The last weekend of the college football season (which generally falls in early December) is the occasion for one of the game’s oldest and most famous rivalries—the annual match-up between the football teams of the Army and Navy military academies. The first contest was in 1890. The game has been played in various locales during its long history, but it has most frequently been held in Philadelphia, due to its favorable location. The city is roughly halfway between the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY, and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.

From 1936 until 1941 and again between 1945 and 1975, when the Army/Navy football game was at its peak, the Pennsylvania Railroad operated special trains from New York City and Washington, D.C. to and from the game site in Philadelphia. The obvious break from 1941 until 1945 was due to World War II.

After the railroad declared bankruptcy, the tradition died for thirty years until 2005, when the philanthropist couple, Bennett and Vivian Levin, revived the game day train tradition and combined it with their desire to do something for injured American troops.

Bennett Levin was a native son of Philadelphia as well as a self-made millionaire. The couple already owned two locomotives and three luxury refurbished rail cars, which featured mahogany paneling, cushy seating and gourmet dining facilities. 

Having the where-with-all to do something unique, the Levin’s began planning and making arrangements to transport the injured soldiers aboard their personal vintage railroad cars from Walter Reed Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the Army/Navy game.

Bennett recruited other owners of vintage rail coaches to lend their cars to the project as well. Given the select circle of people with the funds and passion for restoring classic railway carriages, it was a closely knit community of friends and acquaintances that the Levin’s were able to call upon.

Bennett began his project by working with the commanding General at Walter Reed. Coordinating through the Army War College Foundation, of which Bennett was a trustee, the revival of the tradition of the Army/Navy Train came to fruition.

The project was not without conditions however. There were only three rules, but each was significant to the success of the idea.

1 – No press would be allowed. The Levin’s were adamant that the train would not become a traveling circus for media.

2 – Politicians were also banned. As Bennett clearly stated, “I didn’t want some idiot making this trip into a campaign photo op.”

3 – Finally, no Pentagon officials were invited either. Bennett and Vivian wanted their passengers to feel completely at ease with no pressure to observe military protocols to superiors.

The biggest hurdle for the Levin’s was to make it happen.

After fifteen months of planning and coordinating, the Army/Navy Game Train was ready to ride the rails again; only this time it featured steam locomotives and eighteen historic railway cars! 

The train entourage was called “The Liberty Limited.”

Among Bennett’s personal railroad car collection was the coach that carried President John F. Kennedy to the game in 1961 and 1962. That same car was used to transport Robert Kennedy’s body to Washington for burial.

While aboard the train, the troops were treated to gourmet meals en route. The soldiers were provided private transportation between the train and stadium and the best seats in the house on the 50-yard line. They enjoyed a fabulous lunch in a hospitality suite.

Amtrak contributed to the occasion by volunteering to transport all of the rail cars to Washington where they were joined together for the historic railway parade to Philadelphia.

Corporate donors provided gifts without publicity and volunteers filled goodie bags with stadium blankets, digital cameras, field glasses and down jackets. But, the story gets even better.

Each disabled vet was allowed to bring a guest…a friend or a family member. However, the wounded Marines who participated declined that offer, and chose instead to request that another Marine be included as their guest.

When the day arrived for the grand journey from Union Station in Washington to Philadelphia, Bennett Levin was concerned about how he would react when he met his 88 “celebrity” soldiers and their guests.

He should have known what the response would be. “They made it easy to be with them,” Bennett said. “They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They were so full of life and determination.”

For Bennett and Vivian Levin, the crowning moment came at the end of the day’s events when the eleven Marines who participated gave them hugs on the Union Station platform, followed by their singing the Marine Corps Hymn.

And so on a cold, dreary, bleak December day in 2005 the Army-Navy game train rolled again. This tribute to America’s injured soldiers went largely unnoticed by the media because of security precautions and Levin’s own rules. They wouldn’t have had it any other way.

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Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6:10 NLT

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 NLT

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:10 NLT

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40 ESV

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This story was emailed to me by my good friend, Jerry Thompson, and is adapted from a story written by Bob Taylor about the event. 

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If you have a story that you think might bless others, I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.

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