When the US Military turned on its own: A Dark Day in US History July 28, 2010

Bonus Marchers at Capitol June 17, 1932

On This Date in History: We’ve heard that this is the worst economy “since the great depression.” I have taken issue with that as I think it is pure hyperbole and political posturing. In my view, our overall economic situation is more akin to the latter part of the Carter administration and early Reagan years. However, it could be argued that the banking crisis was potentially as troubling as the 1930′s but again, and argument might be made that the Savings and Loan crisis was a better barometer. But, in overall economic terms, its hard to make such a comparison. For instance, on June 17, 1932 a Washington newspaper said it was the “tensest day in the capital since the War.”

US Army with Tanks Prepare to Take on US Veterans

What was going on? Well, 10,000 World War I vets had gathered on the Capitol grounds in Washington DC. Across the Anacostia River were another 10,000 who had been living in huts made of scrap metal and other junk from a nearby junk pile. These vets also had their wives and children residing in their camp. They had gathered to see if they would get their money. In 1924, Congress had voted to award veterans of the Great War $1.25 for every day a soldier served overseas and a dollar for every day stateside. But, there was a catch. They didn’t get their “war bonus” until 1945. These men needed it in 1932 during some of the darkest days of the Depression. The US House of Representatives had voted to give them their bonuses then. But, the Senate voted against the measure by a 62-18 margin. Needless to say, the vets were pretty P’Oed.

Bonus Army Camp 1932

So, the “Bonus Expeditionary Force” decided to stay in protest. Aside from the 10,000 across the river, the 10,000 in the Capitol had for weeks been camped out in some 20 sites, including partially demolished government buildings. What I don’t get is that Congress wouldn’t pony up the bonus money…today we’d call it a stimulus…but they did allocate $100,000 for the relocation of the bonus marchers any where they wanted to go. The politicians just wanted them out of town. But, few took up the offer and President Hoover refused to meet with them. About 500 did leave town but 1000 new ones took their place. The marchers started a single file “death march” in front of the Capitol and it lasted until July 16 when Congress adjourned. By that time, 17,000 had gathered to see their less than favorite legislators exit for recess.

Vets Used the Flag as a Weapon to Defend against Police

With the politicians gone, one might think that the marchers would leave too. Nope. They stayed and the local authorities became nervous and on this date in 1932, the Bonus Expeditionary Force faced law enforcement officials and later their former comrades in arms.. The cops were ordered to clear all government buildings, presumably those that were in some state of demolition housing some of the vets. The old soldiers resisted and the cops started firing their weapons. Two US veterans of World War I who survived open warfare were killed by the police in their own country. So…what to do? Why call out the army!

Caesar and Ike Make Sure the Vets Get Out of Town

By the late afternoon, a tank platoon, an infantry battalion and a cavalry squadron were on the scene to put down their fellow soldiers. Who better to be in command of the troops that General Douglas MacArthur. And who better to serve as his liason with the police but none other than Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, future Supreme Allied Commander and President of the United States. And if that’s not enough, why not get Major George S. Patton to lead the cavalry? Clearly outmatched, the old vets were pushed out by soldiers with fixed bayonets and cavalrymen with their sabres drawn.

Vet Camp Burns in Shadow of Capitol Dome

The UPI reported that “men, women and children fled shrieking across the broken ground, falling into excavations as they strove to avoid the rearing hoofs and sable points. Meantime, infantry on the south side had adjusted gas masks and were hurling tear gas bombs inot the block into which they had just driven the veterans.” Four hours later, the camps had been set ablaze and the protesters driven across the river to the Anacostia Flats camp. By 4am on the 29th, that shantyville was also burning and the marchers driven into Maryland. From their, they were told to not stop walking until they got to Pennsylvania.

Maybe MacArthur was trying to re-enact Sherman’s march to the sea. Or maybe he was practicing for his march back to Bataan. Well, maybe not, but it certainly was not a proud day for America’s armed forces and a dark spot on the public record of three heroes of World War II. However, it must have been tough to follow orders to turn on your own men…tough spot to be in. No word on where the Commander in Chief was at that time.

Weather Bottom Line:  We have a little frontal system coming down our way slowly.  Look for scattered showers and t’storms this afternoon and tonight.  The front should ease through on Thursday so rain chances will be in the picture for Thursday but they should diminish as the day progresses, provided the front doesnt slow down too much.  Friday we will be the slight beneficiaries of the front with the edge taken off the heat and humidity but, the front gets dragged back our way as a warm front as another storm system traverses the northern plains.  That should increase the prospects for rain by late Saturday and I suspect it will be more elevated by Saturday night.  The heat and humidity will again be tough after the warm front is dragged through but it remains to be seen if the follow up cold front actually gets here.  It’s too far out to say conclusively and I have other things to do today so we’ll wait and see.

Douglas MacArthur: Duty, Honor, Country May 12, 2010

General Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur West Point Cadet

On this Date in History:  Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 26, 1880.  He apparently had not done well in school but worked hard at the United States Military Academy and in 1903 graduated at the top of his 93-man West Point class.  As a member of the Army Corps of Engineers he went to the Philippines as a  First Lieutenant before becoming an aide-de-camp to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.  During World War I, he was decorated 13 times and had 7 citations for bravery.  In August 1918 he was promoted to Brigadier General and just 90 days later became the youngest division commander in France as he took command of the 42nd Division. 

Captain Douglas MacArthur 1916

After the war, he served as Superintendent of West Point where from 1919 to 1922 he modernized the curriculum and doubled the size of the institution.  Following his time at West Point, he took command of the newly formed Military District of Manila in the Philippines and in 1928 became the President of the United State Olympic Committee.  In 1930 he became the youngest US Army Chief of Staff and strived to modernize the relatively small 135,000 man army.  Up until World War II, the United States had a tradition of only raising a large standing army in time of war.  But, McArthur warned that the rising world tensions were a threat to the United States.  He said, “Pacifism and its bedfellow, Communism, are all about us. Day by day this cancer eats deeper into the body politic.”

Caesar and Ike Make Sure the Vets Get Out of Town

In 1932, World War I veterans marched on Washington demanding their bonus pay from their service in World War I.  The pay was not scheduled to be paid out until later but the veterans were in the need of the money at that time as the country slipped farther into depression.  The military was called out to control the veterans and MacArthur acted with extreme measures.  He had four troops of cavalry with drawn sabres as well as infantry with fixed bayonets supported by tanks to suppress the unrest.  He justified his action against the former soldiers by saying that he feared the United States was on the verge of a Communist revolution.  Also taking part in the actions were future President Dwight D. Eisenhower and future General George S. Patton, Jr.

Pearson Battled MacArthur

As might be expected, a journalist by the name of Drew Pearson wrote scathing articles about MacArthur including charges supported by MacArthur’s ex-wife that his former father-in-law had been instrumental in influencing the decision to promote the general to that of Major General.  MacArthur sued for nearly $2 million and the journalist appeared to be on the ropes when the former Mrs. MacArthur refused to testify.  But, Pearson must have been resourceful because he tracked down a supposed mistress of MacArthur’s who had been sent back to the Philippines.  Pearson acquired a bunch of love letters from Douglas to the woman and, when he presented them to the general, the lawsuit was dropped. 

MacArthur Returned After Much Hardship for US Soldiers Left Behind

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched in 1935 MacArthur to the Philippines to help organize that nation’s defense.  MacArthur retired from the Army but stayed on as an advisor to the Philippines.  As negotiations with the Japanese Empire deteriorated, MacArthur was recalled to active duty by the president and he was charged with mobilizing Philippines defense with a budget of $10 million and a fleet of 100 B-17 bombers.   In October 1941, MacArthur reported that he had 227 aircraft, 135,000 troops and a “tremendously strong offensive and defensive force.”  MacArthur was greatly criticized for not moving his aircraft following Pearl Harbor as on Dec. 8, 1941 the Japanese attacked the Philippines and destroyed about half of his Air Force.  The Japanese invaded and by early 1942, MacArthur had ordered a retreat to Bataan.  On February 22, 1942 MacArthur was ordered to evacuate the Philippines to Australia.  He left behind General Jonathan Wainwright in command of 11,000 troops who managed to hold out against overwhelming forces until May.  Wainwright was forced to surrender but MacArthur had vowed to return.    While in Australia he became the Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific and after many battles, Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines on October 20, 1944.  Eventually, he accepted the Japanese surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.  He is credited with his leadership in rebuilding post war Japan into a strong democracy and the creation of a booming economic power.

MacArthur's Inchon Strategy Saved South Korea

MacArthur went on to lead the United Nation’s effort in the Korean War.  He had failings and successes.  His bold and daring move to land troops at Inchon on September 15, 1950 turned the tide of what looked to be a hopeless UN effort.  President Truman had told the general to limit the war to the Korean Peninsula as he was fearful of an expanded conflict with the Chinese or perhaps even another global conflict.  But, MacArthur disagreed and pushed the North Koreans so far north that it appeared that he might invade China.  In fact, that is what he favored doing and he began speaking out against the administration.  President Truman removed MacArthur from command in April 1951 and the general returned to actively campaigned against the Democrats in the upcoming election. He backed Republican Senator Robert Taft of Ohio but  General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected in 1952.  Ike  consulted with MacArthur with regard to Korea.  After MacArthur recommended a nuclear attack on the enemy and also to attack China, Eisenhower gave him no role in the administration. 

JFK Notes From Consultation with MacArthur in 1961

In 1961, the retired general took over the reigns of the Remington Rand Corporation and its annual sales of $1.1 Billion.  But, he was in increasingly poor health.  He had several stints in the hospital and he became increasingly frail as he moved into his 80′s. He consulted on two occasions  with President Kennedy following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion.  He was extremely critical of the advice Kennedy was getting from the military and warned the President against a build-up of forces or involvement in Southeast Asia.  He later gave the same advice to President Johnson. 

MacArthur was arguably one of America’s most brilliant generals and also one of its most flawed.  He is often applauded and also criticized.  But, it was a speech he gave near the end of his life on this date in 1962 that perhaps is his most endearing memory.  Much like Ted Williams last hit (home run) or Michael Jordan’s final shot for the Chicago Bulls, General Douglas MacArthur went out in style.  Noting his failing health,  West Point honored MacArthur with the Sylvanus Thayer Award for outstanding service to the nation.  The year before, it had been bestowed upon General Eisenhower.  But, no one recalls the former President’s speech.  It is MacArthur’s speech that still echoes in the halls of West Point and the theme is one that I think many Americans could stand to hear today:  Duty, Honor, Country.

SPC Severe Outlook Thu AM to Fri AM

Thursday Evening

Weather Bottom Line:  Wednesday morning we had the remnant of those t’storms that had rumbled out west on Tuesday afternoon and night.  It would appear that the GFS had a better handle on the situation than the other models.  As the heating of the day wore on, those storms moved East of Louisville and dropped some fairly significant rains in some areas that really didn’t need it.  This slow moving big trof continues to trudge eastward slowly.  The boundary is still to our west moving slowly along the front of the trof.  It’s the same story with trying to time impulses moving through the flow.  The GFS illustrates pretty well the situation in that it indicates a whole mess of energy with the warm, moist unstable air.  That means that all it needs is a catalyst to tap into the moisture.  There really isn’t much in the way of veering so the helicity and SWEAT indeces aren’t too impressive for most of the day.  At 11 pm the GFS elevates the SWEAT to 431 which is reasonably high.  The SPC has us in the slight risk for severe thunderstorms as they feel there is not sufficient veering for tornadic activity for most of the day but the atmosphere would certainly support super cells that could produce large hail and wind.  I would say that if we were to get some super cells late and we have dynamics advertised briefly by the GFS then there could be support for tornadic activity as well.  Look, this is tough and it’s not clear cut.  The highest risk should be to our North but it’s worth paying attention to, especially in the afternoon and Thursday night.  If there is thunderstorm activity, I’d tune in to a local tv station to see if there is anything going on like a watch or something.  We may be dealing with scattered activity through the weekend but this Thursday to Friday timeframe is probably going to be the time of greatest risk.

US Army Attacks US Army Vets in One of America’s Darkest Hours July 27, 2009

Bonus Marchers at Capitol June 17, 1932

On This Date in History:  We’ve heard that this is the worst economy “since the great depression.”   I have taken issue with that as I think it is pure hyperbole and political posturing.  In my view, our overall economic situation is more akin to the latter part of the Carter administration and early Reagan years. However, it could be argued that the banking crisis was potentially as troubling as the 1930′s but again, and argument might be made that the Savings and Loan crisis was a better barometer.  But, in overall economic terms, its hard to make such a comparison.  For instance, on June 17, 1932 a Washington newspaper said it was the “tensest day in the capital since the War.”

What was going on?  Well, 10,000 World War I vets had gathered on the Capitol grounds in Washington DC.  Across the Anacostia River were another 10,000 who had been living in huts  made of scrap metal and other junk from a nearby junk pile.  These vets also had their wives and children residing in their camp.  They had gathered to see if they would get their money.  In 1924, Congress had voted to award veterans of the Great War $1.25 for every day a soldier served overseas and a dollar for every day stateside.  But, there was a catch.  They didn’t get their “war bonus” until 1945.  These men needed it in 1932 during some of the darkest days of the Depression.  The US House of Representatives had voted to give them their bonuses then.  But, the Senate voted against the measure by a 62-18 margin.  Needless to say, the vets were pretty P’Oed.

Bonus Army Camp 1932

So, the “Bonus Expeditionary Force” decided to stay in protest.  Aside from the 10,000 across the river, the 10,000 in the Capitol had for weeks been camped out in some 20 sites, including partially demolished government buildings.  What I don’t get is that Congress wouldn’t pony up the bonus money…today we’d call it a stimulus…but they did allocate $100,000 for the relocation of the bonus marchers any where they wanted to go.  The politicians just wanted them out of town.  But, few took up the offer and President Hoover refused to meet with them.  About 500 did leave town but 1000 new ones took their place.  The marchers started a single file “death march” in front of the Capitol and it lasted until July 16 when Congress adjourned.  By that time, 17,000 had gathered to see their less than favorite legislators exit for recess. 

Vets Used the Flag as a Weapon to Defend against Police

With the politicians gone, one might think that the marchers would leave too. Nope. They stayed and the local authorities became nervous and on this date in 1932, the Bonus Expeditionary Force enjoyed their final day of relative peace in our nation’s capitol.   The next day, cops were ordered to clear all government buildings, presumably those that were in some state of demolition housing some of the vets.  The old soldiers resisted and the cops started firing their weapons.  Two US veterans of World War I who survived open warfare were killed by the police in their own country.  So…what to do? Why call out the army!   

Caesar and Ike Make Sure the Vets Get Out of Town

By the late afternoon, a tank platoon, an infantry battalion and a cavalry squadron were on the scene to put down their fellow soldiers.  Who better to be in command of the troops that General Douglas MacArthur.  And who better to serve as his liason with the police but none other than Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, future Supreme Allied Commander and President of the United States. And if that’s not enough, why not get Major George S. Patton to lead the cavalry?  Clearly outmatched, the old vets were pushed out by soldiers with fixed bayonets and cavalrymen with their sabres drawn.   

Vet Camp Burns in Shadow of Capitol Dome

The UPI reported that “men, women and children fled shrieking across the broken ground, falling into excavations as they strove to avoid the rearing hoofs and sable points.  Meantime, infantry on the south side had adjusted gas masks and were hurling tear gas bombs inot the block into which they had just driven the veterans.”  Four hours later, the camps had been set ablaze and the protesters driven across the river to the Anacostia Flats camp.  By 4am on the 29th, that shantyville was also burning and the marchers driven into Maryland.  From their, they were told to not stop walking until they got to Pennsylvania. 

Maybe MacArthur was trying to re-enact Sherman’s march to the sea.  Or maybe he was practicing for his march back to Bataan.  Well, maybe not, but it certainly was not a proud day for America’s armed forces and a dark spot on the public record of three heroes of World War II.  However, it must have been tough to follow orders to turn on your own men…tough spot to be in.  No word on where the Commander in Chief was at that time.

Monday evening

Weather Bottom Line:  If we get to 90 in July it would be in the next two days.  Not so much today but perhaps Tuesday.  The reason that I say on Tuesday is because there will be a front approaching late Tuesday.  A scenario could unfold that we get a decent southwesterly flow and perhaps some slight compressional warming with the approach of the front and that may get us to 90.  However, some of the models want to bring a shortwave close to the area in th e flow along a returning warm front from the southwest that would help to increase afternoon clouds and that may hold  down the temps a bit.  I’d say about a 1 in 4 chance of getting 90 on Tuesday.  After that, we have the front on Wednesday increasing rain and t’storm chances and then the rest of the week the big long wave trof that had been in over the eastern half of the nation appears to be re-established in a fashion not as deep as the previous one but broader with a greater wave length so it encompasses the northern plains as well as the northeastern quadrant of the US.  Hence, we will be in the jetstream flow or the storm track and so the models all bring through little short waves or upper disturbances now and again keeping rain chances in the forecast for the remainder of the week.