The war ended, and so did their pay. After the end of World War I, the Congress enacted a bill that would reward the veterans bonuses for each day they serve. The bill provided cash bonuses to the veterans that would be funded beginning in 1945. After the Great Depression, the nation settled and all the veterans started to demand their bonuses. In May of 1932, almost 15,000 veterans and their family made their way to Washington D.C. (John J. Chiodo) The events of the “Bonus Army” provide the plight of these veterans. The Bonus Marchers brought the GI Bill of Rights, also called Servicemen’s Readjustment Act which provided benefits to returning veterans. (“The Bonus Army”)
The Bonus Army consists of World War I veterans who
…show more content…
were homeless and unemployed during the Great Depression. Before the Great Depression, the Congress passed the World War Adjusted Compensation Act that would grant the veterans benefits for serving the United States during World War I. Veterans who were overseas would be paid $1.25 for each day they served, and veterans who served in the United States would be paid $1.00 per day. Almost a decade later, the economic collapse and resulted in bankruptcies, unemployment, and wage cuts. Herbert Hoover, the president at this time gave jobs to unemployed citizens, but his effort was not enough. The Great Depression caused unemployment, hunger, and desperate veterans. (“The Bonus Army”) By 1932, many veterans who were part of the bill that rewards them for their service had lost their jobs and fortunes in the early days of the Great Depression. They asked Congress to redeem their bonuses early. Walter Waters, a former sergeant and the leader of the Bonus Army from Oregon and the veterans with their families made their march to Washington D.C. to demand their bonuses. The veterans thought because they served the country that they were heroes and demanding the bonuses was reasonable. (“The Bonus March”) Almost 300 of them began their journey to the nation’s capital. On their way to the capital film crews, newspapers, and radios reported on the veterans favorably. This spread throughout the country, and it became a movement of hope for those who are in need. Veterans all around started heading their way to Washington D.C. with their whole family. They went on old trucks, buses, and trains. Some of them would ride the side of the vehicle. They were illegal passengers, but the driver, who were veterans themselves didn’t turn them in. Town after town they received food, money, and moral support from their supporters. On May 21, 1932, railroad police tried to stop Walters and his men from hopping to another freight train in St. Louis, Illinois but instead, they started riding cars and trucks. The Illinois governor Louis L. Emmerson called out the Illinois National Guard. The Army deputy chief of staff, Brig. Gen. George Van Horn Moseley, tried to send U.S. Army troops to stop them but his boss, Douglas MacArthur vetoed the plan. Because of the train situation, the veterans had to continue with trucks to the next states, (“The Bonus Army”). On May 25, 1932, most of the veterans were already in Washington, Waters and his men came four days later. Within a month, another 20,000 veterans and families have joined them. They made camp wherever they could find space like abandoned buildings and vacant lots. A large camp sprang up along the Anacostia River, where veterans and their families built structures from materials around them. The camp became an attraction very quickly. Washington citizens brought them supplies like sleeping bags, vegetables, cigarettes, and money. Soon the camp got big enough where it started having street names. The camp even had a library, a post office, and a barbershop. Classes were created for children too, as well. They published their newspaper, and staged vaudeville shows and boxing matches. They had rules which prohibited alcohol, weapons, fighting, and begging. (“The Bonus Army”) Police Chief Pelham Glassford sympathized with his fellow veterans. He went to the camp almost every day and organized medical care, provided building material, donated food, and even donated money from his pocket. He even took Evalyn Walsh McLean heiress to a Colorado mining fortune and the owner of the famed Hope Diamond, to a diner where they ordered 1,000 sandwiches, 1,000 packs of cigarettes, and coffee. McLean found out that the veterans needed a headquarter tent, so she delivered one with books, radios, and cots. But Chief Glassford knew that the Congress would not pay the veterans with their bonuses. He was afraid that the events are gonna get out of hand and that social disorder would spread across the nation. (“The Bonus Army”) A few veterans did have some Communist sympathies, a normal wonder during the 1930’s. Furthermore, the press reported on this little socialist group of veterans. Bits of gossip about communist revolutionaries soon spread all through the city and deeply affected the government. Soon after, J. Edgar Hoover’s Bureau of Investigation labored to find evidence that the Bonus Army had communist roots which never existed. President Hoover’s press secretary wrote in his diary that “The marchers have rapidly turned from bonus seekers to communists or bums.” As the Great Depression settled in, the government was afraid that there might be an armed insurrection against Washington. Even before the Bonus Army appeared, the government already developed a plan to defend the city with tanks, machine guns, and poison gas. (“The Bonus Army”) Within days of their arrivals, Walter Waters had an operation under way.
June 4, 1932, the Bonus Army marched down the streets of Washington. Veterans filled the representative’s waiting room, while others gathered around the Capitol building. On June 14, 1932, the bonus bill, which opposed the Republicans loyal to Hoover, came to the floor. While Congressman Edward E. Eslick was talking in the help of the bill, he fell dead from a heart attack. A large number of veterans walked for his burial service, while congress dismissed out of regard. The following day, the House of Representatives passed the bonus bill by a vote of 211 to 176. On June 17, 1982, almost 8,000 veterans gathered around the Capitol hoping for the Senate to pass the bill. Another 10,000 in Anacostia were stranded because police had raised to keep them out of the city. It continued until evening, around 9:30, the Senate’s aides went and got Waters and brought him inside. He returned later to break the news that the bill was defeated. People thought that the veterans would start attacking the Capitol. Instead, they sang “America” and returned to the camp. (“The Bonus …show more content…
Army”) A few days later, many veterans with their family went home.
Waters and 20,000 others stayed and declared that they were “to stay here until 1945 if necessary to get our bonus.” As weeks passed, conditions on the camp worsened. Evalyn McLean contacted Vice President Charles Curtis saying “Unless something is done for these men, there is bound to be a lot of trouble.” Higher ups were worried that the Bonus Army would turn violent like President Hoover, Army Chief of Staff MacArthur, and Secretary of War Patrick J. Hurley. On July 28, 1932, Police Chief Glassford arrived in Anacostia Camp with 100 policemen to evict them on President Hoover’s orders. The veterans had voted to remain. Later on, a few veterans confronted policemen who quickly turned into violence. Veterans threw bricks while the policemen used their nightsticks. Once it ended, one Bonus Army lay dead, another wounded and three policemen injured. (“The Bonus
Army”) Army Chief of Staff General MacArthur at this point had enough. He decided to bring tanks through the streets of the capital. MacArthur ordered his men to clear out the remaining veterans from the downtown area. “My God, all of a sudden I see these cavalrymen come up the avenue and then swinging down to the Mall. I asked a gentlemen standing there, I said, do you know what’s going on? What holiday is this? He says, ‘it’s no parade, bud,’ He says, ‘the Army is coming in to wipe out all these bonus people down here.” said Fred Blacher which was 16 at the time. Almost 200 mounted cavalry, sabers drawn and pennants flying, led by Major George S. Patton. They were followed by 5 tanks and 300 infantryman, armed with rifles with fixed bayonets. The cavalry drove all street pedestrians, curious onlookers, government workers and Bonus Army vets with their family. Soldiers released hundreds of tear gas grenades to the crowd, setting their camps and shelter on fire. By the evening, General MacArthur gave them 20 minutes to evacuate. The soldiers then attacked the camp with bayonets and tear gas. They successfully drove the veterans out and set fire to the camp. Dwight D. Eisenhower had told MacArthur not to continue on with the assault which was an order from the President but he insisted and continued on with his plan. Around 11, MacArthur called a press conference justifying his actions. “Had the President not acted today, had he permitted thing to on for twenty-four hours more, he would have been faced with a grave situation which would have caused a real battle. Had he let it go on another week, I believe the institutions of our Government would have been severely threatened.” said MacArthur to the reporters. (The Bonus Army”) Over the next few days, newspapers showed graphic images of violence towards the veterans who won the First World War. The incident weakened President Hoover’s chances at re-election. Three months later, Franklin D. Roosevelt won easily. For each of the next four years, veterans returned to Washington D.C. to push for a bonus. Finally, in 1936, the Adjusted Compensation Payment Act replaced the 1924 Act. The Great Depression dragged on until World War 2. After WW2 the mistakes of the WW1 were fixed by passing the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill of Rights. (“The Bonus Army”)
After the conclusion of the war with Japan, a numerous amount of trainees slowly reduced, which caused the post complement to do the same. Following World War I and World War II the Army appropriations budget was cut by two billion dollars. In response to the cut, Fort McClellan was put on inactive status and remained that way regardless of the pressure the politicians of Alabama addressed to Washington. The Congressional delegation of Alabama went as far as to invite Dwight D. Eisenhower, then Chief of Staff of the Army and collectively, they sat down to review the situation. Dwight D. Eisenhower, during his visit, had mentioned that he felt like Fort McClellan was the best among any other military installations, but he was still in favor of the budget cut.
During the battle, COL Hughes moved to areas under heavy fire to advice his commanders directly and motivate his Marines to push forward. He exhibited extraordinary professionalism as he maintain his presence as a true ground commander who fought side-by-side with his Marines. Initially, cloud cover was heavy and poor weather prevented close air support (CAS) and artillery support. With organic assets readily available, he personally directed fire support on enemy defenses slowly weakening Communist forces hold on the city. Clearly, COL Hughes was able to inspire trust to his subordinates whose end result was a cohesive team that fought a successful battle
You kept quiet, ate the soup (even if you don’t like it), and do everything in your power to not give up and show the officers that you are not weak. “The barrack we had been assigned to was very long.” (34) The description of where they were staying showed the reader that him and his father were assigned to the same sleeping quarters.
When Jackson heard of the attack on Jones’ ships on December 15 he issued crises orders to forces nearby. One General by the name of Coffee received orders from Jackson stating “You must not sleep until you reach me or arrive withink striking distance.” The next day Jackson placed New Orleans under Martial Law. When General Coffee received his orders he immediately gathered his 1250 men and where off to help Jackson. Each man brought with him a hunting knife and long rifle. The Tenessee brigade commanded by Major General William Caroll arrived on 21st December. Only one in ten of them had a firearm.
One of these causes that make me want to quit is the amount of men we were losing due to the illnesses that spread around camp. In Document A, the table shows that in February there were 8000 total men and about half of those soldiers died. This evidence proves to show the numbers behind all the deaths we have had and how they got so sick to the point of death. If I had chosen to stay for 1 month longer until my enlistment is up, I would’ve been exposing myself to all the illnesses longer than I already have. The risk to stay is too great to even think about.
I walk into Valley Forge. Winter 1777-78. As I walk in, an overwhelming feeling of emotions comes over me. Sadness, anger, hope, unwillingness, and happiness. I walk in a little bit further and I am greeted with many huts. These huts have no windows and only one door. I decide to peek into one of them and see 12 men inside. The huts are hard to see in because smoke has filled them. From another direction there is many men talking. I walk towards the noise and am surprised to see men sitting around a campfire eating small amounts of food. The men are talking about various things. Some are talking about their family, how they are excited that their duty is almost over, and some of the strong willed patriots who are willing to fight for their country are talking about how they are going to stay longer than they were sent to. As I keep wandering around the camp I find myself at an area with many men. These men are different than the men at the campfire. These men were the unlucky soldiers who had gotten sick. There is a soldier who is crying over another soldiers still body. Again I hear talking but this time it’s about how they need help caring for the sick and the soldiers that want to leave shouldn’t leave so they can help the sick. I shake off what I just witnessed and made the tough decision of staying. I would stay because they would need my help,
Only one of those men, Louise B. Sharp graduated from cadet training and became the first minority of the patrol. Sharp only served for 9 months before resigning to find work with better pay. 10 years later after sharps historical impact to the patrol came Gilbert H. Jones with the 69th class. Jones career was trendsetting, Jones
Firstly, the Bonus Army knowingly inconvenienced both the government and the people of Washington, D.C. Regardless of whether the veterans should have been compensated or not, firefighters ...
This brought about the "Servicemen's Readjustment Act -- the G.I. Bill of Rights". The programs were meant to not only educate and train the returning soldiers, but also help them obtain low interest mortgages and business loans. These loans are backed by the Veterans Administration and guaranteed by the government. Most of the suburbs were built as small communities with strip malls. This meant that all families had to have at least one car, if not two, for a second job.
A healthy postwar economy would depend on providing soldiers money and a place to live once they were home. So the US Government came up with the GI Bill witch was passed 50-0. On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the GI Bill of Rights. The law made possible the loan of billions of dollars to purchase homes for millions of veterans, and helped transform the majority of Americans from renters to homeowners. Though the bill sounded so great many in Congress and educators at Colleges and Universities had serious doubts. Some felt the GI Bill was too expensive, others feared veterans would lower standards in education. Many saw a postwar America faced with the loss of millions of jobs, creating unprecedented unemployment. A federal survey indicated that 56% of the nation's soldiers anticipated a widespread economic depression after the war.
In order to properly introduce the beginnings of the GI Bill, the timeline will begin in the years during the Great Depression. At this point in history, many Veterans found it difficult to make a living. The United States Congress tried to intervene by passing the World War Adjusted Act of 1924, commonly known as the Bonus Act. This law would provide a bonus based on the number of days served. This law was a failed attempt to help because the catch was that most Veterans wouldn’t see a dime for 20 years. In the summer of 1932, a group of Veterans marched in Washington, D.C. to demand full payment of their bo...
On August 7th 1964 the United States Congress passed into law the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which, for all intents and purposes, officially brought the United States into the Vietnam War. Following this resolution, a draft was instated to increase the number of men that could be sent to war. Shortly after men started to be signed into conscription for the United States Military, a public outcry started over the use of a draft to increase military size. The draft was found to be unfair to American Citizens because certain groups of men were severely disadvantaged, the draft was illegal in many ways, and veteran’s future lives were harmed, among other reasons.
Simon, C. J., Negrusa, S., & Warner, J. T. (2009, October). Educational Benefits and Military Service: An Analysis of Enlistment, Reenlistment, and Veterans' Benefit Usage 1991-2005 (ISSN 0095-2583). Western Economic Association International.
Soldiers, both men and women, risk their lives fighting for our country and when they come home they receive far fewer benefits than would be expected. Throughout history the support for veterans has lessened. The amount of money that is provided to veterans for healthcare and housing after returning to the states has severely decreased since WWI.
Just eight months after they got married, her husband was shot down in North Korea on his first combat mission, and she never had him return to her. She asked where the reminder of those who gave their lives in Korea was. She also asked what the Korean War Veterans Association will do to ensure that the people who lost their lives are not forgotten. The response by Abby to the letter was the sending of the check and the publishing of Wyosnick’s letter. The American Battle Monuments Commission received more than 27,000 donations totaling over $200,000 after Wyosnick sent her letter on Veterans’ Day in 1988.