However, over subsequent meetings with the two men, Butler quickly began to suspect that something was amiss – during their second meeting, MacGuire showed Butler bank statements amounting to over $100,000 USD (valued at nearly $2 million today), which he hoped Butler would use to bring veteran supporters to the convention. Public Domain image via Wikimedia Commons. Prescott Bush, one of the men implicated in the Business Plot.
Butler was at first open to this idea, knowing that the Legion had several administrative issues that ultimately compromised veteran benefits. MacGuire, a bond salesman, and Doyle were members of the American Legion, an organization meant to support veteran rights and opportunities.ĭuring their first meeting with Butler, MacGuire and Doyle asked the Major General to speak at a Legion convention in Chicago, claiming they wanted to point out the various problems with the Legion’s leadership. This positive public image, and demonstrated ability to rally people under his leadership, were perhaps the reason why Butler was approached by Gerald C. This included supporting the so-called Bonus Army, a large group of veterans and veteran supporters who lobbied Congress for payments of bonds issued to veterans prior to the war. Butler’s various accolades made him a household name following World War I, and he was well-known among veteran circles as a champion of veterans’ rights. The Business PlotĪfter leaving the service, Butler held many roles but became best-known for his activism. He is currently the most decorated Marine veteran of all time. In total, Butler served for 34 years in the Marine Corps and earned 16 medals for his time in service. During his time in service, Butler became known for his bravery and relentless leadership in battle, and he was rewarded with several distinctions, including multiple Medals of Honor, an Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, and a Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Butler came from a line of civil-serviceman: his father, Thomas Butler, was a representative for the state of Pennsylvania in Congress, and his maternal grandfather, Smedley Darlington, was also a Republican congressman.īutler served in several major world conflicts, including the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War I. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.īorn in 1881, Major General Smedley Butler was the eldest son of a Quaker family from West Chester, Pennsylvania. Image sourced from Philadelphia’s Organized Crime of the 19s. Who Was Smedley Butler? Major General Smedley Butler. While news media at the time mocked Butler’s story, recently discovered archives have revealed the truth behind Major General Butler’s claims.
Even more unbelievable were his claims of who was involved in the plot – respected names like Robert Sterling Clark, Grayson M.P. Supposedly in the works since 1933, the claims of the conspiracy came from a very conspicuous and reliable source: Major General Smedley Butler, one of the most decorated war heroes of his time. Roosevelt, in favor of a fascist government. In 1934, a colossal claim reached the American news media: There had been a plot to overthrow President Franklin D.
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