Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 68



Only Noblemtl

#068

There are many photographs showing the Great Depression that began in the United States in the 1930s.

Long lines at soup kitchens, unemployed people wandering the streets with signs around their necks introducing themselves, looking for work.

But if you were to pick the most famous and most shocking photo from that period, eight out of ten people would choose this one.

A woman stood in front of several M1917 light tanks, the main tank of the US Army at the time, lined up, fearlessly blocking them with her bare body.

There are surprisingly many photographs of this scene, taken during the height of the Bonus Army crisis, which lasted from the summer of 1930 through the winter.

Because there were several photographers on the scene at the time, many photos were taken from various angles, but the most famous one is Dorothea Lange’s work.

Unlike the other photographers who were behind the tank, Dorothea Lange was shooting the daily life of the Bonus Army in Hoover Village, so she took the photo in a composition that vividly revealed the imposing appearance of the tank behind the tank girl.

Thanks to this, the contrast between the small, delicate woman and the heavy tank gives this photo a more shocking feeling, making it one of Dorothea Lange’s representative works.

Not only did it make Dorothea Lange, who was unknown at the time, into a famous photographer overnight, but the people in the photos also gained worldwide recognition.

-Excerpt from 100 scenes of world history in pictures-

That day too, I was on my way back to the camp after finishing the protest.

At some point, the camp began to be called Hoover Village, after the president, but William didn’t like it at all.

“Why Hoover? He has so many good names.”

“What’s a good name? Why not give this shantytown the name of Washington or Lincoln?”

“No, but Hoover is still not that good.”

“Well, that’s true.”

The mood of the Bonus Army returning from the protest that day was gloomy.

That was understandable, as it had already been several months since they had arrived in Washington. The Bonus Army, who had been full of hope when they first arrived in Washington, were gradually becoming consumed by despair.

“Is the guy who got hit by the rock okay today?”

“Oh, it’s just a little torn on the outside, but the bone is fine.”

“Rather than that, the real atmosphere is….”

It wasn’t just the Bonus Army that had changed. The people of Washington, who had initially been friendly toward them, were also changing. For a few days, more and more people were throwing rocks and trash at the protesters and hurling profanities.

“By the way, have you met your quota?”

“What about me?”

“What? When did you fill up all that? The battlefield. I think it’s a little too much.”

The Rainbow Foundation, which has been running the cafeteria since the camp was established, has been strict with people like William.

“Oh, should I just hit my forehead with a rock and go in? Then they’ll just give me away as an injured person.”

“Oh my. That’s going to work out well. Didn’t you hear about that guy who got caught trying to cheat like that yesterday and got kicked out?”

“okay?”

In the end, William grumbled but continued to pick up trash diligently.

William arrived at the cafeteria set up on one side of the camp and handed the trash to the Rainbow Foundation staff.

“Here it is.”

“Thank you for your hard work. Leave it over there and have some soup. Don’t forget to wash your hands first.”

William grumbled and frowned at the words of the Rainbow Foundation staff.

“She nags me more than my ex-wife did before I broke up with her.”

“But hygiene···.”

“Oh, I’m going to wash. I’m going to wash. I’m going to scrub it with soap.”

“Good.”

I didn’t feel like washing my hands in the icy water, but I couldn’t avoid the stares of the strict Rainbow Foundation staff.

After washing my hands and going to the soup line, I saw the people in front of me making a fuss.

“What’s going on?”

When I asked the person in front of me, I got an answer right away.

“The widow is here.”

“okay?”

The young lady, who always came with her face covered by a black veil, was the most popular among the Rainbow Foundation staff.

Because every time she came, a special meal was served.

“What are you doing today?”

“There’s chicken in the soup.”

“really?”

When I first looked at the bowls of those who received the food, I couldn’t help but drool at the sight of such a generous portion of meat.

“Oh, ma’am. It’s been a while.”

“Yes. My husband has been keeping me from going out for so long.”

“Oh my, you had a husband?”

William accepted the soup as he watched his wife fiddle with the hem of her dress in confusion after someone said that they thought she was a widow because she had been wearing a black veil.

“Whew.”

“Why are you sighing so much?”

“I can’t see ahead. I can’t just keep picking up trash here and eating this forever.”

The soup, which was rich in chicken, was tasty, but that was it.

William somehow felt miserable about having to pick up trash and make soup.

“That’s true.”

“Ever since the article came out about those communist guys or something, the atmosphere has been a bit turbulent···.”

“Hey. But the representatives will be meeting with General MacArthur soon. Was it tomorrow or the day after?”

“Will it really help?”

“I don’t know. Let’s just hold out until then.”

I was eating soup and chatting with a friend I had become close with since we came all the way here from Chicago.

Kurururur

William unconsciously threw down his bowl of soup and stood up at the sound of the noise and vibration from afar.

“This, this is.”

Clang. Bang.

It wasn’t just William.

“The Jerry guys are coming.”

“Eww”

“Tanks, tanks are coming.”

The peaceful scene of people sitting around a campfire, chatting and eating soup suddenly turned into chaos.

Among the men, not a single one sat still, except for the wives who had followed their husbands and the children who knew nothing.

“Tank, why is a tank here?”

“No way, no way.”

“That can’t be true. I’ll see it with my own eyes.”

Several people who had just thrown down the bowls of soup they had been lovingly eating began to run in the direction of the sound.

And those who had been looking around with dumbfounded faces also began to move.

“Come inside. Quickly.”

Those who had families ran to find them, and those who couldn’t contain their curiosity ran in the direction of the sound.

And William···.

“Huh? That lady… Tsk.”

William clicked his tongue and headed towards the woman who was moving quickly.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go. I have to go···.”

“It’s dangerous. Your husband will be horrified if he finds out.”

“No. My husband would say you did a good job.”

“What is that?”

William hesitated for a moment as he watched the young woman run away, shaking off his hand.

‘It’s like they’re trying to sweep us away like the Battle of Mount Blair.’

Lee Sung shouted at them to quickly turn around and run away in the opposite direction from where the tank sound was coming from.

But how many times in the past months had he eaten the soup she served him? Sometimes he even received bread. If it weren’t for that lady or the Rainbow Foundation, he would have been in a much worse situation.

‘I might have starved to death.’

“shit”

William, who was cursing harshly, ran to catch up with his wife who was running far away.

It was so fast for such a small creature, it looked like a squirrel.

The camp entrance that I arrived at following my wife was a scene of chaos.

To the police, to the reporters, to the Bonus Army who had gathered excitedly upon discovering the tank.

The police, who had been looking out for their convenience until recently, were acting fiercely today.

The Hwalongjeomjeong was a tank that made a loud noise as if it was about to move at any moment.

As many as five tanks…

“I see those cavalry units behind us. Damn it. They really seem to be trying to push us back.”

The Bonus Army members who were confronting the police who were pointing their guns also had something in their hands.

There are guns and clubs,

“No, what’s that guy holding the spoon?”

William shook his head and craned his neck to look for his wife.

If you got caught up in this mess, you might get trampled to death by people rather than guns.

Just then he heard someone cursing in his ear.

“Major. This is Angelo. Don’t you remember me?”

“Angelo? I don’t know. How would I know a commie like you?”

“Don’t lie. You said I was the bravest man in the US Army. I saved your life that day!”

The major, who was climbing onto the tank, was seen looking away with a cold face as the Bonus Army shouted with a blush on their faces.

A situation so tense that it seems like the two sides could clash at any moment.

There was a figure jumping in front of a tank that was making a loud noise as if it was about to start moving.

“Stop.”

“Where the hell is that woman… Ugh. Stop. Stop. Everyone stop!!!”

Before William could shout anything, startled by the sight of the woman suddenly jumping in, the major on top of the tank screamed as if he was having a seizure.

His voice was so loud that everyone gathered there flinched and froze.

Of course, in the meantime, those damn reporters were busy taking pictures with their flashes going off.

To him, the sight of that crazy woman was probably something he would never see anywhere else.

Even the veil she always wore had disappeared, and the woman standing there with her bare face was quite a beauty.

I wonder if that’s what they were thinking, from the mouths of the dark-haired men gathered there…

“pretty.”

“She’s beautiful?”

“Why were you covering your face?”

William was overcome with emotion at the sound of heartbeats coming from everywhere.

“No. That’s important now. Everyone, please step aside.”

How scary is that tank that stands in front of me?

I had to drag the woman out quickly.

But those who were interested in the woman’s appearance did not move away at all.

And then, an unbelievable sound reached William’s ears.

“What on earth are you doing here? Get out of here immediately. It’s dangerous, ma’am.”

The major, who had just turned away from his former subordinate who had been earnestly pleading with him, was now pleading with the woman.

“No, you can’t. If you want to attack them, you’ll have to step over me, Major Patton.”

“ma’am!”

Who on earth is that woman? Why is she acting like that, a cold-blooded woman who had just turned away from her former comrade who had been desperately pleading with her?

I was so curious I thought I was going crazy.

And it seemed like the same was true for others.

One of the reporters who had been snapping pictures like crazy just a moment ago raised his voice.

“Major Patton, do you know him?”

“Please say something.”

“Madam, please tell me your name…”

The major did not answer the reporters’ questions, just biting his lips with an embarrassed expression. However,

“Who is that lady… Uh, uh.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

After several exclamations of shock, the woman’s identity was revealed.

“That’s Mrs. MacArthur.”

“MacArthur? Chief of Staff MacArthur’s wife?”

The major, who had been begging the woman to come out quickly, looked somehow relieved.

##

Anna took a step forward, hearing the crowd’s voices murmur as her name was revealed.

“Tell me, Major. Did my husband really tell you to push them into that tank? I’m here. I, Anna MacArthur, am here?”

“That, that.”

“No way. They are communists? So am I a communist too?”

“···”

“These are good citizens. They came here out of necessity, but they volunteer to pick up trash on the streets and catch rats that spread diseases so as not to cause trouble for the residents of Washington, D.C. How can you call them communists? Isn’t that a dark plot by someone?”

“!”

“You can fool the President with false information, and you can blind the citizens, but you can’t fool me and my husband. Come to your senses, Major Patton.”

“Conspiracy, conspiracy. Now that I think about it, that’s true. The communists are trying to take over the Capitol, and the country is on the verge of collapse. So···.”

Anna sighed at Patton’s words that he had run without hesitation at the sound of the word “red” and that he had moved with the intention of pushing in together with the police who were swarming around.

I could understand why her husband would frown and sigh whenever the mention of Patton came up.

This is why my juniors are promoted to lieutenant colonel, colonel, and even brigadier general, but I am still a major.

‘Hey, old man, what’s on your shoulder isn’t an ornament.’

It seemed like the worst that I was worried about would not happen.

The moment I was about to take a step forward, sighing in relief,

Beatle.

Perhaps because the tension had been released, Anna staggered and fell.

Slap.

Anna lost consciousness as she felt Major Patton embracing her.

Shocking news