During the midst of the Great Depression, 10,000 World War I veterans gathered on July 28, 1932 in Washington, D.C. They brought with them 10,000 wives and children. Their reason for being there was in response to a bill which had been passed by the House and was now being reviewed by the Senate.
In 1924, a war bonus was promised to the veterans - $1.25 for each day they spent overseas and $1.00 for each day spent stateside serving in the military. Though promised in 1924, vets did not see the money until 1945. The gathering in 1932 was to demand Washington fulfill the 1924 promise. Unfortunately, the vote went against the vets.
After the vote, the vets remained in town and tempers began to flair. On July 28, around 1:45, violence erupted. Two of the protestors were shot when the police were ordered to clear the building. The Army was called in to disperse the vets and answered with a cavalry squadron, an infantry battalion and a platoon of tanks. Leading the charge were General Douglas MacArthur, Major General George S. Patton and Major Dwight D. Eisenhower. The throng of protestors dispersed after the infantry fixed bayonets on them and the cavalry charged while using tear gas. The veterans were chased into Maryland and told to keep going until they reached Pennsylvania.
We have all heard the saying, “History repeats itself,” but that is not totally true. It is not a case of history repeating itself; it is man repeating history from not having learned history’s lessons. This particular situation is the perfect example of that situation.
Numerous times the Hand of God has worked through brave patriots who have volunteered to pay the ultimate price in an effort to preserve and protect our national security; only to be snubbed, ignored or ridiculed after fulfilling their service by the very ones they swore to defend. Promises previously made to them are many times forgotten or broken.
Which one of us, when we go to work each day, does not expect to receive a paycheque on a regular basis? In the process of performing the duties assigned, how many of us who are not first line defenders put our lives on the line to perform our jobs? Now, when the expected payday arrives, we hear the boss say, “Sorry, I spent the money on a new necklace for my wife. I can’t pay you now.” How would you feel? Angry?
How much angrier would you be if the job description involved putting your life on the line and being shot at by people who hate the uniform you wear? Now top that with the fact you have lost an arm and/or leg, sight in one or both eyes, become paralyzed and are now confined to a wheelchair. Yet the veterans are looked down upon when they become irate when dealt a boatload of broken promises.
Even with the broken promises, veterans many times move on and find a way to make a go of life for themselves and their families. What seems to bother them most is the disrespect they receive from both politicians and citizenry. Many a veteran’s feelings are wrapped up in these words of a Vietnam-era Green Beret – “It was nearly twenty years from the time I left active duty before anyone had ever said ‘thank you for your service’ to me for that time and I remember how it made me feel. It made the bad memories fade and allowed me to talk about that time. I finally even have had some funny stories to tell about my time in the Army. It was all a matter of perspective for me. Even bad times aren't all bad.”
As this year ebbs away and 2012 debuts, let us all make a resolution to tell those we pass in uniform each day – either military or first responder (peace officer, firefighter, etc) – how much you appreciate their sacrifice and service. And say a prayer for both the individual and his/her family.
“God and the soldier, we adore, in times of peril, not before. The peril ended and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted.” Rudyard Kipling,
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