174 ChaPter^4
Still, Americans felt strongly that the “Bonus Army” vets who had risked
their lives in the Great War deserved to receive their money in 1932. The
senate began to debate a measure to pay the bonds off in June 1932, but the
“Bonus Expeditionary Force,” as the veterans called themselves, arrived in the
capital and made a camp at Anacostia Flats, in southeast Washington, on the
Maryland side, and within sight of the U.S. Capitol. There were about 17,000
veterans in camp, and, leading a crowd of about 45,000, led a march on the
Capitol to demand full bonuses. The senate nonetheless defeated a bill to
offer early payment, so the Bonus Army veterans decided to stay in Washington
and continue to fight for their money, and they built a large encampment, a
“shantytown” really, in Anacostia and resolved to stay until paid their pensions.
Washington politicians sensed that conflict was inevitable and a siege mental-
ity took over Hoover’s White House. Soon, the president heard that two
Bonus Army vets were reported dead from gunfire so he took drastic action.
Hoover ordered Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur, who had
commanded many of the vets during the Great War, to clear out the Bonus
Army, and MacArthur assigned a young major, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to
work with the local police to oust the protestors who wanted their bonuses.
Negotiations and promises were not going to work, however, so Commander
Major George S. Patton set up detachments of infantry, several machine gun
crews, 6 tanks, and cavalry and began to attack and forcibly remove these
veterans of the Great War from the nation’s capital.
Patton deployed his men across Pennsylvania Avenue, within sight of the
White House, and then began moving toward the Capitol. At first, many of
the veterans and spectators did not realize that the troops were attacking and
some even applauded the marchers. When soldiers fixed their bayonets and
put on gas masks, the rest of the veterans knew they were there as enemies.
Soon Patton’s men launched tear-gas grenades. Some veterans responded by
throwing bricks and stones; most were unarmed so simply broke and ran,
many to Anacostia Flats, which was now unsafe. Near nightfall, having cleared
downtown Washington of veterans, MacArthur exceeded his orders. The
Army crossed into the encampment at Anacostia Flats. Within hours, over
10,000 inhabitants—the first of many “Hoovervilles” to come – had been
defeated and dispersed. By morning, only a burnt-out and smoking mass of
the shantytown remained. Hoover, oblivious to the angry and appalled mood
of the nation, proclaimed victoriously, “A challenge to the authority of the