A contingent of 1932's Bonus Army passes through

Bonus marchers protest peacefully on the U.S. Capitol steps, July 5, 1932.

Earlier this week, I shared a story from Chariton's Herald-Patriot of July 7, 1932, that touched on the masses of unemployed Americans who drifted through Lucas County that summer desperately searching for work ("Hard Times along U.S. Highway 34 during July of 1932").

A week later, a contingent  of unemployed men with a common background passed through Chariton in an otherwise empty box car, headed east toward what organizers called the Bonus Expeditionary Force encampment --- some 43,000 demonstrators including 17,000 World War I veterans and their families who gathered in tent and shanty cities that summer in Washington, D.C.

The veterans had been issued bonus certificates during 1924 as a result of their service during the Great War under terms of The World War Adjusted Compensation Act. The catch was, these certificates --- for amounts that seemed generous at the time plus interest --- could not be redeemed until 1945.

By 1932, however, thousands and thousands of these veterans were jobless and quite a number were homeless. It made sense to them, although not to the U.S. government, that the bonus certificates should be redeemed immediately. Hence, the massive demonstration.

Here's Berry F. Halden's report from The Herald-Patriot of July 14, 1932:

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A group of 22 World War veterans from Omaha, Nebr., passed through Chariton Wednesday morning, en route for Washington, D.C., and the encampment of Bonus Expeditionary Forces. Their empty box car was shunted onto a way siding in the local Burlington yards Wednesday morning and the men walked down town in Chariton before resuming their trip.

Two of the men went to the Spurgeon store where they asked for several lengths of ribbon to make badges for their members. They didn't mention paying for the ribbon and the store managers made them a present of it.

M.M. Raub, assistant manager, addressed the expeditionary situation with the men for a short time.

When asked about the report that many men were leaving the camp in order to take advantage of the offer of the United States government to pay the transportation fare home, the men said,, "It's all propaganda, issued by the newsspapers in the East to keep other veterans from coming to the camp."

The veterans from Omaha had the same idea about the camp as all veterans. They felt that there were more veterans in Washington than has been reported, that the reports about the food supply were exaggerated and that the expedition has an opportunity for success if they stay in Washington long enough.

It was evident that the men had learned their information from one of the camp organizers who was with the men in Chariton. According to the Omaha men, this organizer is making his fifth trip to Washington and each time he has recruited forces varying from 20 to 50 men.

It is his duty, the men said, to secure transportation over the railroads, see that sufficient food is gotten and in a general way direct the route taken by the men. His responsibility ceases when the men reach Washington.

The organizer was busy interviewing railroad officials here during the short wait in Chariton in order to get transportation further east. It was evident that he was successful for the men left here later Wednesday.

One of the two men visiting in the Chariton store had been out of work for seven months and the other, more than a year. Both had families but relatives were caring for them while the men made the trip to Washington.

The Chariton Wholesale Grocery gave the men a sack of potatoes and other business firms contributed to furnish them food for one day.

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Not long after these men arrived in Washington, D.C., the U.S. government moved against the demonstrators in decisive fashion.

On July 28, the U.S. attorney general ordered the veterans removed from all government property. The protesters resisted, Washington police shot at them and two protesters died. President Herbert Hoover, an Iowa boy, then ordered the U.S. Army to clear the marchers' campsite, a mission accomplished by infantry and cavalry supported by six tanks under the command of Staff General Douglas MacArthur. The Bonus Army marchers with their wives and children were driven out and their shelters and belongings burned.

Harsh treatment of the veterans generally is considered a contributing factors in Hoover's defeat by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the race for president during 1932. A smaller but still unsuccessful march on Washington was carried out during 1933. Roosevelt, too, resisted payment of the bonus.

Finally, during 1936, Congress overrode Roosevelt's veto and paid the veterans their bonuses nine years early.

Bonus marchers resist Washington, D.C., police during late July 1932.