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NEW BONUS ARMY PAGE
"History is
littered with governments destabilized by masses of veterans
who
believed that they had been taken for fools by a society that grew
rich and fat at the expense of their hardship and suffering."
Anthony J. Principi, former Secretary of Veterans
Affairs
"Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue
oppressive decrees to deprive the poor
of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my
people..."
Isaiah 10:1-2
Is it time
for a New Bonus Army? Is it time for a mass march on
Washington D.C. demanding a full funded VA?
Read the history of the Bonus Army (below) and
you decide. Let me know your thoughts.
The Bonus Army started as an idea. In Portland, Oregon. Walter
Waters, a WWI veteran was outraged. WWI veterans had been promised a
bonus to be paid in 1945. But, the Great Depression
was under way and the veterans wanted their bonus immediately...they
needed it to live. The bonus was $1.25 a day for overseas service and $1.00 a day for stateside service. This
amounted to about $1,000.00 per veteran. That would go a long way to
help feed a family.
President Herbert Hoover and Congress
agreed the bonus couldn't be paid early...there wasn't enough money in the
Treasury. Waters formed a coalition of veterans that began traveling
across the country. They were joined by many others along the
way...whole families made the trek. When they reached Washington,
D.C. they numbered about 25,000. This was the summer of 1932 and
Washington, D.C. was sweltering.
The Bonus Army camped out in abandoned
government buildings and built what we would call a shanty town that was
quickly named Hooverville...after President Hoover. Hooverville was
a term used
for shanty towns that flourished during the Great Depression.
Demonstrations ensued. At times the government was closed down.
Some reports of the day say that two veterans were shot and killed by D.C.
policemen.
Congress went to work. The request of
the Bonus Army was debated. It passed in the House and failed in the
Senate. Most of the veterans went home with some expense money from
the government for their troubles. But about 10,000 stayed in Hooverville.
There were more confrontations and
demonstrations. Then, President Hoover called out the Army...to be used against civilians! Never before...and hopefully
never again! The forces were led by Army Chief of Staff, General
Douglas MacArthur with assistance from Major George Patton and Major
Dwight Eisenhower. They burned Hooverville to the ground. Many
veterans were injured and at least one child died from inhaling the tear
gas that was used.
The vets went home. Without their
bonus.
THINK ABOUT IT!
"History is
littered with governments destabilized by masses of veterans
who
believed that they had been taken for fools by a society that grew
rich and fat at the expense of their hardship and suffering."
Anthony J. Principi, former Secretary of Veterans
Affairs
"Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue
oppressive decrees to deprive the poor
of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my
people..."
Isaiah 10:1-2
was under way and the veterans wanted their bonus immediately...they
needed it to live. The bonus was $1.25 a day for overseas service and $1.00 a day for stateside service. This
amounted to about $1,000.00 per veteran. That would go a long way to
help feed a family.
trek. When they reached Washington,
D.C. they numbered about 25,000. This was the summer of 1932 and
Washington, D.C. was sweltering.
The Bonus Army camped out in abandoned
government buildings and built what we would call a shanty town that was
quickly named Hooverville...after President Hoover. Hooverville was
a term used
for shanty towns that flourished during the Great Depression.
Demonstrations ensued. At times the government was closed down.
Some reports of the day say that two
veterans were shot and killed by D.C.
policemen.
assistance from Major George Patton and Major
Dwight Eisenhower. They burned Hooverville to the ground. Many
veterans were injured and at least one child died from inhaling the tear
gas that was used.