Museum of Gaming History
   An Educational Project of The Casino Collectibles Association, Inc.
   An IRS approved 501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt Not-For-Profit Organization
ChipGuide
ChipGuide - A Catalog of Casino Chips and Collectibles
250 E 38th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46205
Type: Fraternal
317-634-1804
Status: Open
Link to Website
(Wikipedia) La Société des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux (English: "The Society of 40 Men and 8 Horses"), commonly known as the Forty and Eight, is a nonprofit organization of U.S. veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas grande, and these are in turn made up of locale. It was founded in March 1920 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as an honor society for the American Legion, by World War I veteran, and Legionnaire, Joseph William Breen.

The Forty and Eight was founded in March, 1920, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when World War I veteran Joseph Breen and 15 other members of The American Legion came together and organized it as an honor society for the Legion. They envisioned a new and different level of elite membership and camaraderie for leaders of the Legion.

The organization derives its name from the French Army box cars used to transport American soldiers to the western front during World War I. Each car had "40--8" stenciled on the side, which meant that it could carry 40 men or 8 horses. The cars were known as "forty and eights" and viewed by the men as a miserable way to travel. The new organization was thus called the Forty and Eight in an attempt to make light of the common misery they had all shared.

In 1929 it was described as "the fun-making organization of The American Legion."

In 1959 the Forty and Eight became independent of The American Legion when National Commander Martin B. McKneally discontinued it as an organization within the Legion for having racially discriminatory membership requirements. In 1973 the Forty and Eight modified their membership rules to prohibit discrimination. The organization required its members to also be members of the Legion until 2008.
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Table Chips (3) [QuickView]
CG047864 Current
Added: 2014-12-10
Last Update: 2015-01-02
Color: Yellow
Mold: LzyDia
Contributed by: John Benedict
CG047453 Current
Added: 2014-12-07
Last Update: 2023-07-09
Color: Yellow
Mold: SmKey
Inlay: HS Gold
Contributed by: John K. Kallman
Updated by: Richard "Reggie" Gummer
CG219349 Current
Added: 2019-02-12
Last Update: 2023-07-09
Color: Blue
Mold: SmKey
Contributed by: Lee O'Dell
Wooden Nickels (1) [QuickView]
CG047452
Added: 2014-12-07
Last Update: 2015-01-02
Color: Blue
Contributed by: John K. Kallman
Total Items (4)

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