World War I Patriotic Record Promises Great Things for Vets

World War One veterans were treated as great heroes on returning home with parades, etc. However, for a variety of reasons, they were not given pensions, unlike Civil War vets. Instead, a bonus - payable in the 1940s - was ultimately promised. With the onset of the Great Depression, veterans marched on Washington, DC in 1932 demanding immediate payment of the bonus. Eventually, President Hoover called out the military to disperse the "bonus marchers," an event usually thought to have put an end to any hopes he might have had for re-election. The public revulsion of World War One heroes being mistreated is reflected in popular songs and films of the 1930s. It also led to World War Two veterans receiving the benefits of the GI Bill. Politicians did not want a repeat of anything like the bonus march fiasco. And, of course, the defeat of Hoover by FDR ushered in the New Deal. This acoustical recording reflects the notion that World War I vets could expect great things upon their return.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• WW1
• World-War-One
• Veterans
• bonus-march