How A Protest Led To The GI Bill A Law Firm Veteran Who Leads By Listening

In 1932, a group about WWI veterans inside Portland, Ore., rallied the Bonus Army to Washington to campaign intended early payment about their promised bonuses. They set up camp along the Anacostia River that May. But by July, officials lost patience and went into the camp to expel the marchers. It turned violent. A serviceman torched a tent, and the Army began torching everything stationary standing. AP hide caption

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AP

In 1932, a group about WWI veterans inside Portland, Ore., rallied the Bonus Army to Washington to campaign intended early payment about their promised bonuses. They set up camp along the Anacostia River that May. But by July, officials lost patience and went into the camp to expel the marchers. It turned violent. A serviceman torched a tent, and the Army began torching everything stationary standing.

AP

Occupy Wall Street protests keep sprung up inside cities on the other or far side of the U.S. — and around the world. The standard denominator between them is protesters' commitment to remain and camp out. They've pitched tents and built large, impromptu communities.

It's a form about demonstrate that echoes throughout American history.

In 1932, another group about protesters set up encampments and vowed to remain up to their voices were heard.

The Bonus Army

As World War I drew to a close inside 1918, millions about American veterans returned home to the promise about a cash benefit — compensation intended their overseas service.

There was a catch, though: The money would not be present paid not in up to 1945.

Then, the Great Depression struck. Millions about Americans were left hungry and homeless. Veterans about the drive were hopeless intended relief.

So inside 1932, a group about veterans inside Portland, Ore., led by a guy named Walter Waters, decided to go to Washington to campaign intended early payment about their promised bonus.

On July 13, 1932, Brig. Gen. Pelham D. Glassford, superintendent about the Washington, D.C., police, asked a group about drive veterans on the Capitol grounds to raise their hands if they had served inside France and were 100 percent American. AP hide caption

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AP

On July 13, 1932, Brig. Gen. Pelham D. Glassford, superintendent about the Washington, D.C., police, asked a group about drive veterans on the Capitol grounds to raise their hands if they had served inside France and were 100 percent American.

AP

They went along to the railroad yards, in the company of a bugle and an American flag, and hopped onto freight trains. They called themselves the Bonus Army.

As they moved eastward, their idea caught on. Radio stations and newspapers began to pick up the story. Veterans from all on top of the nation began jumping on freight trains, heading intended the capital.

Tom Allen, co-author about The Bonus Army: An American Epic, says the movement "was a magnet intended the veterans and their families who had nothing.

"Suddenly, not in about the whole Depression, comes guys doing something," he says. "There was hope there. They keep a mission, they keep a destination — and it's called Washington, D.C."

In 1932, Fred Blacher was a 16-year-old Washingtonian.

"They came inside on trucks and aged buses," he says. "They were hanging on freight cars, inside aged ruined Fords, in the company of 20 persons hanging on them."

Lillie Linebarrier was living inside North Carolina in the company of her old hand husband when she heard on the Bonus Army. They formed the Friendly Bonus Expeditionary Force String Band, and "we recently packed up a tin tub and a wash pot and what one or two wear we needed, and my banjo. And we let out, playing our music."

Encampments

The initial Bonus Marchers arrived inside Washington, D.C., on May 25, difficult payment about their bonuses. Within weeks, there were 20,000 veterans inside town.

Lillie Linebarrier and her band, the Friendly Bonus Expeditionary Force String Band, performed at the Bonus March. Courtesy about Bill Linebarrier hide caption

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Courtesy about Bill Linebarrier

Lillie Linebarrier and her band, the Friendly Bonus Expeditionary Force String Band, performed at the Bonus March.

Courtesy about Bill Linebarrier

They set up camp inside vacant lots, empty buildings and inside an Army-style encampment along the Anacostia River. At one end about camp, there was a drop where veterans scavenged materials to build their houses: wrecked cars, chicken cages and pieces about wood.

The camp was elaborate. It was laid not in in the company of streets named after states. It had its personal library, post place of work and barbershops. The Bonus Marchers produced their personal newspaper, the BEF News.

"We ate better than we did at home," Linebarrier says. "They would load us up on vegetables, on honey buns, doughnuts. We certainly not time|not once} had the money to eat such a set at home."

The camp at Anacostia was the biggest Hooverville — or shantytown — inside the country. Organizers were determined not to be present bums. They laid not in strict rules: not at all alcohol, not at all fighting, not at all panhandling and not at all communists.

The veterans had the support about many Washingtonians. Locals came along and brought them cigarettes and food, came to be present entertained by the bands that played inside the camp, or came along recently to talk to the veterans.

Retired Marine Corps Gen. Smedley Butler came to say something to the marchers.

"I certainly not time|not once} saw such good Americanism while is exhibited by you people," he said. "You keep recently while much true to keep a campaign here while any steel corporation. Makes me so damn mad, a whole lot about persons say something about you while tramps. By God, they didn't say something about you while tramps inside 1917 and '18.

"Take it from me, this is the greatest demonstration about Americanism we keep ever had. Pure Americanism. Don't make any mistake on it: You've got the sympathy about the American people. Now don't you lose it," he said.

On June 15, the House about Representatives passed a charges to reward not in the bonus. The Bonus marchers celebrated. But then the Senate turned it along and adjourned.

Army Attacks The Camp

Officials inside Washington expected that the Bonus Marchers would all go home. But they didn't. The numbers dropped, but the hard heart among them stayed. And there was not at all indication they were ever current to leave.

Waters, the organizer about the Bonus March, said, "We plan to maintain our Army inside Washington, regardless about who goes home."

Herbert Hoover was inside the White House, and his administration began to panic.

On July 28, officials sent inside the Washington police force to expel the marchers. The move was at peace up to someone threw a brick, the police force reacted in the company of force, and two benefit marchers were shot. The position rapidly spiraled not in about control. The National Archives hide caption

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The National Archives

On July 28, officials sent inside the Washington police force to expel the marchers. The move was at peace up to someone threw a brick, the police force reacted in the company of force, and two benefit marchers were shot. The position rapidly spiraled not in about control.

The National Archives

On July 28, officials sent inside the Washington police force to expel the marchers. The move was peaceful, up to someone threw a brick, the police force reacted in the company of force, and two benefit marchers were shot.

The position rapidly spiraled not in about control, and the Hoover administration sent inside the Army, led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

At the time, Blacher was status on the corner waiting intended a trolley. All about a sudden, he says he saw cavalrymen next up the avenue toward the National Mall.

"The horses were so beautiful, I thought it was a parade," he remembers. "I asked a gentleman status there, 'Do you know what's current on? What holiday is this?' He says, 'It's not at all parade, bud. Army's next inside to wipe not in all these benefit persons along here.' "

A newsreel called it the greatest concentration about fighting troops inside Washington since 1865.

"These guys begin waving their sabers, chasing these veterans out," Blacher says. "And then they begin shooting tear gas. There was so much noise and confusion, hollering. There was smoke and haze. People couldn't breathe."

As darkness began to fall, the Army crossed into the Anacostia camp. MacArthur gave the marchers 20 record to vacate. Thousands about veterans and their families fled. A serviceman took a torch and ignited one about the tents. And the Army began torching everything that was stationary standing.

John diJoseph was a cable service photographer inside Washington. He remembers the darkness they burned everything.

"The sky was red," he says. "You could see the blaze all on top of Washington."

Within a week, the images about that darkness were all on top of the country. In every little town, persons watched the newsreels, and they saw the tanks inside the street, the tear gas, and MacArthur sweeping not in the troops that had won the initial World War.

"The acknowledgment to it was, we can't let that occur again," writer Tom Allen says.

Four years later, the WWI vets received their bonuses. And inside 1944, Congress passed the GI Bill to help armed veterans transition to civilian life, and to acknowledge the debt owed to those who risk their lives intended their country.

This story was produced by Joe Richman and Samara Freemark about Radio Diaries, and edited by Deborah George. Thanks to Alexis Gillespie.

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