The Bonus Army: How A Protest Led To The GI BIll
With Occupy Wall Street in the news and being heavily debated on this blog, I thought this story from NPR was especially timely.
As it turns out, one of the first Occupy-style protests was WWI veterans protesting to get the government money they were promised:
Occupy Wall Street protests have sprung up in cities across the U.S. — and around the world. The common denominator between them is protesters’ commitment to stay and camp out. They’ve pitched tents and built large, impromptu communities.
It’s a form of protest that echoes throughout American history.
In 1932, another group of protesters set up encampments and vowed to stay until their voices were heard.
As World War I drew to a close in 1918, millions of American veterans returned home to the promise of a cash bonus — compensation for their overseas service.
There was a catch, though: The money would not be paid out until 1945.
Listen to the entire story. It’s pretty cool, IMO.