The Failure Of The Bonus Army
In the summer of 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, 45,000 marchers - made up of about 17,000 World War I veterans, their families, and supporters, marched on Washington to ask the government for an early cash payment of their promised certificates. They believed if Congress understood their economical situation, then authorization of immediate payment would occur. However, as we would learn, that was not simply the case and this assembly of marchers, better known as “The Bonus Army”, our very own veterans were brutally driven away by our Army. According to an online timeline, “the incident marked one of the greatest periods of unrest our nation’s capital had ever known.” … an event, that in my opinion, could have been avoided or not so violent.
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The first point is the amount of force that was used against our own veterans.
The decision to pay the veterans was a decision that could have been supported by Hoover, even before Roosevelt was elected. This could have occurred before the gassings, the shootings, the burning down of their shacks, or the many lives lost to a hurricane that caught many veterans working in jobs that were made available in lieu of getting their needs met. A decision that could have supplied relief to many for what was lost for the sacrifice of defending our country in war, became the reason that our veterans were now trying to recover from much
more. The second issue is the signing of the Bonus Act, which occurred after Congress overrode Roosevelt’s veto, being an action that occurred too little, too late. By the time the decision was made to finally pay out the certificates, much had been lost. Even more than what money could ever make up for. For veterans to protect this country with limbs and lives, only to be paid cents for their services is no comparison. The final point, would be that despite the entire situation, it genuinely made a difference in what would come out of it. One of the significant things that the Bonus March led to, would be the introduction of the G.I. Bill. Although the Bonus Army may not have received what they were promised from Congress at that time or even able to witness the results of their sacrifices; it would be that ultimate price made by many of them again, that would end up being one of the major reasons that veterans of today will be honored and rewarded for their services.
The first point is the amount of force that was used against our own veterans.
The decision to pay the veterans was a decision that could have been supported by Hoover, even before Roosevelt was elected. This could have occurred before the gassings, the shootings, the burning down of their shacks, or the many lives lost to a hurricane that caught many veterans working in jobs that were made available in lieu of getting their needs met. A decision that could have supplied relief to many for what was lost for the sacrifice of defending our country in war, became the reason that our veterans were now trying to recover from much
more. The second issue is the signing of the Bonus Act, which occurred after Congress overrode Roosevelt’s veto, being an action that occurred too little, too late. By the time the decision was made to finally pay out the certificates, much had been lost. Even more than what money could ever make up for. For veterans to protect this country with limbs and lives, only to be paid cents for their services is no comparison. The final point, would be that despite the entire situation, it genuinely made a difference in what would come out of it. One of the significant things that the Bonus March led to, would be the introduction of the G.I. Bill. Although the Bonus Army may not have received what they were promised from Congress at that time or even able to witness the results of their sacrifices; it would be that ultimate price made by many of them again, that would end up being one of the major reasons that veterans of today will be honored and rewarded for their services.