I’d like to talk about a story we ran today on @taskandpurpose.

If you haven't, please take a moment to give it a read: https://taskandpurpose.com/history/marine-medal-of-honor-smedley-butler-bonus-army-speech

On this day 88 years ago, federal troops and city police forcibly evicted World War I veteran protesters camped out in Washington DC. The Great Depression was at its peak and they'd come from across the country to demand the government pay them the bonuses they were promised.

After a confrontation with police turned violent, two veterans were shot and killed. The Army was called in, and as night fell the veterans' camps burned.

On July 19, little more than a week before the protesters were evicted, two-time Medal of Honor recipient and retired Marine Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler spoke to veteran demonstrators.

His words remain relevant to this day.

The first time I watched the video I was transfixed by Smedley Butler's performance and energy, but then I *listened* to what he was saying.

Initially, I was captivated by this line: “Makes me so damn mad, a whole lot of people speak of you as tramps. By God, they didn't speak of you as tramps in 1917 and '18.”

It played to all those bitter feelings about how 'politicians just don't care' and that they use the military and veterans as a political football, only to fumble it when the time comes to pass meaningful legislation.

I thought about that sentiment for a long time, and I don't think I agree with it anymore. Yeah, there are some big issues facing the military and veterans community, but on the whole we as veterans today enjoy unparalleled benefits and support.

A lot of that is due to our predecessors: Veterans like the Bonus Army marchers.

Living in poverty and enduring the sweltering heat of the DC summer, they stood up to police batons and tear-gas hurled by armed troops and saw their belongings, tents, and ramshackle homes set alight.

But they persisted.

And when the time came, those Bonus Marchers went out and exercised their political will in the most meaningful way possible in America: By voting, and encouraging others to do the same.

Which leads me to my favorite part of Butler's speech: “This is not a business of party, this is a business of the people… It doesn’t go by justice, it goes by votes!”

As one Marine Corps historian I spoke with put it: “You have the magic key, and it's called the ability to vote and use that vote wisely”

There are a lot of eerie parallels between that time and now.

But on the 88-year anniversary of the day that police and federal troops routed veteran protesters from their camps I want to end this thread by focusing on what happened next.

In 1936 their bonuses were awarded, and the march of the Bonus Army spurred sweeping federal reform and led to the passage of the GI Bill of rights in 1944 which provided housing and education benefits as a reward for honorable service.

That happened because the Bonus Army carried on the fight, and when the time came they went to the polls.

And eventually they won.