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sugar. The truckers of Los
Angeles ensured themselves, free of charge, the transport of the food collected. (...) In Fresno, in the central valley of California, children stopped the train, and presented boxes of milk and cookies. Oakland added seven cars. People lined up for hours to donate money to the 'Friendship Train' fund. The state of North Dakota, located off the route, telegraphed that it was forming a special train, which would connect to Chicago. The railway companies undertook to run trains for free". On its arrival in Chicago on November 14, the train that now consisted of 80 wagons had to continue on three different itineraries, converging at the terminal station in New York. Only one day later, the main line already consisted of 160 wagons. Rumors spread, that the states of the Middle West, formerly bastions of isolationism, and Texas were sending a 12-car train to New York. Finally, on November 18, the main train reached New York, its locomotives towing 240 wagons of food and medicine and being welcomed by a crowd of 25'000 persons. Prior to carrying the first shipload of the train's cargo to
72:, and other newspapers around the U.S. took up the cause. Drew Pearson thought that a train, crossing the United States from West to East, and collecting on its way the gifts of the American people to the French people and to the Italian people would not only represent concrete help. This train, which was to be organised outside of the governmental agenda of support, should also be a symbol for the willingness of Americans to help Europe. Everyone was to be given in person the occasion to do something for those who suffered, the occasion, in his own words "to demonstrate the American way to bring democracy to life. Pearson's closest collaborator was his wife Luvie Pearson, who together with him took the lead in the collection and distribution of the goods: "Luvie was the steam that powered the train across the northern United States, and Drew fired up the southern route. Both stopped at every village for contributions. They collected enough food to fill 'two long freight trains.' And then they took it to Europe, with keys to the towns presented at every stop."
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The project of the friendship train which started in Los
Angeles with a spectacular sendoff by Hollywood producers and celebrities instantly became a joint endeavor of the people of the United States: "The governor of distant Hawaii came to transmit, on behalf of his fellow citizens, 72 tons of
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Originally hoped to collect 80 train car loads of food, the train ultimately collected over 700 cars ($ 40 million value) of food, clothing, and fuel, paid in part by monetary donations. Each parcel that was distributed in Europe was accompanied by a personal message of the
American donors:
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Described at the time as a "token gift", the aid was symbolic of the
Marshall Plan effort. The train was described at the time as effective propaganda for the ideological conflict with the
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to the United States by France, which arrived in New York Harbor on
February 2, 1949. Many of the gifts remain on display at local historical societies and museums throughout the U.S.
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The phrase has been used more recently for other purposes, such as the 1967 "Friendship Train" from the
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in 11 days. A northern branch assembled cars of aid as it passed through
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collected foodstuffs from
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U.S. aid program to France and Italy after World War II
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Parks, Warren; Smoker, Frank H. (January 27, 1998).
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622:. December 13, 1948. Archived from
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515:Dreux, Robert (December 14, 1947).
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402:Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation
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445:Ames (Iowa) Historical Society
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414:Gladys Knight & the Pips
40:. Contemporaneous with the
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483:"The Legend that was Luvie"
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23:Friendship Train (song)
842:French Fourth Republic
556:"Le train de l'amitié"
517:"Le train de l'amitié"
464:"Le train de l'amitié"
347:act by Drew Pearson.
64:Washington journalist
644:Turner Classic Movies
451:on September 6, 2012.
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635:Further information
626:on March 12, 2007.
616:"Querulous Quaker"
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396:In popular culture
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379:World War I
375:Merci Train
369:Merci Train
363:Merci Train
130:Green River
86:Bakersfield
82:Los Angeles
781:Categories
424:References
355:called it
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258:New Jersey
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214:Fort Wayne
110:California
106:Sacramento
60:Background
495:0190-8286
286:Ashtabula
282:Cleveland
242:Lancaster
222:Mansfield
735:Politics
387:box cars
318:Le Havre
310:New York
298:Syracuse
210:Illinois
202:Sterling
174:Nebraska
142:Cheyenne
98:Stockton
747:Society
673:Portals
404:to the
351:of the
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254:Trenton
252:), and
234:Altoona
218:Indiana
206:Chicago
194:Clinton
166:Fremont
158:Kearney
146:Wyoming
138:Laramie
134:Rawlins
102:Oakland
76:History
759:Trains
699:France
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390:gifted
345:Quaker
306:Albany
304:, and
284:, and
278:Toledo
204:, and
150:Sidney
118:Nevada
94:Merced
90:Fresno
34:France
711:Italy
381:era "
377:, 49
302:Utica
182:Boone
170:Omaha
122:Ogden
38:Italy
687:Food
620:Time
502:2022
491:ISSN
290:Ohio
268:and
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186:Ames
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