![]() ![]() The image of the Army attacking innocent bonus marchers haunted Hoover's reelection bid. While the President clearly did not want brute force used against the marchers, he took full blame for the incident. A fire broke out at the encampment, which was destroyed. ![]() MacArthur exceeded his orders when he ordered the troops to cross the Anacostia River and drive the marchers from their main encampment. Eisenhower as his second in command, took control of the operation using troops, guns, and tear gas to drive the marchers from Washington. Hurley, in turn, ordered Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur to evict the marchers from the city. Hoover chose not to declare martial law over the city, but he did instruct Secretary of War Patrick Hurley to remove the marchers. The District of Columbia police, unable to evict the marchers from the buildings, looked to the federal government for aid. Some chose to remain in Washington, blocking demolition of the federal buildings where they now resided. Hoover signed legislation providing $100,000 to transport the marchers back to their homes. However, Congress refused to authorize a second bonus loan. In May, a “Bonus Expeditionary Force” of eleven thousand veterans and their families arrived in Washington to display their dire economic needs and to agitate for the early payout of the bonus. In 1932, Hoover again refused to support the bonus. In 1932, as the Great Depression deepened, veterans' organizations began to lobby for an additional loan on the bonus. Hoover vetoed the bill but Congress passed it over his veto. In 1931, Congress passed a Bonus Loan bill, which allowed veterans to receive an advance on their bonus. Hoover, however, refused to increase relief to able-bodied Americans, including veterans, as the Great Depression began.Īlthough Congress had passed a bill in 1924 to pay a bonus to World War I veterans, the bonus was not due to be paid out until 1945. He supported significant benefits for housing and hospitalization, as well as support for the disabled. He established the Veterans Administration, providing an agency focused on veterans' issues. The aggressive removal of the Bonus Army marchers damaged Hoover's popularity as he began a difficult reelection campaign.ĭuring his administration, Hoover had provided significant programs in support of veterans. ![]() The troops and the veterans clashed in a violent confrontation. On July 28, 1932, President Herbert Hoover ordered the United States Army to remove a group of protesting veterans from federal buildings in Washington, D.C. ![]()
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