Virginia and about 70 miles southwest of Lynchburg, generated quite a bit of enthusiasm for this unique venture. The Junior Chamber of Commerce sponsored it and made arrangements for a freight car to be placed between the depot and freight office at Craghead Street. Contributions were plentiful. The Danville Elks sent 25 cases of evaporated milk. The American Legion Auxiliary donated a 100 pound bag of sugar. Other civic groups had committed to doing likewise. The contributions were placed in grocery stores and fire houses waiting for collection. November 27th was the final day for the collection. A send-off ceremony was held at the depot at 4:00 p.m. on November 27th. The Junior Drum and Burgle Corps played before the festivity began. Those attending were Dr. Edward J. Reeves, Mayor Everett T. Carter, Jaycees, the Senior Drum and Bugle Corp, and the excited citizenry.

Newport News, VA, located at the southeastern tip of the Virginia peninsula, is one of the most populated cities in the Commonwealth. Among the contributions was $500 donated by the Kiwanis Club and another $500 by the Hampton Lions. The sheet metal workers union pledged 1,000 pounds. W. P, Link from this union asked that donations be in by Friday afternoon. A departure ceremony for the Newport News train was held at 2:30 at the intersections of 23rd Street and Huntington Avenue. Mr. Van Buren who was in charge of the activity, announced that the Newport News High School Band would play at this event. Departure ceremonies were almost a routine event throughout the nation. Attending this festivity were Mayor R. Cowles Taylor of Newport News; Acting Mayor H. S. East of Hampton; Mayor Robert F. Snow of Phoebus VA; and George Abernathy, chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Warwick County. Mr. Van Buren had also invited the heads of all organizations which had participated in the Friendship Train drive. The boxcar, which had been loaded at the Chesapeake & Ohio track at 27th Street and Huntington, departed from that location. The November 23, 1947, edition of the Bristol Herald has a picture of students from Sullins College participating with the festivities.

Richmond, VA the capital of the Old Dominion State, has a reputation for a rich and diverse citizenry and is a popular tourist destination. The city raised over $12,000 for the Friendship Train, of which approximately $7,000 was donated by the Lions Club. All businesses, religious, and civic organizations, including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts were asked to donate and to help in collecting and preparing the food for shipment. The five days between November 10th and the 15th were the collection dates. Local high schools and other institutions participated in the Friendship Train drive. John Marshall High School contributed $180; Thomas Jefferson High School contributed $179; Richmond Professional Institute gave $75. Eleven African-American elementary schools donated an undisclosed amount. Money continued to arrive after the Friendship Train had departed. E. S. Whitlock, the president of the Richmond Lions Club, assured the contributors that the funds would be sent to the Lions Club of Philadelphia for food purchases there.

Staunton, VA Mayor, William A. Grubert, had received a telegram from Ray V. Long requesting that the Mayor encourage giving to the Friendship Train. Mr. Long had sent such telegrams to cities of 10,000 or fewer. The Staunton-Augusta Chamber of Commerce solicited food for the Europeans. The pick-up point for the donations they received was an American Legion in Radford, VA.

Warren County began its Friendship Train pick-up on the afternoon of November 1st according to the November 1st Sunday Herald Roanoke Rapids. The intention was to fill a freight car with grain and other farm products. Jim Hundley, who was chairman of the Christian Rural Overseas Program, asked those who did not have farm products to donate cash which would be used to cover the cost of sending the freight car to Norfolk. Mr. Hundley told farmers was that if a truck failed to come by the farm on that day, to please take their donations to the tobacco shed in Warrenton early in the next week. The donations would then be placed temporarily in the tobacco storage warehouse. He also asked those who did not have farm products to instead contribute cash to cover the cost of transportation to Norfolk, VA.

Winchester, VA, in the northeastern tip of the Old Dominion state, is reported to have donated a substantial amount of food to the Friendship Train and also intended to donate clothing and bed coverings. The Ministerial Association committee chaired by Rev. James B. Roe, rector of the Christ Episcopal Church, took charge of collecting the clothing.

Interestingly, Fredericksburg, VA did not participate in this national experience. A misunderstanding or dispute between the Chamber of Commerce and the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail Line resulted in the city’s decision not to donate.

Virginia’s 12 freight cars departed the state on November 26, 1947. The 12 freight cars were joined at a railroad yard at Strathmore, VA, near Gordonsville. From there the destination was Washington, D. C.

List of Works Consulted

The author welcomes any corrections or additional information which would add to this state's history.  Her email address is draetrain@gmail.com.

The Friendship Train was the genesis for the French Merci Train. Website www.mercitrain.org has information about that train. Copies of Mr. Bennett's Book The Merci Train, A Big Thank You From the French Merci Train is available at ebennett89@yahoo.com. The price is $25.00 per copy, including postage.

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