Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 65



Only Noblemtl

#065

Bonus. To elaborate, it can be called an additional allowance for veterans.

Since the days of the American Revolutionary War, the United States has paid veterans additional allowances separate from their post-service pay.

It was an economic reward given to those who fought for their country.

This system, which was abolished during the Spanish-American War, was revived during World War I.

This additional allowance actually had several problems from the time it was revived.

The first was that there were too many people receiving benefits.

The number of troops deployed by the United States at the time was enormous, and the number of people eligible for bonus payments was estimated at around 3.6 million.

The second is that the amount paid per person has been drastically reduced, taking into account the huge number of people and budget.

$60 per person.

If you don’t give it, you won’t know, but this is an amount that you would get cursed at even if you give it.

Naturally, the House of Representatives, faced with the risk of being vilified by 3.6 million voters and their families, hastily came up with a patchwork solution.

“Domestic service is paid at $1 per day, while deployment is paid at $1.25 per day, for an additional bonus of up to $500 to $625.”

At that time, President Calvin Coolidge vetoed the bill, saying, “Where is the money?”, but Congress passed it regardless.

Isn’t this a symbol that says the government should take care of the money and we should just use the favors?

Anyway, the administration, hit with a bombshell of a total of 3.6 billion dollars, ends up shouting “pay later.”

He promised to save it diligently for 20 years and give it to me in 1945.

Still, it worked back then.

Why? Because it was a time when both you and I were on credit and paying later.

Back then, when Americans were enjoying the height of their prosperity, postpaid payments were a familiar thing. Above all, at that time, only a very small number of people were willing to die because they didn’t have that kind of money.

For that reason, the bonus issue, which had been somewhat settled, resurfaced again thanks to the Great Depression.

It was natural that the government-guaranteed money came to mind for those who had no way of making a living.

Ten years ago, I thought it would be the perfect amount of money to receive in 20 years and add to my retirement savings, but now that I’m starving to death and can’t even put food on the table, how desperately I need that money.

So the Bonus Army was a protest that took place in Washington, D.C., demanding the bonus they deserved, now, and protesting to the president and congressmen.

The name Army was given because most of the protesters were veterans, i.e. former soldiers or military families.

But why did this protest become MacArthur’s dark history?

First of all, the person who MacArthur used to get President Hoover’s order to organize this protest was Patton.

No, why would you use such a crazy guy here when you have no one to use him for?

The second was that they mobilized tanks, cavalry, and even infantry regiments to suppress the rebellion with bloodshed.

Although no shots were fired, two children suffocated to death from tear gas sprayed by the riot police, a pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage, and many others were injured.

Of course, MacArthur was said to have firmly believed that the protesters were a mob of communists attempting to overthrow the state, but this was obviously not true.

The fact that even the Chief of Staff did not have proper information about the composition of the protesters.

In any case, the fact that they attempted to suppress their own citizens with force by mobilizing tanks,

Above all, MacArthur was absolutely guilty of releasing the mad dog Patton there.

Anyway, as I knew the whole story of the Bonus Army situation, as soon as I got the intelligence that the retired soldiers were gathering in Washington,

“Are you on vacation?”

“Oh, if you have nowhere to go, how about the Philippines?”

First of all, we decided to separate the mad dog Patton from Washington.

It would be great if it could be stopped, but the number of veterans scattered across the United States has exceeded the millions.

There was no way I could solve the poverty of all those people.

So, the idea of ​​preventing the creation of a bonus army was given up from the beginning.

Instead, I changed the direction of my thinking.

If you can’t stop it, why not just deal with it?

Let’s try to placate and appease the angry veterans who are flocking to Washington so that President Hoover will never say anything about getting rid of those red bastards.

So, let’s end this peacefully rather than through bloodshed.

For him, I made the Bonus Army incident happen faster than the original history.

It wasn’t particularly difficult. There were many unemployed retired military personnel, and it was enough to remind a few of them of the existence of a bonus they had completely forgotten about.

And this wasn’t that difficult or dangerous through the Rainbow Foundation.

To those who visit the foundation’s free cafeteria,

“It would be really helpful if that war bonus that was supposed to be given in 1942 or so came out now, right?”

Because it was something that could have been done by just saying something in passing.

Why is it so important for the Bonus Army incident to happen early?

It’s important.

The year 1931, when the Bonus Army crisis reached its peak in the history of the Yuan, was the year when all hope of an end to the Depression had vanished.

Of course, the number of unemployed people would have increased compared to now, so how could it decrease?

So, what this meant was that there was a growing number of people flocking to Washington like a pack of dogs to demand bonuses.

And the following year there was a presidential election.

It was just the right thing for the President to say as Hoover threw a fit and tried to get them out of the way.

But this year was different.

There is still time until the presidential election, and with fewer people gathered than next year, it might feel less threatening to Hoover.

But life doesn’t always go as planned.

##

Protesters from all over the country began to build a village on the banks of the Potomac River.

At first, they built tents one by one in a crude manner, but soon after, they got some planks and put up a roof.

I was worried that the protesters would throw firebombs and rob stores like 21st century French people, but the veterans who gathered were quite docile.

Then, people who agreed with their claims began to appear one by one.

A representative figure was Representative Wright Patman.

Like the Bonus Army, Rep. Patman, a World War I veteran, brought together many people to introduce the bill.

“Considering the difficult economic situation, it would be a good idea to pay veterans’ bonuses early.”

“I agree. It’s money that was supposed to be given anyway.”

“That’s right. Why else would you have come all the way here?”

Many House members agreed with Patman, and the bonus early payment bill passed the House.

“Have you heard the news?”

“Hey. That went well.”

“As expected, it was worth coming this far.”

The Bonus Army were jumping for joy when they heard the news.

Because it was a story about how the country had not abandoned them and had not forgotten their dedication as they risked their lives fighting for the country.

But their happiness was soon shattered.

“Oh, a bonus payment? Sounds good. Sounds good. But where’s the money?”

“That’s right. Everyone is complaining that they’re dying because of the tax cuts to stimulate the economy…”

“Where is the money that makes a lot of noise?”

“Is the House of Representatives in their right mind?”

The bill was defeated in the Senate.

“How can this be?”

“No matter how little money there is in the country···.”

“This is a bit too much.”

And it wasn’t just veterans, including the Bonus Army, who were frustrated and angry at the news.

Active-duty soldiers also began to voice their grievances.

“Isn’t this too much?”

“you’re right.”

Even when the entire country was experiencing unprecedented prosperity after the war ended and the Republican Party took power, making everyone rich and living a life of luxury, it was the soldiers who were unable to enjoy it together.

Why did we have to live in this icy age of disarmament, feeling fortunate that we weren’t cut off?

“Honestly, we’re lucky to still be active, so we can at least put food on the table.”

“If I took off my clothes and went out, who knows if I’d be hanging out with those bastards?”

No, most of these people gathered together were comrades who fought together a long time ago.

Some were their superiors, some were their colleagues, and there were quite a few subordinates as well.

What has added to the anxiety of the active members is that

“The country has no money, so we need to reduce where money goes.”

“Then, wouldn’t the military be the place to focus on?”

“you’re right.”

The Hoover administration’s solution to the panic was tax cuts.

Their idea was to reduce the tax burden on businesses and capitalists so that their economic activities would not be hindered.

And as revenues decreased, the demand for arms reduction became even stronger.

“If we continue like this, won’t we end up like that in a few years?”

“Hey, no way···.”

A crazy stock market frenzy that got the entire nation involved.

Surely there weren’t any active players who jumped in there and lost their fortune or got into huge debts?

There were many who were anxious that the moment their paychecks stopped, they too would become like the people of Hoover Village gathered along the Potomac River.

And the unrest among those in active service has caused anxiety in others.

Anxiety and fear began to spread through Washington like an epidemic.

“If this continues and a real coup d’état occurs···.”

“Oh, be careful what you say.”

“No, I’m saying that the atmosphere is really ominous. To be honest, aren’t all those guys gathered there ex-soldiers?”

“Ha, what’s so special about being a soldier?”

Some people scoffed at the idea, saying, “Don’t you know how dumb the American soldiers were during World War I?”

“That was a long time ago, and the current active soldiers are different.”

“Yes. Haven’t you seen the tank?”

“In other words, General MacArthur is like Napoleon···.”

There was a brief silence as someone brought up the story of Napoleon.

“How could General MacArthur do that?”

“Yes. He is a man who loves America so much.

As if trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, a few people waved their hands, saying that it was unlikely, but Napoleon’s name was already clearly engraved in people’s minds.

And the next day, something happened that further fueled their anxiety.

“What? You want to meet me?”

##

When news spread that the Senate had rejected the early bonus payment bill, Hoover Valley began to stir.

“Damn it. Our country has abandoned us.”

“Let’s kick that fucking Hoover out.”

“I can’t live because of those Republican brats.”

A large crowd of excited people came out shouting out violent words and began to march.

But nothing changed.

“shit.”

“What do we do now?”

“I don’t know, if I die I’ll die here.”

At that time, when people were depressed and frustrated with the reality that they could not see ahead,

“Hey, how about going to see General MacArthur?”

“Are you talking about Chief of Staff MacArthur?”

“yes.”

People’s reactions to what someone said were not very good.

“He is also a high-ranking official. How is he any different from senators or the president?”

“Yeah. It’s the same.”

Some people said that it would be impossible for someone as high as the Chief of Staff to meet with us, and that all high-ranking people are the same.

“There’s a friend in my neighborhood named Thomas.”

The atmosphere began to change when the story of Thomas Neibauer, who had only been a corporal when he received a reply from his division commander, was told.

“And those people who give us food and medical supplies? Aren’t they the Rainbow Foundation people?”

“Oh, right. That’s right. You said your wife works there.”

“really?”

“And aren’t we comrades? We weren’t part of the 42nd Division, but we were comrades who fought together in those damned trenches in Europe. If it were really General MacArthur, he wouldn’t turn his back on us.”

So representatives of the Bonus Army formally requested a meeting with me and MacArthur from the Army General Staff.

And this news was enough to push someone’s panic button.

It really does seem like there’s a conspiracy.