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http://www.historynet.com/the-bonus-army-war-in-washington.htm
And while Patton was disgusted that 'Bolsheviks' were in the mix, he considered most of the Bonus Army 'poor, ignorant men, without hope, and without really evil intent.' To his dismay, the routed marchers included Joseph Angelo, who 14 years earlier had saved the wounded Patton's life by pulling him to safety from a foxhole.
The episode would dog President Hoover in his attempt to win a second term of office in the fall of 1932. Presidents had called out federal troops before to suppress civil unrest, but this was the first time they had moved against veterans. It left a bad taste in the mouths of voters. A letter to the Washington Daily News expressed the sentiments of many. 'I voted for Herbert Hoover in 1928,' one disgusted woman wrote. 'God forgive me and keep me alive at least till the polls open next November!'
Hoover's Democratic challenger in that fall's presidential election, Franklin D. Roosevelt, understood the political significance of the president's use of force. Like his opponent, the New York governor did not support payment of the bonus, but he found Hoover's tactics appalling. 'He should have invited a delegation into the White House for coffee and sandwiches,' Roosevelt told one aide as he perused the morning papers. Already confident of success, Roosevelt now felt victory was certain. This was a black eye no one could overcome. Roosevelt won decisively, capturing 42 states with 472 electoral votes compared to just 59 for his Republican rival.
And while Patton was disgusted that 'Bolsheviks' were in the mix, he considered most of the Bonus Army 'poor, ignorant men, without hope, and without really evil intent.' To his dismay, the routed marchers included Joseph Angelo, who 14 years earlier had saved the wounded Patton's life by pulling him to safety from a foxhole.
The episode would dog President Hoover in his attempt to win a second term of office in the fall of 1932. Presidents had called out federal troops before to suppress civil unrest, but this was the first time they had moved against veterans. It left a bad taste in the mouths of voters. A letter to the Washington Daily News expressed the sentiments of many. 'I voted for Herbert Hoover in 1928,' one disgusted woman wrote. 'God forgive me and keep me alive at least till the polls open next November!'
Hoover's Democratic challenger in that fall's presidential election, Franklin D. Roosevelt, understood the political significance of the president's use of force. Like his opponent, the New York governor did not support payment of the bonus, but he found Hoover's tactics appalling. 'He should have invited a delegation into the White House for coffee and sandwiches,' Roosevelt told one aide as he perused the morning papers. Already confident of success, Roosevelt now felt victory was certain. This was a black eye no one could overcome. Roosevelt won decisively, capturing 42 states with 472 electoral votes compared to just 59 for his Republican rival.