1 00:00:02,536 --> 00:00:05,376 In the summer of 1932, at the height of 2 00:00:05,376 --> 00:00:07,970 the Great Depression, an impoverished 3 00:00:07,970 --> 00:00:10,724 army of 45,000 World War One veterans 4 00:00:10,724 --> 00:00:15,755 marched on Washington, DC. 5 00:00:15,755 --> 00:00:17,726 They believed that if they came to 6 00:00:17,726 --> 00:00:19,678 Congress, that Congress would finally 7 00:00:19,678 --> 00:00:22,871 authorize immediate payment of bonds 8 00:00:22,871 --> 00:00:25,457 that they had been promised for the 9 00:00:25,457 --> 00:00:27,582 losses that they suffered during World 10 00:00:27,582 --> 00:00:30,919 War One. But Congress refused to pay the 11 00:00:30,919 --> 00:00:33,525 bonus, and the army brutally drove the 12 00:00:33,525 --> 00:00:37,386 veterans away. "It's war. 13 00:00:37,386 --> 00:00:39,507 The greatest concentration of fighting 14 00:00:39,507 --> 00:00:43,454 troops in Washington since 1865." This is 15 00:00:43,454 --> 00:00:46,114 the saga of the Bonus Army in a March 16 00:00:46,114 --> 00:00:48,231 that changed the nation. 17 00:00:48,962 --> 00:00:53,749 (Singing "Remembery my forgotten man. You 18 00:00:53,749 --> 00:00:58,320 put a rock right in his hand....") 19 00:01:07,815 --> 00:01:10,045 Major funding for this program was 20 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,561 provided by the Disabled American 21 00:01:12,561 --> 00:01:14,730 Veterans' National Service Foundation. 22 00:01:14,730 --> 00:01:16,805 Since World War One, DAV has helped 23 00:01:16,805 --> 00:01:18,621 veterans recover from the wounds and 24 00:01:18,621 --> 00:01:22,302 scars of war. DAV - building better lives 25 00:01:22,302 --> 00:01:24,417 for America's disabled veterans and 26 00:01:24,417 --> 00:01:27,413 their families. Additional production 27 00:01:27,413 --> 00:01:29,184 support provided by 28 00:01:29,184 --> 00:01:31,573 Tawani Foundation - promoting the ideal of 29 00:01:31,573 --> 00:01:33,782 the citizen soldier at the Pritzker 30 00:01:33,782 --> 00:01:37,703 Military Library, Chicago Illinois; and by 31 00:01:37,703 --> 00:01:40,724 the Humanities Council of Washington, DC. 32 00:01:41,610 --> 00:01:43,949 [Music] 33 00:01:44,422 --> 00:01:46,872 America was not prepared when it entered 34 00:01:46,872 --> 00:01:50,359 World War One in 1917. Fighting the 35 00:01:50,359 --> 00:01:52,708 Germans required young American men by 36 00:01:52,708 --> 00:01:55,112 the millions, and the only way to get 37 00:01:55,112 --> 00:01:58,545 them was through conscription. The 38 00:01:58,545 --> 00:02:00,410 American Army, for the first time in its 39 00:02:00,410 --> 00:02:02,630 history, will be composed of a majority 40 00:02:02,630 --> 00:02:05,084 of conscripted troops. And when the draft 41 00:02:05,084 --> 00:02:07,211 is explained to the American people, it's 42 00:02:07,211 --> 00:02:10,611 called Selective Service. Some men were 43 00:02:10,611 --> 00:02:13,289 selected to fight, others to work in 44 00:02:13,289 --> 00:02:17,654 needed defense industries, or as farmers. 45 00:02:17,654 --> 00:02:20,672 So the different conception of military 46 00:02:20,672 --> 00:02:22,633 service as work, as opposed to just 47 00:02:22,633 --> 00:02:25,611 simply civic duty. The first American 48 00:02:25,611 --> 00:02:29,984 troops arrived in France in June of 1917. 49 00:02:30,836 --> 00:02:34,309 In just 18 months, nearly 100,000 lost 50 00:02:34,309 --> 00:02:38,854 their lives. 200,000 more were wounded or 51 00:02:38,854 --> 00:02:45,278 gassed. Also over there were hundreds of 52 00:02:45,278 --> 00:02:47,364 thousands of African-American soldiers. 53 00:02:49,130 --> 00:02:52,314 Barred from combat with American units, 54 00:02:52,314 --> 00:02:54,987 many fought courageously under the 55 00:02:54,987 --> 00:02:57,809 French flag. For the first time, many of 56 00:02:57,809 --> 00:02:59,555 these people experienced what it was 57 00:02:59,555 --> 00:03:00,973 like to be treated 58 00:03:00,973 --> 00:03:04,239 as fully human beings by white people. 59 00:03:04,859 --> 00:03:07,125 When the armistice was signed on 60 00:03:07,125 --> 00:03:10,794 November 11, 1918, most of the Americans 61 00:03:10,794 --> 00:03:14,410 that had served would never be the same. 62 00:03:16,405 --> 00:03:20,361 As the first waves of troops returned 63 00:03:20,361 --> 00:03:22,858 from Europe, the nation turned out to 64 00:03:22,858 --> 00:03:26,779 honor them with parades. The veterans 65 00:03:26,779 --> 00:03:28,687 quickly realized the high price they had 66 00:03:28,687 --> 00:03:32,044 paid. Let's say a guy didn't go to war - 67 00:03:32,044 --> 00:03:34,872 stayed home working at an arms factory. 68 00:03:34,872 --> 00:03:37,212 He would probably get maybe 10 times as 69 00:03:37,212 --> 00:03:39,334 much as a soldier would. A soldier in 70 00:03:39,334 --> 00:03:41,113 combat was getting about a buck, buck and 71 00:03:41,113 --> 00:03:43,924 a quarter a day. Soon after the war, 72 00:03:43,924 --> 00:03:45,624 veterans began to argue that soldiers 73 00:03:45,624 --> 00:03:48,800 should be compensated for the wages they 74 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,451 lost while serving their country. They 75 00:03:51,451 --> 00:03:53,334 very carefully used the terms "adjusted 76 00:03:53,334 --> 00:03:56,864 compensation" to be clear that what they 77 00:03:56,864 --> 00:03:59,663 are asking for is not a bonus; they are 78 00:03:59,663 --> 00:04:02,228 asking for back wages that are due to 79 00:04:02,228 --> 00:04:04,987 them. It was the detractors who called 80 00:04:04,987 --> 00:04:06,311 it a bonus. 81 00:04:06,311 --> 00:04:09,403 Finally, in 1924, Congress granted World 82 00:04:09,403 --> 00:04:12,147 War One veterans adjusted universal 83 00:04:12,147 --> 00:04:16,589 compensation. A law had granted them the 84 00:04:16,589 --> 00:04:19,695 bones equivalent to a dollar to a dollar 85 00:04:19,695 --> 00:04:21,418 and a quarter a day for every day they 86 00:04:21,418 --> 00:04:23,681 served, which in many cases would be six, 87 00:04:23,681 --> 00:04:26,606 eight hundred, or a thousand dollars. But 88 00:04:26,606 --> 00:04:29,212 there was a catch. They don't get a nickel 89 00:04:29,212 --> 00:04:32,946 of the money until 1945. Unless they die. 90 00:04:32,946 --> 00:04:35,061 That's why they called it the "tombstone 91 00:04:35,061 --> 00:04:38,288 bonus." In 1928, Herbert Clark Hoover, a 92 00:04:38,288 --> 00:04:39,958 self-made millionaire, was elected 93 00:04:39,958 --> 00:04:44,024 president. In his inaugural address, 94 00:04:44,024 --> 00:04:45,976 Hoover proclaimed that the future of the 95 00:04:45,976 --> 00:04:47,909 country was bright with hope. 96 00:04:50,512 --> 00:04:53,309 Just seven months later, the stock market 97 00:04:53,309 --> 00:04:55,965 collapsed, and the country descended into 98 00:04:55,965 --> 00:04:57,316 the Great Depression. 99 00:04:58,132 --> 00:05:01,860 [Music] 100 00:05:01,860 --> 00:05:04,750 In America in 1932, hunger and 101 00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:08,792 desperation stalked the land. 25% of 102 00:05:08,792 --> 00:05:11,348 workers were unemployed, and many were 103 00:05:11,348 --> 00:05:15,576 veterans. One of them was Walter W. Waters, 104 00:05:15,576 --> 00:05:19,304 down on his luck in Portland, Oregon. He 105 00:05:19,304 --> 00:05:21,656 had been a sergeant in the war, and 106 00:05:21,656 --> 00:05:23,626 that's an indication that you were a 107 00:05:23,626 --> 00:05:25,590 pretty good soldier. And there were a lot 108 00:05:25,590 --> 00:05:27,614 of veterans sitting around trying to 109 00:05:27,614 --> 00:05:30,592 find what to do next. Then came a ray of 110 00:05:30,592 --> 00:05:31,665 hope. 111 00:05:32,183 --> 00:05:34,928 A bill calling for an immediate cash 112 00:05:34,928 --> 00:05:36,610 payment of the veterans' bonus was 113 00:05:36,610 --> 00:05:39,948 introduced in Congress. Waters became 114 00:05:39,948 --> 00:05:42,561 obsessed with it. "During this time, I was 115 00:05:42,561 --> 00:05:44,268 anxiously watching reports in the 116 00:05:44,268 --> 00:05:46,811 newspapers of the progress of bonus 117 00:05:46,811 --> 00:05:50,013 legislation. And I noticed that the highly 118 00:05:50,013 --> 00:05:52,346 organized lobbies in Washington were 119 00:05:52,346 --> 00:05:56,025 producing results, regardless of the 120 00:05:56,025 --> 00:05:59,731 justice or injustice of the demand." At a 121 00:05:59,731 --> 00:06:01,758 meeting of jobless veterans, Waters stood 122 00:06:01,758 --> 00:06:05,047 up and urged them to march on Washington. 123 00:06:05,817 --> 00:06:08,091 And when that happened, it kind of 124 00:06:08,091 --> 00:06:10,929 clicked for these guys. Eventually, there 125 00:06:10,929 --> 00:06:12,998 were about 300 of them. And they go down 126 00:06:12,998 --> 00:06:16,433 to the railroad yard to hop freight, and 127 00:06:16,433 --> 00:06:19,698 they go all the way across the country to 128 00:06:19,698 --> 00:06:22,284 Washington. (Song "Once I built a 129 00:06:22,284 --> 00:06:28,358 railroad...) They called themselves the 130 00:06:28,358 --> 00:06:32,634 Bonus Expeditionary Force, or BEF - a 131 00:06:32,634 --> 00:06:35,850 play on the American Expeditionary Force, 132 00:06:35,850 --> 00:06:38,091 the collective name for the troops sent 133 00:06:38,091 --> 00:06:42,338 to France. But soon they were simply 134 00:06:42,338 --> 00:06:46,032 known as the Bonus Army. They carried 135 00:06:46,032 --> 00:06:48,866 knapsacks or duffle bags or bed rolls 136 00:06:48,866 --> 00:06:52,839 with tin cups dangling. They had $30 among 137 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:57,484 them. Meanwhile, word of the BEF was 138 00:06:57,484 --> 00:07:01,062 spreading. Even as Waters and his men 139 00:07:01,062 --> 00:07:03,863 were heading towards the Capitol, 25 vets 140 00:07:03,863 --> 00:07:05,739 from Tennessee were circling the White 141 00:07:05,739 --> 00:07:08,243 House in a truck bearing the sign, "We 142 00:07:08,243 --> 00:07:12,322 want our bonus." And they start from 143 00:07:12,322 --> 00:07:14,630 everywhere. They start from Los Angeles, 144 00:07:14,630 --> 00:07:16,921 they start from Las Vegas, they start 145 00:07:16,921 --> 00:07:19,380 from Mississippi and Texas. They come from 146 00:07:19,380 --> 00:07:23,003 everywhere. Antonio Oliver, a veteran 147 00:07:23,003 --> 00:07:26,502 gassed in the Argonne forest in France, 148 00:07:26,502 --> 00:07:29,200 drove from Pennsylvania with his twin sons, 149 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,502 Nick and Joe. "My dad got word to march on 150 00:07:32,502 --> 00:07:35,418 Washington and thumped a tub for the 151 00:07:35,418 --> 00:07:38,002 bonus that they promised the veterans in 152 00:07:38,002 --> 00:07:41,528 1924. I think it was approaching dawn 153 00:07:41,528 --> 00:07:44,340 when he got there, and my father woke us 154 00:07:44,340 --> 00:07:48,115 up and says, 'There's the Capitol building.' 155 00:07:48,115 --> 00:07:52,994 I never forgot that." While streams of bonus 156 00:07:52,994 --> 00:07:56,183 marchers headed for the Capitol, Pelham 157 00:07:56,183 --> 00:07:59,633 Glassford, the new DC police chief, 158 00:07:59,633 --> 00:08:02,162 prepared for their invasion. "I had been 159 00:08:02,162 --> 00:08:04,485 aware from the first that the BEF was 160 00:08:04,485 --> 00:08:08,011 symbolic of the vast army of unemployed. 161 00:08:08,011 --> 00:08:10,512 Anything unfortunate that happened might 162 00:08:10,512 --> 00:08:12,872 easily precipitate widespread social 163 00:08:12,872 --> 00:08:14,428 disorder." 164 00:08:15,430 --> 00:08:18,764 Kellen Glassford was a decorated 165 00:08:18,764 --> 00:08:20,844 brigadier general during World War One 166 00:08:20,844 --> 00:08:24,301 who commanded the loyalty of his men in 167 00:08:24,301 --> 00:08:28,120 a very personal way. Glassford was really 168 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,747 pleased in many ways that the veterans 169 00:08:30,747 --> 00:08:33,934 were coming to Washington. But he knew 170 00:08:33,934 --> 00:08:35,824 that the politicians were not 171 00:08:35,824 --> 00:08:38,896 sympathetic. Officials were also 172 00:08:38,896 --> 00:08:40,710 concerned that a large number of African- 173 00:08:40,710 --> 00:08:43,315 American veterans were mixed in with the 174 00:08:43,315 --> 00:08:46,850 marchers. And the irony is that, going 175 00:08:46,850 --> 00:08:49,070 back to the Great War, the African- 176 00:08:49,070 --> 00:08:51,746 American troops were segregated from the 177 00:08:51,746 --> 00:08:55,040 white troops. Also preparing for the 178 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,862 Bonus Army was a prominent World War One 179 00:08:57,862 --> 00:09:02,003 veteran: General Douglas A. MacArthur. The 180 00:09:02,003 --> 00:09:04,994 United States Army, through its Military 181 00:09:04,994 --> 00:09:08,758 Intelligence Division, remained greatly 182 00:09:08,758 --> 00:09:10,776 concerned about the possibility of 183 00:09:10,776 --> 00:09:12,102 revolution. 184 00:09:13,438 --> 00:09:18,341 The Army developed a plan to defend the 185 00:09:18,341 --> 00:09:20,598 United States Capitol in the case of 186 00:09:20,598 --> 00:09:23,940 civil insurrection, and they were talking 187 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:31,311 about using tanks, machine guns, gas. By 188 00:09:31,311 --> 00:09:33,986 the time the Bonus Marchers arrived in 189 00:09:33,986 --> 00:09:38,195 Washington, the Army was more than ready 190 00:09:38,195 --> 00:09:44,694 to deal with them. At the end of May, 1932, 191 00:09:44,694 --> 00:09:47,618 nearly 10,000 Bonus Marchers occupied 192 00:09:47,618 --> 00:09:50,353 the nation's capital, and tens of 193 00:09:50,353 --> 00:09:53,573 thousands more were on their way. Police 194 00:09:53,573 --> 00:09:56,172 chief Glassford realized he was on his 195 00:09:56,172 --> 00:09:59,805 own. "They followed their leaders in the 196 00:09:59,805 --> 00:10:01,985 childlike faith that their government 197 00:10:01,985 --> 00:10:03,671 would help them, just as they had 198 00:10:03,671 --> 00:10:06,492 responded during the war. Hence, I felt 199 00:10:06,492 --> 00:10:08,527 these veterans could not be treated like 200 00:10:08,527 --> 00:10:14,669 bums." On June 4, 201 00:10:14,669 --> 00:10:17,538 thousands of Washingtonians lined the 202 00:10:17,538 --> 00:10:19,891 streets to see what the Washington Post 203 00:10:19,891 --> 00:10:22,347 called the "strangest military parade the 204 00:10:22,347 --> 00:10:26,277 Capitol had ever witnessed." The BEF was 205 00:10:26,277 --> 00:10:30,034 marching in full force. Within days, 206 00:10:30,034 --> 00:10:32,461 Walter Waters had a full-fledged 207 00:10:32,461 --> 00:10:34,846 lobbying operation underway. "The 208 00:10:34,846 --> 00:10:36,849 veterans, frankly, made a nuisance of 209 00:10:36,849 --> 00:10:39,571 themselves. (A) couple of veterans were 210 00:10:39,571 --> 00:10:41,747 always sitting in each representative's 211 00:10:41,747 --> 00:10:44,603 waiting rooms. The representatives were 212 00:10:44,603 --> 00:10:48,264 solicited outside the building as well." 213 00:10:48,264 --> 00:10:51,981 The strategy quickly paid off. After just 214 00:10:51,981 --> 00:10:54,494 two weeks, the House of Representatives 215 00:10:54,494 --> 00:10:58,070 passed the bonus bill. The BEF had won a 216 00:10:58,070 --> 00:11:01,230 battle, but a greater one awaited them in 217 00:11:01,230 --> 00:11:05,049 the Senate. 218 00:11:06,354 --> 00:11:08,633 In a remote neighborhood of Washington 219 00:11:08,633 --> 00:11:11,615 known as Anacostia, an enormous tent and 220 00:11:11,615 --> 00:11:15,477 shack city rose from the mudflats. 221 00:11:15,477 --> 00:11:18,368 Here, the threadbare heroes of World War 222 00:11:18,368 --> 00:11:22,101 One formed their last great encampment. 223 00:11:22,863 --> 00:11:26,104 "We just drove in, and we were ankle deep 224 00:11:26,104 --> 00:11:29,408 in mud. I never saw so much mud in my 225 00:11:29,408 --> 00:11:32,807 life." American flags could be seen flying 226 00:11:32,807 --> 00:11:37,249 from every possible vantage point. A city 227 00:11:37,249 --> 00:11:39,369 was laid out in Anacostia. The streets 228 00:11:39,369 --> 00:11:42,138 were named by states. There was a library 229 00:11:42,138 --> 00:11:44,545 in the center of it run by the Salvation 230 00:11:44,545 --> 00:11:47,442 Army. There was music day and night. There 231 00:11:47,442 --> 00:11:49,594 was gospel music, and there was blues 232 00:11:49,594 --> 00:11:51,495 music, and there was country music and 233 00:11:51,495 --> 00:11:56,910 popular music. There were people who 234 00:11:56,910 --> 00:11:59,805 built beautiful little replicas of 235 00:11:59,805 --> 00:12:02,645 suburban homes. There were guys who were 236 00:12:02,645 --> 00:12:05,623 buried alive for money. "I will remember 237 00:12:05,623 --> 00:12:09,256 the veteran laying in a casket, saying, 238 00:12:09,256 --> 00:12:11,443 'Hey, they treat us like we were dead 239 00:12:11,443 --> 00:12:14,800 people.'" A popular form of entertainment 240 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,699 in the camp was boxing. "I was the best boxer." 241 00:12:18,699 --> 00:12:22,521 (other) "I was." "We'd box and pass a hat. 242 00:12:22,521 --> 00:12:24,489 My dad would get a little irate if we 243 00:12:24,489 --> 00:12:27,499 didn't really punch each other out. Then he'd 244 00:12:27,499 --> 00:12:29,953 throw up both of our arms. It was always 245 00:12:29,953 --> 00:12:32,865 draw, always a draw, always a draw." 246 00:12:32,865 --> 00:12:35,231 People across the country sympathized 247 00:12:35,231 --> 00:12:37,390 with the Bonus Marchers' plight, but to 248 00:12:37,390 --> 00:12:39,496 official Washington, they were just a 249 00:12:39,496 --> 00:12:41,616 sign of trouble on the horizon. 250 00:12:44,232 --> 00:12:47,078 One of the stories that went largely 251 00:12:47,078 --> 00:12:49,136 unreported was that the color line 252 00:12:49,136 --> 00:12:50,658 seemed to have vanished in the Bonus 253 00:12:50,658 --> 00:12:54,512 Army camps. Visitors were astonished to 254 00:12:54,512 --> 00:12:57,521 see black veterans and white veterans 255 00:12:57,521 --> 00:13:01,485 sharing billets, chores, and rations. The 256 00:13:01,485 --> 00:13:04,497 military experience has the potential 257 00:13:04,497 --> 00:13:07,117 for transcending things like race. And 258 00:13:07,117 --> 00:13:11,192 for black veterans to be in company with 259 00:13:11,192 --> 00:13:14,817 white veterans was a revolutionary thing. 260 00:13:16,549 --> 00:13:19,270 Roy Wilkins, an enterprising young 261 00:13:19,270 --> 00:13:21,625 reporter working for the NAACP, 262 00:13:21,625 --> 00:13:25,137 decided to visit and see for himself. "At 263 00:13:25,137 --> 00:13:27,722 Anacostia, there was no residential 264 00:13:27,722 --> 00:13:30,079 segregation. Recruits of any color were 265 00:13:30,079 --> 00:13:32,523 made welcome." "It was a big event in 266 00:13:32,523 --> 00:13:37,188 the part of the city that I lived in. They 267 00:13:37,188 --> 00:13:39,976 had groups of whites and Negroes that 268 00:13:39,976 --> 00:13:43,388 formed a unit because they were from the 269 00:13:43,388 --> 00:13:47,177 same state. That was not so usual for the 270 00:13:47,177 --> 00:13:50,248 city of Washington." And there were lots 271 00:13:50,248 --> 00:13:52,123 of people, especially people in the 272 00:13:52,123 --> 00:13:54,221 military, who saw this is a very, very 273 00:13:54,221 --> 00:13:57,235 dangerous thing. "And right there with the 274 00:13:57,235 --> 00:14:00,481 tragedy of it all, men can live, eat, play, 275 00:14:00,481 --> 00:14:03,922 and work together, be they black or white. 276 00:14:03,922 --> 00:14:06,856 Just as the BEF demonstrated." 277 00:14:09,369 --> 00:14:11,419 On June 17, 278 00:14:11,419 --> 00:14:14,374 1932, thousands of bonus marchers 279 00:14:14,374 --> 00:14:16,548 assembled on Capitol Hill to maintain a 280 00:14:16,548 --> 00:14:19,268 vigil on the Senate, scheduled to vote on 281 00:14:19,268 --> 00:14:22,552 the bonus bill passed by the house. The 282 00:14:22,552 --> 00:14:25,118 shouts and songs of the veterans, "The 283 00:14:25,118 --> 00:14:27,373 Yanks are starving! The Yanks are 284 00:14:27,373 --> 00:14:30,241 starving!" could be heard in the Senate 285 00:14:30,241 --> 00:14:34,103 Chamber as the heated debate went on. 286 00:14:34,103 --> 00:14:36,946 Late in the day, Waters delivered the 287 00:14:36,946 --> 00:14:40,108 result to his troops. The Senate 288 00:14:40,108 --> 00:14:43,178 overwhelmingly defeated the bonus bill, 289 00:14:43,178 --> 00:14:45,598 and the men were extraordinarily 290 00:14:45,598 --> 00:14:50,287 disappointed. But fortunately, a newspaper 291 00:14:50,287 --> 00:14:52,710 reporter suggested to Waters that he 292 00:14:52,710 --> 00:14:56,809 ought to order the men to sing "America." 293 00:14:56,809 --> 00:15:00,551 And they did. They all sang "America," and 294 00:15:00,551 --> 00:15:03,829 they dispersed peacefully. But Waters 295 00:15:03,829 --> 00:15:06,262 urged the marchers to remain in 296 00:15:06,262 --> 00:15:09,873 Washington. "I am not advising anybody to 297 00:15:09,873 --> 00:15:11,800 go home. 298 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,553 We intend to maintain our army in 299 00:15:14,553 --> 00:15:18,376 Washington regardless of who goes home." 300 00:15:18,376 --> 00:15:20,398 President Hoover and other people kept 301 00:15:20,398 --> 00:15:22,723 saying, "Why can't we drive them home?" 302 00:15:22,723 --> 00:15:25,428 A lot of these people didn't have a home. 303 00:15:25,428 --> 00:15:28,145 It was pretty clear to everybody that they 304 00:15:28,145 --> 00:15:30,869 could not remain. But no one knew how to 305 00:15:30,869 --> 00:15:32,724 get rid of them, and no one wanted 306 00:15:32,724 --> 00:15:35,714 violence. On July 16, the last day 307 00:15:35,714 --> 00:15:37,774 Congress was in session, 308 00:15:37,774 --> 00:15:41,103 Washington was on edge. Thousands of 309 00:15:41,103 --> 00:15:45,256 angry veterans surrounded the Capitol. 310 00:15:45,256 --> 00:15:47,449 Near midnight, the 72nd Congress 311 00:15:47,449 --> 00:15:49,570 adjourned. 312 00:15:49,570 --> 00:15:52,059 Congressmen left through back doors and 313 00:15:52,059 --> 00:15:54,141 underground tunnels to avoid 314 00:15:54,141 --> 00:15:57,073 confrontations. The situation had come to 315 00:15:57,073 --> 00:16:00,430 a head. The president ordered the 316 00:16:00,430 --> 00:16:02,949 evacuation of the veterans from downtown 317 00:16:02,949 --> 00:16:09,324 Washington. By police count, there were 318 00:16:09,324 --> 00:16:12,712 still 11,698 marchers and their 319 00:16:12,712 --> 00:16:15,683 families in Washington. Midway between 320 00:16:15,683 --> 00:16:18,130 the White House and the Capitol stood a 321 00:16:18,130 --> 00:16:20,377 row of half demolished buildings where 322 00:16:20,377 --> 00:16:23,075 hundreds of marchers were living. On the 323 00:16:23,075 --> 00:16:25,936 morning of July 28, the wheels were in 324 00:16:25,936 --> 00:16:28,297 motion to evict them. 325 00:16:28,297 --> 00:16:32,462 Waters urged his men to cooperate. Then 326 00:16:32,462 --> 00:16:34,512 someone began to throw bricks at the 327 00:16:34,512 --> 00:16:37,076 police. Glassford and several police 328 00:16:37,076 --> 00:16:39,643 officers run to the area. Two cops 329 00:16:39,643 --> 00:16:44,626 are are grabbed. One cop pulls out a gun, 330 00:16:44,626 --> 00:16:49,046 and he fires. Another cop turns, and he 331 00:16:49,046 --> 00:16:53,565 fires a shot. One veteran was dead, and 332 00:16:53,565 --> 00:16:56,765 another lay dying. 333 00:16:56,765 --> 00:16:59,373 Now there's been bloodshed, and now you 334 00:16:59,373 --> 00:17:02,643 bring in the troops. When MacArthur moved 335 00:17:02,643 --> 00:17:06,054 his troops to the affected area, he knew 336 00:17:06,054 --> 00:17:09,074 exactly what he was going to do. And he 337 00:17:09,074 --> 00:17:11,865 adorned himself in his dress uniform, 338 00:17:11,865 --> 00:17:14,576 along with his major aide, Dwight D. 339 00:17:14,576 --> 00:17:18,632 Eisenhower. The force stepped off at 4:30 340 00:17:18,632 --> 00:17:20,505 p.m. 341 00:17:20,505 --> 00:17:23,009 More than 200 cavalry men spread out 342 00:17:23,009 --> 00:17:25,234 across Constitution and Pennsylvania 343 00:17:25,234 --> 00:17:27,522 Avenues. 344 00:17:27,522 --> 00:17:30,963 Behind them came 400 infantrymen, 345 00:17:30,963 --> 00:17:32,954 followed up by tanks and armored 346 00:17:32,954 --> 00:17:35,906 vehicles. "I was about seven years old 347 00:17:35,906 --> 00:17:37,796 at the time, 348 00:17:37,796 --> 00:17:40,023 and the troops were out in Pennsylvania 349 00:17:40,023 --> 00:17:43,892 Avenue. I was scared. And my dad kept 350 00:17:43,892 --> 00:17:45,529 saying, "Nothing's going to happen." 351 00:17:45,529 --> 00:17:49,268 The cavalrymen, one of whom is Major 352 00:17:49,268 --> 00:17:51,831 Patton, have got their sabers out. 353 00:17:51,831 --> 00:17:54,586 The soldiers don gas masks, and without 354 00:17:54,586 --> 00:17:57,681 warning, began hurling gas grenades at 355 00:17:57,681 --> 00:18:01,167 the veterans. The troops advanced, some 356 00:18:01,167 --> 00:18:04,813 jabbing with bayonets. "Tear gas was 357 00:18:04,813 --> 00:18:07,549 just burning my face. I was trailing 358 00:18:07,549 --> 00:18:09,555 behind my dad, and he kept hollering, 359 00:18:09,555 --> 00:18:12,427 'Come on, boy! Come on boy!'" 360 00:18:12,427 --> 00:18:15,519 Marchers were choking from the gas, just 361 00:18:15,519 --> 00:18:17,694 like the battlefields in France. "And so 362 00:18:17,694 --> 00:18:19,763 they're being forced out of their shacks 363 00:18:19,763 --> 00:18:22,606 by smoke bombs and tear gas hurled by 364 00:18:22,606 --> 00:18:25,329 the troops who have been called out by 365 00:18:25,329 --> 00:18:27,246 the President of the United States." 366 00:18:27,246 --> 00:18:30,757 Chief Glassford stood by helplessly. 367 00:18:30,757 --> 00:18:32,859 "The veterans did not believe the 368 00:18:32,859 --> 00:18:34,753 country for which they had fought 369 00:18:34,753 --> 00:18:36,671 would ignore the plight into which 370 00:18:36,671 --> 00:18:38,459 the depression had placed them. Many 371 00:18:38,459 --> 00:18:40,831 did not believe that United States troops 372 00:18:40,831 --> 00:18:44,007 would take the field against them." By early 373 00:18:44,007 --> 00:18:46,432 evening, most of the marchers had been 374 00:18:46,432 --> 00:18:49,030 driven across a drawbridge that led to 375 00:18:49,030 --> 00:18:52,995 their main camp. The President does not want 376 00:18:52,995 --> 00:18:56,530 MacArthur to cross the bridge, and 377 00:18:56,530 --> 00:19:00,327 MacArthur disregards the order. Eisenhower 378 00:19:00,327 --> 00:19:02,954 later says that he saw this happen. 379 00:19:02,954 --> 00:19:05,078 MacArthur says, "I cannot bother with 380 00:19:05,078 --> 00:19:08,077 pieces of paper during a military operation." 381 00:19:08,077 --> 00:19:11,717 And so he crosses the bridge. All through the 382 00:19:11,717 --> 00:19:14,489 camp were scenes of panic. 383 00:19:14,489 --> 00:19:16,067 "My dad says, 'Let's get the hell out of 384 00:19:16,067 --> 00:19:19,509 here. The soldiers are gonna kill us.'" 385 00:19:19,509 --> 00:19:22,159 Then troops began to set fire to their 386 00:19:22,159 --> 00:19:24,610 wooden shacks. 387 00:19:24,610 --> 00:19:27,395 One reporter wrote, "The blaze was so big, 388 00:19:27,395 --> 00:19:31,329 it lit the whole sky - a nightmare come to 389 00:19:31,329 --> 00:19:35,235 life." The President looked out a window 390 00:19:35,235 --> 00:19:36,630 of the White House in the direction of 391 00:19:36,630 --> 00:19:41,011 the fire, then retired for the night. 392 00:19:41,011 --> 00:19:43,952 "And the roaring flames sound the death 393 00:19:43,952 --> 00:19:46,921 knell to the fantastic Bonus Army, that 394 00:19:46,921 --> 00:19:50,833 ends so disastrously in the shadow of the 395 00:19:50,833 --> 00:19:55,799 Capitol of the United States of America." 396 00:19:58,758 --> 00:20:02,107 The morning after the Bonus Route, public 397 00:20:02,107 --> 00:20:04,130 sentiment took a dramatic turn against 398 00:20:04,130 --> 00:20:07,875 Herbert Hoover. He argued that this was a 399 00:20:07,875 --> 00:20:10,667 communist revolution, and there wasn't 400 00:20:10,667 --> 00:20:14,300 one bit of evidence to prove it. 401 00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:17,180 If the expulsion needed a human face, it 402 00:20:17,180 --> 00:20:20,147 came in the person of Joe Angelo, whose 403 00:20:20,147 --> 00:20:23,529 story was published across the nation. 404 00:20:23,529 --> 00:20:25,261 Joe Angelo gets the Distinguished 405 00:20:25,261 --> 00:20:27,281 Service Cross for saving Patton's life 406 00:20:27,281 --> 00:20:29,697 on the battlefield. The next morning, 407 00:20:29,697 --> 00:20:32,955 Angelo comes to the burned-out field to 408 00:20:32,955 --> 00:20:35,953 see Patton. Patton says, "Take this man 409 00:20:35,953 --> 00:20:39,878 away. I don't want to see this man." 410 00:20:40,617 --> 00:20:41,859 [Music] 411 00:20:41,859 --> 00:20:44,159 Walter waters quickly faded into 412 00:20:44,159 --> 00:20:47,019 obscurity. "The BEF was broken up. The men 413 00:20:47,019 --> 00:20:48,927 returned to some city or other, there to 414 00:20:48,927 --> 00:20:51,817 roam the streets hopelessly, seeking work 415 00:20:51,817 --> 00:20:54,436 or to shuffle in breadlines. 416 00:20:54,436 --> 00:20:57,696 There they remain, crying examples not of 417 00:20:57,696 --> 00:20:59,171 the need for the bonus, but of the need 418 00:20:59,171 --> 00:21:03,137 for a new American system." So just a few 419 00:21:03,137 --> 00:21:06,566 months after the Bonus Marchers are 420 00:21:06,566 --> 00:21:09,187 driven out of Washington, you have a song 421 00:21:09,187 --> 00:21:12,082 which is called "Brother Can You Spare a 422 00:21:12,082 --> 00:21:15,251 Dime." This song was directly inspired by 423 00:21:15,251 --> 00:21:19,532 the bonus marchers. (song: They used to 424 00:21:19,532 --> 00:21:22,925 tell me I was building a dream with peace 425 00:21:22,925 --> 00:21:27,811 and glory ahead. Why should I be standing 426 00:21:27,811 --> 00:21:35,193 in line...") And it just captured the 427 00:21:35,193 --> 00:21:38,110 desperation that was the story of the 428 00:21:38,110 --> 00:21:40,949 Bonus March. (song: Say, buddy, can you 429 00:21:40,949 --> 00:21:45,957 spare a dime?) On November 8, 1932, 430 00:21:45,957 --> 00:21:50,135 Americans, desperate for change, elected 431 00:21:50,135 --> 00:21:54,023 Franklin Delano Roosevelt president. 432 00:21:54,023 --> 00:21:56,675 The first thing that Roosevelt does, he 433 00:21:56,675 --> 00:21:58,867 produces something called the Economy 434 00:21:58,867 --> 00:22:01,759 Act. The big victims are veterans. 435 00:22:01,759 --> 00:22:05,102 Disabled veterans. Still, the veterans 436 00:22:05,102 --> 00:22:08,592 kept returning to Washington each year. 437 00:22:08,592 --> 00:22:11,560 FDR knows that he cannot use force 438 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:13,863 against the veterans. He also knows he 439 00:22:13,863 --> 00:22:16,312 doesn't want them in Washington, DC. Many 440 00:22:16,312 --> 00:22:18,424 of the men were sent to work in 441 00:22:18,424 --> 00:22:20,017 rehabilitation camps in the Florida Keys. 442 00:22:20,017 --> 00:22:24,337 On September 2, 1935, the most powerful 443 00:22:24,337 --> 00:22:26,589 hurricane ever to hit the Western 444 00:22:26,589 --> 00:22:29,598 Hemisphere hits in the Upper Keys where 445 00:22:29,598 --> 00:22:33,172 these guys are located. Several hundred 446 00:22:33,172 --> 00:22:36,049 of them are killed. The government 447 00:22:36,049 --> 00:22:39,453 attempted to suppress the news. But one 448 00:22:39,453 --> 00:22:42,175 of the first rescue boats to get in carried 449 00:22:42,175 --> 00:22:44,921 the renowned writer Ernest Hemingway. 450 00:22:44,921 --> 00:22:48,554 In an angry piece, he wrote, "The veterans 451 00:22:48,554 --> 00:22:52,385 in those camps were practically murdered." 452 00:22:52,385 --> 00:22:54,810 When the public finally learned the 453 00:22:54,810 --> 00:22:57,180 truth, opposition to paying the bonus 454 00:22:57,180 --> 00:22:59,337 began to vanish. 455 00:23:01,629 --> 00:23:05,694 In 1936, war clouds were gathering again 456 00:23:05,694 --> 00:23:08,574 in Europe. Once again, the bonus bill is 457 00:23:08,574 --> 00:23:10,832 brought up. It is vetoed again by 458 00:23:10,832 --> 00:23:12,880 President Roosevelt, but this time 459 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,460 there's enough power in the House and 460 00:23:14,460 --> 00:23:17,293 Senate to override the veto. "The bonus 461 00:23:17,293 --> 00:23:19,792 bill becomes law, and veterans' tab on 462 00:23:19,792 --> 00:23:25,514 World War One is paid in full." Some four 463 00:23:25,514 --> 00:23:30,523 million veterans were overjoyed. So the 464 00:23:30,523 --> 00:23:32,934 story comes to an end. These guys get 465 00:23:32,934 --> 00:23:37,179 their money. Their lives change. "My dad 466 00:23:37,179 --> 00:23:40,901 came in the house with seven $100 bills, 467 00:23:40,901 --> 00:23:43,480 and I thought, 'Oh, is that what the 468 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,761 bonus is?' you know. We didn't know what a 469 00:23:46,761 --> 00:23:50,276 bonus was. You know it's money. After all 470 00:23:50,276 --> 00:23:54,385 that time." On December 7, 1941, Pearl 471 00:23:54,385 --> 00:23:57,429 Harbor was attacked, and a new generation 472 00:23:57,429 --> 00:23:59,796 was called to serve. During the Second 473 00:23:59,796 --> 00:24:01,130 World War, 474 00:24:01,130 --> 00:24:04,285 Roosevelt admits World War one veterans' 475 00:24:04,285 --> 00:24:07,188 arguments. He will say that soldiers now 476 00:24:07,188 --> 00:24:09,188 serving in our army will have to be 477 00:24:09,188 --> 00:24:11,259 compensated for the opportunities 478 00:24:11,259 --> 00:24:14,452 they've missed. What emerged was the 479 00:24:14,452 --> 00:24:16,784 landmark piece of legislation known as 480 00:24:16,784 --> 00:24:19,755 the GI Bill of Rights, signed into law in 481 00:24:19,755 --> 00:24:22,837 June of 1944. It put millions of people 482 00:24:22,837 --> 00:24:25,498 into housing, put millions of people in 483 00:24:25,498 --> 00:24:27,701 college, put millions of people into 484 00:24:27,701 --> 00:24:33,248 small businesses, and it changed America. 485 00:24:33,248 --> 00:24:36,988 The legacy of the Bonus Army can be seen 486 00:24:36,988 --> 00:24:39,111 in all the marches on Washington that 487 00:24:39,111 --> 00:24:42,367 have followed. And American soldiers 488 00:24:42,367 --> 00:24:45,091 returning from war today expect the 489 00:24:45,091 --> 00:24:48,390 government to keep its promises. The 490 00:24:48,390 --> 00:24:51,015 Bonus March was a very visible lesson to 491 00:24:51,015 --> 00:24:54,178 political leaders that they did need to 492 00:24:54,178 --> 00:24:56,753 do something to respond to the 493 00:24:56,753 --> 00:25:00,531 individual needs of Americans. 494 00:25:00,531 --> 00:25:02,762 It tells us about the determination of 495 00:25:02,762 --> 00:25:06,652 people, to make sure that veterans are 496 00:25:06,652 --> 00:25:09,215 recognized for the service that they 497 00:25:09,215 --> 00:25:12,306 render to the nation. "In my later years, 498 00:25:12,306 --> 00:25:15,684 I understood what it meant. It meant 499 00:25:15,684 --> 00:25:19,838 freedom to demonstrate, and it showed 500 00:25:19,838 --> 00:25:23,696 America was a free, working democracy." 501 00:25:23,696 --> 00:25:27,742 [Music] 502 00:25:27,742 --> 00:25:29,641 The March of the Bonus Army is available 503 00:25:29,641 --> 00:25:32,337 on video cassette or DVD. The companion 504 00:25:32,337 --> 00:25:35,336 book to the program is also available. To 505 00:25:35,336 --> 00:25:39,072 order, call PBS Home Video at 1-800 play 506 00:25:39,072 --> 00:25:49,278 PBS. (song: Once I built a railroad, made 507 00:25:49,278 --> 00:25:57,811 it run. I made it race against time. Once I built 508 00:25:57,811 --> 00:26:04,564 a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you 509 00:26:04,564 --> 00:26:11,343 spare a dime?) Major funding for this 510 00:26:11,343 --> 00:26:15,443 program was provided by the Disabled 511 00:26:15,443 --> 00:26:18,280 American Veterans National Service 512 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,514 Foundation. Since World War One, DAV 513 00:26:20,514 --> 00:26:22,774 has helped veterans recover from the 514 00:26:22,774 --> 00:26:24,945 wounds and scars of war. DAV - building 515 00:26:24,945 --> 00:26:26,586 better lives for America's disabled 516 00:26:26,586 --> 00:26:28,724 veterans and their families. Additional 517 00:26:28,724 --> 00:26:30,644 production support provided by Tawani 518 00:26:30,644 --> 00:26:33,001 Foundation - promoting the ideal of the 519 00:26:33,001 --> 00:26:35,285 citizen soldier at the Pritzker Military 520 00:26:35,285 --> 00:26:38,816 Library, Chicago, Illinois, and by the 521 00:26:38,816 --> 00:26:44,759 Humanities Council of Washington, DC. 522 00:26:44,759 --> 00:26:53,120 We are PBS.