BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — Nestled in between several shops in downtown Bishopville at Memorial Park sits a large piece of history, a Merci Train.
“I'd never heard of it and I was as lost as anyone else, we wanted to find a place to put it,” says Commander for VFW Post 3096, Ronnie Williams.
He says the train was originally in the hands of an American Legion Post in Columbia but it needed a new home so Williams researched the train and decided it was a good fit for the Bishopville community.
“The history behind it is so compelling, I'm amazed it wasn’t taught in school, I didn't hear about it,” he adds.
The boxcar was used to carry troops and supplies to the front lines during World War 1, then during World War II- America sent more than 500 boxcars of goods to France, this train is one of the 49 that the French sent back to America with gifts to say thank you.
“We're not talking food and stuff we’re talking gifts, handwritten cards, and notes, a child doll, a statue, then some high dollar stuff but by in large it was small stuff they could give just a part of themselves to send back to this country, 49 box cars were filled up, and this is the one that came to South Carolina,” he adds.
After years of sitting in the sun, the train began to fade to a different color which led him and other members of the VFW3096 to spend the last few days restoring it while also making sure it looked identical to it's original design.
“We were able to track back and came up with what we hope is the original color of this box car, these plaques are code of arms from different providences in France that participated in it,” he adds.
It's a piece of history he says the city will forever keep.