June 7, 1932

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Joel Byers

On June 7, 1932, the ‘Bonus Army’ marched on Washington, DC. The Bonus Army was made up of 17,000 US World War I veterans and 26,000 of their families and supporters. In 1924, the World War Adjusted Compensation Act award every veteran with a bonus in the form of a certificate that could not be cashed in, until 1948. The certificate was worth the veterans’ promised bonus, plus compounded interest, if they lived to collect it. Many of the Veterans hadn’t worked since the Great Depression started. The Bonus Marchers principal demand was for the immediate payout of the certificates. Republican President Hoover and the Republican led Congress denied their demand. Many of the veterans then went home, but a few thousand stayed. On July 28, 1932, President Hoover ordered the military to clear the marchers’ campsite. The Army used infantry, calvary and six tanks to drive out the Bonus Army and their wives and children, with all their shelters and belongings burned. People were injured and a couple were even killed. Let’s hope Trump doesn’t repeat a sad day in history and use the US Army against its own citizens again.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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