You may know that I sometimes call out specific veteran celebrations and talk with vets whenever I see them. While watching an episode of "America in Color, The 1930's",  on the Smithsonian channel, I was dismayed to see how our government treated a bunch of WWI vets. Following the Crash of 1929, many Americans, including WWI vets, were out of work. Many were homeless. Congress passed a bill to pay each vet $1.25 for each day served in WWI, payable in 1945. In 1932, some 20,000 vets marched on Washington to demand the money and more action on jobs. They set up a camp in the city. President Hoover called it a "communist revolution" and called in the police to break up the protest. The vets didn't back down and many were beaten and jailed. Then he brought in the US Army with Gen. MacArthur and 2 divisions. Our soldiers, following orders, attacked our veterans, killing some, wounding others. I understand the nature of the times, the importance of the rule of law, and the discipline of following orders (to a degree), but not the attack on our vets. 

hat

Wow hat! I gotta watch that one, thanks for the heads up on the documentary, it sounds like a good educational episode for the entire family.

 

that's enough to make ya pop a gasket...

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Wikipedia has an entry under "Bonus Army" that is quite detailed.  In addition to MacArthur, you'll find that Patton and Eisenhower participated.  Hoover was prez at the time, and under his admin the fedgovt philosophy was "nuttin' we can do honey".  [May explain the '32 elections?]  The bonus had been voted in '25, for payment in '45, and the march was all about advancing the payment sooner.  I think it was '36 that Congress voted to pay out early after all.  There was a second march during the FDR admin, defused by a govt offer to hire any marcher for the CCC, or bus the marcher home.  That appears to have worked better than Patton's tanks.  Lesson:  if you want to, there is usually a way to work with people; not always, but most the time.