By Madison Nef
Smedley Butler was born July 30, 1881, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the eldest of three sons. His parents, Thomas and Maud Butler, were descended from local Quaker families. His father was a lawyer, a judge and a Congressman and chair of the House Naval Affairs Committee during the Harding and Coolidge administrations.
After being raised by Quaker parents, when Butler dropped out of highschool at 17 to join the marines, it was a large defiance to his culture AND to his family. He served in Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Haiti-e arning his Medals of Honor in Mexico and Haiti. Butler was known for his leadership and commitment to the welfare of the men under his command. He rose quickly through the ranks to become, at age 48, one of the youngest major generals of his time.
At the time of his death, he was actually the most decorated Marine in US history and he was the only person to be awarded a Marine Corps Brevet Medal and a Medal of Honor for two separate military actions. He had also become an unrelenting voice against the business of war… being well known for his book ‘War is a Racket’, his opinions about warfare and how it was influenced on an industrial level.
Prior to World War II, Butler spoke out against what he saw as admiration for Fascism and for Italy´s leader Benito Mussolini. He was punished for telling an unfavorable story about Mussolini, but avoided court-martial by accepting a reprimand. Because of his rank already, he was able to write his own reprimand and completely dodged the bullet, never apologizing to Mussolini.
Butler retired from the military in 1931. By then, he had begun to question US involvement in foreign conflicts. He had come to believe that war, particularly WWI, was really a profitable business for many industries at the expense of thousands of lives. He thought of himself as a cog in the imperialist war machine, and so he left despite being a highly respected and ranked general.
In his book, War is a Racket, Butler wrote, “In the World War a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War….How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle?....The general public shoulders the bill. And what is this bill? …Newly placed gravestones. Mangled bodies. Shattered minds…For a great many years, as a soldier, I had a suspicion that war was a racket; not until I retired to civil life did I fully realize it. Now that I see the international war clouds gathering, as they are today, I must face it and speak out.”
War is a Racket grew out of a series of speeches Butler gave to whatever group wanted to hear his views. Though he faced criticism, Butler was steadfast in his beliefs about war, US imperialism, and a growing Pro-Fascist movement. He spoke frankly and honestly about his experiences and opinions, and was very popular with the American public.
In 1934, Butler went before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to expose a conspiracy against the government. He had been recruited by a group of wealthy Pro-Fascists who had hoped to use him in a plan to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He went along, gathering intelligence about the plot, and took it to Congress. However, many people lied about what they knew, leading to Butler’s assertions not being investigated properly. The matter ended up being largely dismissed… even though an internal report to Congress from HUAC confirmed the likelihood of the plot being real.
Smedley Butler died in 1940… but his presence is still very much alive. The Boston, Massachusetts chapter of Veterans For Peace is named the “Smedley D. Butler Brigade”, and he is featured in the documentary The Corporation. It’s sad to say that not very many people know about Butler, as his story is not one taught in schools… but it is well worth knowing.
Maddie
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