March 5, 2025 • 24 mins
Join us for a captivating journey through the historical landscape of veterans in America, from their initial battles during the Revolutionary War to the establishment of the Veterans Administration. This episode uncovers the often-overlooked stories of our veterans, exploring how they transitioned from unsung heroes to recipients of national care and benefits.
We delve into significant historical events that shaped this evolution, starting with the charity-based support for Revolutionary War veterans, where recognition was scarce, and benefits virtually non-existent. As years progressed, the critical turning points of the Civil War and World War I redefined the government’s role in supporting veterans, establishing the groundwork for what we now recognize as the VA.
Through the lens of advocacy and historical insight, our discussions unfold the complex narrative of how veterans’ care transformed over centuries. We recount tales of hardship during the Bonus War and examine the impacts of policy changes that sought to address veterans’ immediate and long-term needs.
This episode isn't just about history; it's about understanding the present-day implications of these events, the ongoing battles for benefits, and the importance of knowing one’s rights as a veteran. Listen to gain valuable insights into the history of the VA and reflect on the vital roles these institutions play in honoring those who served. Don’t forget to subscribe, share your thoughts, and engage with us as we continue to explore the world of veterans today!
https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/exhibition/americas-first-veterans/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/history-of-disabled-volunteer-soldiers.htm
Excellent video https://youtu.be/YVi5djSFllo?si=ZoBvqRsAQOTt0J_e
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kevin (00:00):
Welcome to our podcast.
When life gives you lemons, I'mKevin and I'm Palmy.
Palmi (00:08):
We consider ourselves disability advocates and intend
to spotlight some disabilityissues and things we find
interesting that we frequentlyencounter when we're out and
about.
Also, some history ondisability that we find
interesting.
Well, welcome back, kevin.
This is our third year, firstepisode.
Kevin (00:28):
Can you believe it's been three years Palmi?
.
Palmi (00:31):
I can.
What's our first episode?
Kevin (00:34):
We're going to talk about the buzzword we talked in
season one.
Wasn't it about the VA?
Was that in season two?
I'm not sure, but this is howthe VA came about.
The.
Palmi (00:51):
Veterans Administration.
Okay, so let's get somebackground first.
Kevin (00:56):
Okay.
Palmi (00:56):
So the very first war that America was ever involved
in was the Revolutionary War.
Kevin (01:02):
Right, right, no-transcript.
Palmi (01:41):
They basically went out on their own and created a fund
for the veterans at theRevolutionary War.
So this was the first time everthat it was an all-voluntary
army of citizens that fought awar.
So this was the first time everthat it was an all-voluntary
army of citizens that fought awar anywhere Correct.
And so there was never I meanbefore that royalty had offered
benefits to the people that hadfought in the war prior to this
(02:02):
and they were taken care ofbased by the royalty or whoever
was the ruler of the countrythat they fought for.
Kevin (02:10):
Right.
And because America didn't havethat, we did not have that for
our veterans that had foughtthose wars, that's correct, and
you also have to bear in mindthat at the very beginning of
the Revolutionary War thecountry was very divided.
In their opinion, the majorityprobably not very much wanted to
(02:36):
separate from England and therest just didn't really care.
Palmi (02:43):
So these were.
It was an army of free afterthe war.
Kevin (02:47):
it was an army of free men Right that was once the war
was over
Palmi (03:04):
So most men were discharged in good health and
received nothing as far exceptfor kudos for fighting.
Generals were celebrated asheroes, but ordinary soldiers
were rarely honored in the firstdecade after the war.
It took decades for Americansto gradually realize that the
(03:28):
common soldier of theRevolutionary War were heroes
also, and those who lived to beold men eventually honored as
veterans of the RevolutionaryWar.
But it took a long time forthat to happen, and in 1818,
congress decided to awardpensions to the veterans only
because several of them were infinancial need.
(03:50):
And in 1832, congress voted toextend the pension to nearly all
the surviving soldiers andsailors of the revolution.
These were the first pensions,so this would be kind of the
first um the first site that wesaw of the veterans
administration.
Kevin (04:09):
but it wasn't called that right.
It wasn't uh formalized bycongress or anything it was more
, in a way, okay.
You have to understand thatgetting wounded in wartime,
basically in earlier times, hasgone from where it is now to
(04:34):
like getting shot in theshoulder, is not that big a deal
.
Palmi (04:39):
Typically, you didn't survive.
Kevin (04:41):
Typically people couldn't survive a lot more severe
wounds than they could have backthen.
But if you got wounded byanything really, you know, when
they had muskets and mouthloaders and all that they
weren't really known for theirantiseptic care of the wounded
(05:06):
Right.
So if you were treated, even ifyou made it to medical
attention, you're pretty muchgoing to suffer lasting
repercussions of having beenshot Right.
And if you survived like acannonball, it was all basically
(05:35):
charity.
They would set you up withsaving your life, but you're
going to be a beggar for therest of your life.
Palmi (05:44):
Right, okay, so going forward.
Americans First, veterans bringtogether paintings, artifacts,
prints, documents to address thepost-war experience of men who
won the Revolutionary War notthe famous generals and leading
(06:05):
officers whose names appeared inthe history of the war, but
rather the junior.
In other words, they would sellthings in order to pay for
these people's benefits.
There was nothing comingdirectly from the government.
This was just charity, like yousaid.
Kevin (06:23):
Right.
Palmi (06:24):
So let's move on to the Civil War.
After the AmericanRevolutionary War, federal
government paid pensions tothose veterans who had
service-related injuries, andthe government extended this
pension service in 1818 toinclude any veterans who needed
assistance, making clear thatthe pensions were rewards for
service, not charity.
(06:44):
So there was a big.
They didn't want, the soldiersdid not want to feel like they
were receiving charity.
The soldiers did not want tofeel like they were receiving
charity.
In 1833, as a result of theheightened demand because of the
Civil War service injuries,congress passed the General
(07:07):
Pension Law in 1862 to makebenefits available to civil
rights veterans who hadservice-related injuries and or
diseases against the Union inthe Civil War.
And in 1884, membership at theNational Home Branch was
expanded again to include thehonorably discharged soldiers
and sailors who could notsupport themselves due to
(07:31):
disability.
The disability did not have tobe a service-related injury and
in 1900, the Spanish-AmericanWar veteran home became eligible
.
Despite these increases inmembership, the branches
continued to see decline in thepopulation as aging Civil War
(07:52):
veterans died.
Confederate veterans were neverallowed at the National Home
branches, but several southernstates established similar homes
which were funded and managedby either state governments or
private organizations.
These homes were closed by the1950s, when the last Civil War
(08:15):
veterans died.
African American soldiers wereallowed membership at the
national home branches, whichestablished a policy of racial
equality.
In the decades following theCivil War, the level of equality
became less and less.
While African Americans were atthe same facilities and
(08:37):
received the same benefits, theywere segregated in the facility
and slept in separate barracksand ate at different tables.
Now, going on to World War I,it drastically increased the
population at the national homebranches, with the new
population had different needs.
World War I veterans wereprimarily younger men who needed
(09:01):
short-term medical care andhelp with psychological problems
.
After World War I, womenveterans entered the National
Home branches in lower numbers.
Kevin (09:17):
The problem with World War I is, up until immediately
after World War I we were in asa country.
We were in the period known asthe Great Depression, which I
believe was made official in1929 when the stock market
(09:42):
crashed.
For World War I and some of theother smaller wars, like the
Spanish-American War, theyguaranteed the people enlisting
in the Army a bonus so that theycould come away for more time,
(10:08):
take the bonus, more time, takethe bonus and not have to rush
into finding a job or beingjobless for months on end while
everybody else back home isbasically in an economy where
they're struggling but managingto get by.
Palmi (10:32):
The Southern Branch was transformed into a medical
hospital during World War I andthe influx of the.
When President Hoover signedthe Executive Order 5398 on July
21, 1930 to create the VeteransAdministration, the VA, the
order abolished the NationalHome for Disabled Volunteered
(10:57):
Soldiers and its board ofmembers and at that time the
National Home branches werereorganized as the Bureau of
National Homes within the VA andin 1989, the Veterans
Administration was elevated to acabinet status and renamed the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
The transition from permanenthomes to short-term medical care
(11:20):
is reflected in theagricultural change at the
national home branches after thecreation of the Veterans
Administration Building andother branches.
So let's get into.
We were talking about the BonusWar, so Hoover just established
(11:41):
the VA.
Kevin (11:45):
Okay, like I said, it was when their troops came back
from World War I in Europe.
They came back to a very, verydire situation.
They found out they could notprovide for their families in
(12:06):
war.
It was just really a rough timefor everybody to find work,
employment, wages it just didn'tcut.
They had a promise of bonuses,but they wouldn't be effective
until 1945, I believe, 1945, Ibelieve.
(12:33):
And so the bonus war wasactually the troops that served
in World War.
They went hwent to Washington DCled by their former commanders,
and they wanted a meeting wherethey could negotiate the bonus
promises they had into somethingthey could use right now or
(12:57):
soon to be, not years in thefuture.
They needed a way to providefor their families.
In fact, a lot of the veteransbrought their families with them
so they could actually betogether during this period.
(13:21):
Eventually, some of theofficers who would become famous
in the next World War, such asPatton MacArthur, etc.
Would, because they wereserving the Army at their
(13:44):
president.
They basically drove thebonus-seeking veterans out of
Washington DC.
They did this primarily by theuse of displaying overwhelming
(14:06):
force.
They destroyed the She that theveterans built and they shot
tear gas into the crowds.
Now imagine being a veteran ofWorld War I, where there was
(14:26):
major chaos, where there waslike major chaos, major chemical
warfare going on, on both sidesand all of a sudden you're
immersed into a situation wherethey're burning your shelters
you built so you have smoke.
They're firing tear gas intothe crowds that just provides
(14:49):
more smoke, and you used to seea smoky battlefield and that was
like it wasn't like tear gas,it was like this stuff is going
to kill you.
So, in those days they calledthis fear shell shock.
(15:14):
sheIt shockIt be generated bysuch sights, sounds and smells.
Palmi (15:36):
Later on it would become known as PTSD, but their trauma
from wartime spilling over intoeveryday conditions.
So, according to the reports,in 1932, thousands of veterans
from World War III descended onWashington DC to demand the
money that they had beenpromised by the federal
government.
Kevin (15:49):
From World War dear.
Palmi (15:51):
Oh, did I say three.
Kevin (15:53):
Yes, you did.
Palmi (15:57):
Just as I said that I realized.
I said that the government'ssolution to this was a mobilized
cavalry, infantry and armoredunits commanded by Douglas
MacArthur, to remove them Amongthe agencies.
The VA subs was the.
The reason that they werehaving so much trouble is that
(16:19):
there was, after World War I,there was an increase of people
that were claiming benefits rosefrom 54,000 claims to over
96,000 claims in less than onemonth, and so there was more
(16:43):
than four-fold increase in justone year of people that were
claiming for benefits.
So they were overrun.
They didn't have enoughemployees to handle any of it.
They weren't expecting all ofthis and so they just it was
woefully unprepared for whatthey were offering, so they
(17:06):
beefed up their employees.
They forced the, the, the bonuswar participants, out of
Washington DC and eventually,you know, um got in order and
got it under under control andum, but I imagine there was a
lot of hate, hate, hate and.
But I imagine there was a lotof hate over that and just
(17:29):
disgust and, like you said, petemade things a lot worse than it
had to be.
Kevin (17:45):
On a more humorous note, I heard a story because it was
pretty much a time ofcampaigning for the presidency,
and the president during theBonus War was Herbert Hoover,
who was not very popular, andhis opponent was Franklin Delano
Roosevelt.
And when Herbert Hoover had theArmy disperse the veterans, FDR
(18:09):
fdr exclaimed well, I've won theelection then because he didn't
see any way that his opponentwould be able to spin this as
worthy of a president or acommander in .
chiefThat's why we have Franklin
(18:32):
Delano Roosevelt as president.
Palmi (18:35):
You mean the incumbent?
He was the incumbent.
Kevin (18:39):
It's hard to spin that.
Palmi (18:40):
That's pretty despicable to be cheating out your veterans
and then to attack them.
Kevin (18:50):
Yep.
Palmi (18:51):
I imagine they weren't getting any response back to
what they were asking for forhelp, and so you know they felt
like they had to take action.
Kevin (19:15):
So it was my understanding that the veterans
dispersed once the Army wascommitted to disband them.
But the leaders actually wentback and had a meeting with
congressional leaders.
Meeting with congressionalleaders resolved the bonus issue
and the bonuses were dispersedbefore 1945.
Palmi (19:36):
Before there were too many yeah dispersed in a more
timely manner.
Kevin (19:43):
I believe almost immediately.
I believe almost immediately.
You have to bear in mind thatthe bonuses are in 1930s dollars
, so they wouldn't have beenlike the life-changing amounts
that we hear about now.
Palmi (20:09):
It would have been like a few thousand here a few there.
Kevin (20:11):
You know every penny counted back then.
Back then, during thedepression, the important thing
was to get cash for land, forplans you have with your family,
for going back into business,for adapting yourself to the
environment, for retraining allthat stuff that you have to do
(20:35):
to sleep.
You know these folks are behindin the times.
They have to adapt to theeconomy of the day.
They were really not thinkingabout that during the war.
They were busy basicallysurviving.
Palmi (20:54):
Defending us?
Yeah, all right, what?
Covers everything that we hadfor the episode, or do you have
anything else?
Kevin (21:06):
Everything that we had for the episode, or do you have
anything else?
No-transcript.
Palmi (21:19):
By any means.
Kevin (21:20):
It's a darn sight better than the conditions they had to
face.
Palmi (21:26):
Yep.
Kevin (21:28):
The problem I think we have nowadays is you have to be
aware of the programs the VA has.
They're pretty stingy on givingout the information of what you
can and can't apply for.
They're also stingy, or famous,for having something for a
(21:51):
limited time and nobody knowsabout it.
Changing the rules.
Yeah they change the rules ofwho to apply for before a word
gets out.
Palmi (22:04):
It was something you're eligible for Right.
You got to be in the know Right.
You got to search it out to beable to take advantage of it.
I'll let you know that I have aperfect regard also with theVA
VA.
Kevin (22:19):
A perfect regard also with theVA VA.
They denied every claim exceptone.
We got with a lot of help toget me into the disabled
category.
Palmi (22:34):
Yeah.
Kevin (22:37):
All right, but I've been disproved for I'm getting my
home adaptation grant.
I've been disproved for theauto grant.
I've been disproved for thecaregiver grant you name it.
I just I'm a disabled guy whogets everything denied and I'm
(23:07):
not really looking for costlythings like, let's say, I prove
my disability claim.
I haven't really gone back.
It's been almost 25 years, Iguess.
More , like educational orequipment, I still apply for
(23:39):
those things.
Palmi (23:41):
Being disabled is not cheap.
Kevin (23:43):
No, is not cheap, no, it's not.
Palmi (23:46):
We talked about the disability.
Kevin (23:49):
Of charges.
Yeah, that was definitely lastyear.
Yeah, last season.
Palmi (23:53):
All right.
Well, I don't know what we'regoing to do next, but I think it
might be an interview.
Kevin (23:59):
Hopefully yes.
Palmi (24:00):
Okay, well, we will see you next time.
Kevin (24:04):
I'll see you next time.
Welcome to our podcast.
When life gives you lemons, I'mKevin and I'm Palmy.
Palmi (00:08):
We consider ourselves disability advocates and intend
to spotlight some disabilityissues and things we find
interesting that we frequentlyencounter when we're out and
about.
Also, some history ondisability that we find
interesting.
Well, welcome back, kevin.
This is our third year, firstepisode.
Kevin (00:28):
Can you believe it's been three years Palmi?
.
Palmi (00:31):
I can.
What's our first episode?
Kevin (00:34):
We're going to talk about the buzzword we talked in
season one.
Wasn't it about the VA?
Was that in season two?
I'm not sure, but this is howthe VA came about.
The.
Palmi (00:51):
Veterans Administration.
Okay, so let's get somebackground first.
Kevin (00:56):
Okay.
Palmi (00:56):
So the very first war that America was ever involved
in was the Revolutionary War.
Kevin (01:02):
Right, right, no-transcript.
Palmi (01:41):
They basically went out on their own and created a fund
for the veterans at theRevolutionary War.
So this was the first time everthat it was an all-voluntary
army of citizens that fought awar.
So this was the first time everthat it was an all-voluntary
army of citizens that fought awar anywhere Correct.
And so there was never I meanbefore that royalty had offered
benefits to the people that hadfought in the war prior to this
(02:02):
and they were taken care ofbased by the royalty or whoever
was the ruler of the countrythat they fought for.
Kevin (02:10):
Right.
And because America didn't havethat, we did not have that for
our veterans that had foughtthose wars, that's correct, and
you also have to bear in mindthat at the very beginning of
the Revolutionary War thecountry was very divided.
In their opinion, the majorityprobably not very much wanted to
(02:36):
separate from England and therest just didn't really care.
Palmi (02:43):
So these were.
It was an army of free afterthe war.
Kevin (02:47):
it was an army of free men Right that was once the war
was over
Palmi (03:04):
So most men were discharged in good health and
received nothing as far exceptfor kudos for fighting.
Generals were celebrated asheroes, but ordinary soldiers
were rarely honored in the firstdecade after the war.
It took decades for Americansto gradually realize that the
(03:28):
common soldier of theRevolutionary War were heroes
also, and those who lived to beold men eventually honored as
veterans of the RevolutionaryWar.
But it took a long time forthat to happen, and in 1818,
congress decided to awardpensions to the veterans only
because several of them were infinancial need.
(03:50):
And in 1832, congress voted toextend the pension to nearly all
the surviving soldiers andsailors of the revolution.
These were the first pensions,so this would be kind of the
first um the first site that wesaw of the veterans
administration.
Kevin (04:09):
but it wasn't called that right.
It wasn't uh formalized bycongress or anything it was more
, in a way, okay.
You have to understand thatgetting wounded in wartime,
basically in earlier times, hasgone from where it is now to
(04:34):
like getting shot in theshoulder, is not that big a deal
.
Palmi (04:39):
Typically, you didn't survive.
Kevin (04:41):
Typically people couldn't survive a lot more severe
wounds than they could have backthen.
But if you got wounded byanything really, you know, when
they had muskets and mouthloaders and all that they
weren't really known for theirantiseptic care of the wounded
(05:06):
Right.
So if you were treated, even ifyou made it to medical
attention, you're pretty muchgoing to suffer lasting
repercussions of having beenshot Right.
And if you survived like acannonball, it was all basically
(05:35):
charity.
They would set you up withsaving your life, but you're
going to be a beggar for therest of your life.
Palmi (05:44):
Right, okay, so going forward.
Americans First, veterans bringtogether paintings, artifacts,
prints, documents to address thepost-war experience of men who
won the Revolutionary War notthe famous generals and leading
(06:05):
officers whose names appeared inthe history of the war, but
rather the junior.
In other words, they would sellthings in order to pay for
these people's benefits.
There was nothing comingdirectly from the government.
This was just charity, like yousaid.
Kevin (06:23):
Right.
Palmi (06:24):
So let's move on to the Civil War.
After the AmericanRevolutionary War, federal
government paid pensions tothose veterans who had
service-related injuries, andthe government extended this
pension service in 1818 toinclude any veterans who needed
assistance, making clear thatthe pensions were rewards for
service, not charity.
(06:44):
So there was a big.
They didn't want, the soldiersdid not want to feel like they
were receiving charity.
The soldiers did not want tofeel like they were receiving
charity.
In 1833, as a result of theheightened demand because of the
Civil War service injuries,congress passed the General
(07:07):
Pension Law in 1862 to makebenefits available to civil
rights veterans who hadservice-related injuries and or
diseases against the Union inthe Civil War.
And in 1884, membership at theNational Home Branch was
expanded again to include thehonorably discharged soldiers
and sailors who could notsupport themselves due to
(07:31):
disability.
The disability did not have tobe a service-related injury and
in 1900, the Spanish-AmericanWar veteran home became eligible
.
Despite these increases inmembership, the branches
continued to see decline in thepopulation as aging Civil War
(07:52):
veterans died.
Confederate veterans were neverallowed at the National Home
branches, but several southernstates established similar homes
which were funded and managedby either state governments or
private organizations.
These homes were closed by the1950s, when the last Civil War
(08:15):
veterans died.
African American soldiers wereallowed membership at the
national home branches, whichestablished a policy of racial
equality.
In the decades following theCivil War, the level of equality
became less and less.
While African Americans were atthe same facilities and
(08:37):
received the same benefits, theywere segregated in the facility
and slept in separate barracksand ate at different tables.
Now, going on to World War I,it drastically increased the
population at the national homebranches, with the new
population had different needs.
World War I veterans wereprimarily younger men who needed
(09:01):
short-term medical care andhelp with psychological problems
.
After World War I, womenveterans entered the National
Home branches in lower numbers.
Kevin (09:17):
The problem with World War I is, up until immediately
after World War I we were in asa country.
We were in the period known asthe Great Depression, which I
believe was made official in1929 when the stock market
(09:42):
crashed.
For World War I and some of theother smaller wars, like the
Spanish-American War, theyguaranteed the people enlisting
in the Army a bonus so that theycould come away for more time,
(10:08):
take the bonus, more time, takethe bonus and not have to rush
into finding a job or beingjobless for months on end while
everybody else back home isbasically in an economy where
they're struggling but managingto get by.
Palmi (10:32):
The Southern Branch was transformed into a medical
hospital during World War I andthe influx of the.
When President Hoover signedthe Executive Order 5398 on July
21, 1930 to create the VeteransAdministration, the VA, the
order abolished the NationalHome for Disabled Volunteered
(10:57):
Soldiers and its board ofmembers and at that time the
National Home branches werereorganized as the Bureau of
National Homes within the VA andin 1989, the Veterans
Administration was elevated to acabinet status and renamed the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
The transition from permanenthomes to short-term medical care
(11:20):
is reflected in theagricultural change at the
national home branches after thecreation of the Veterans
Administration Building andother branches.
So let's get into.
We were talking about the BonusWar, so Hoover just established
(11:41):
the VA.
Kevin (11:45):
Okay, like I said, it was when their troops came back
from World War I in Europe.
They came back to a very, verydire situation.
They found out they could notprovide for their families in
(12:06):
war.
It was just really a rough timefor everybody to find work,
employment, wages it just didn'tcut.
They had a promise of bonuses,but they wouldn't be effective
until 1945, I believe, 1945, Ibelieve.
(12:33):
And so the bonus war wasactually the troops that served
in World War.
They went hwent to Washington DCled by their former commanders,
and they wanted a meeting wherethey could negotiate the bonus
promises they had into somethingthey could use right now or
(12:57):
soon to be, not years in thefuture.
They needed a way to providefor their families.
In fact, a lot of the veteransbrought their families with them
so they could actually betogether during this period.
(13:21):
Eventually, some of theofficers who would become famous
in the next World War, such asPatton MacArthur, etc.
Would, because they wereserving the Army at their
(13:44):
president.
They basically drove thebonus-seeking veterans out of
Washington DC.
They did this primarily by theuse of displaying overwhelming
(14:06):
force.
They destroyed the She that theveterans built and they shot
tear gas into the crowds.
Now imagine being a veteran ofWorld War I, where there was
(14:26):
major chaos, where there waslike major chaos, major chemical
warfare going on, on both sidesand all of a sudden you're
immersed into a situation wherethey're burning your shelters
you built so you have smoke.
They're firing tear gas intothe crowds that just provides
(14:49):
more smoke, and you used to seea smoky battlefield and that was
like it wasn't like tear gas,it was like this stuff is going
to kill you.
So, in those days they calledthis fear shell shock.
(15:14):
sheIt shockIt be generated bysuch sights, sounds and smells.
Palmi (15:36):
Later on it would become known as PTSD, but their trauma
from wartime spilling over intoeveryday conditions.
So, according to the reports,in 1932, thousands of veterans
from World War III descended onWashington DC to demand the
money that they had beenpromised by the federal
government.
Kevin (15:49):
From World War dear.
Palmi (15:51):
Oh, did I say three.
Kevin (15:53):
Yes, you did.
Palmi (15:57):
Just as I said that I realized.
I said that the government'ssolution to this was a mobilized
cavalry, infantry and armoredunits commanded by Douglas
MacArthur, to remove them Amongthe agencies.
The VA subs was the.
The reason that they werehaving so much trouble is that
(16:19):
there was, after World War I,there was an increase of people
that were claiming benefits rosefrom 54,000 claims to over
96,000 claims in less than onemonth, and so there was more
(16:43):
than four-fold increase in justone year of people that were
claiming for benefits.
So they were overrun.
They didn't have enoughemployees to handle any of it.
They weren't expecting all ofthis and so they just it was
woefully unprepared for whatthey were offering, so they
(17:06):
beefed up their employees.
They forced the, the, the bonuswar participants, out of
Washington DC and eventually,you know, um got in order and
got it under under control andum, but I imagine there was a
lot of hate, hate, hate and.
But I imagine there was a lotof hate over that and just
(17:29):
disgust and, like you said, petemade things a lot worse than it
had to be.
Kevin (17:45):
On a more humorous note, I heard a story because it was
pretty much a time ofcampaigning for the presidency,
and the president during theBonus War was Herbert Hoover,
who was not very popular, andhis opponent was Franklin Delano
Roosevelt.
And when Herbert Hoover had theArmy disperse the veterans, FDR
(18:09):
fdr exclaimed well, I've won theelection then because he didn't
see any way that his opponentwould be able to spin this as
worthy of a president or acommander in .
chiefThat's why we have Franklin
(18:32):
Delano Roosevelt as president.
Palmi (18:35):
You mean the incumbent?
He was the incumbent.
Kevin (18:39):
It's hard to spin that.
Palmi (18:40):
That's pretty despicable to be cheating out your veterans
and then to attack them.
Kevin (18:50):
Yep.
Palmi (18:51):
I imagine they weren't getting any response back to
what they were asking for forhelp, and so you know they felt
like they had to take action.
Kevin (19:15):
So it was my understanding that the veterans
dispersed once the Army wascommitted to disband them.
But the leaders actually wentback and had a meeting with
congressional leaders.
Meeting with congressionalleaders resolved the bonus issue
and the bonuses were dispersedbefore 1945.
Palmi (19:36):
Before there were too many yeah dispersed in a more
timely manner.
Kevin (19:43):
I believe almost immediately.
I believe almost immediately.
You have to bear in mind thatthe bonuses are in 1930s dollars
, so they wouldn't have beenlike the life-changing amounts
that we hear about now.
Palmi (20:09):
It would have been like a few thousand here a few there.
Kevin (20:11):
You know every penny counted back then.
Back then, during thedepression, the important thing
was to get cash for land, forplans you have with your family,
for going back into business,for adapting yourself to the
environment, for retraining allthat stuff that you have to do
(20:35):
to sleep.
You know these folks are behindin the times.
They have to adapt to theeconomy of the day.
They were really not thinkingabout that during the war.
They were busy basicallysurviving.
Palmi (20:54):
Defending us?
Yeah, all right, what?
Covers everything that we hadfor the episode, or do you have
anything else?
Kevin (21:06):
Everything that we had for the episode, or do you have
anything else?
No-transcript.
Palmi (21:19):
By any means.
Kevin (21:20):
It's a darn sight better than the conditions they had to
face.
Palmi (21:26):
Yep.
Kevin (21:28):
The problem I think we have nowadays is you have to be
aware of the programs the VA has.
They're pretty stingy on givingout the information of what you
can and can't apply for.
They're also stingy, or famous,for having something for a
(21:51):
limited time and nobody knowsabout it.
Changing the rules.
Yeah they change the rules ofwho to apply for before a word
gets out.
Palmi (22:04):
It was something you're eligible for Right.
You got to be in the know Right.
You got to search it out to beable to take advantage of it.
I'll let you know that I have aperfect regard also with theVA
VA.
Kevin (22:19):
A perfect regard also with theVA VA.
They denied every claim exceptone.
We got with a lot of help toget me into the disabled
category.
Palmi (22:34):
Yeah.
Kevin (22:37):
All right, but I've been disproved for I'm getting my
home adaptation grant.
I've been disproved for theauto grant.
I've been disproved for thecaregiver grant you name it.
I just I'm a disabled guy whogets everything denied and I'm
(23:07):
not really looking for costlythings like, let's say, I prove
my disability claim.
I haven't really gone back.
It's been almost 25 years, Iguess.
More , like educational orequipment, I still apply for
(23:39):
those things.
Palmi (23:41):
Being disabled is not cheap.
Kevin (23:43):
No, is not cheap, no, it's not.
Palmi (23:46):
We talked about the disability.
Kevin (23:49):
Of charges.
Yeah, that was definitely lastyear.
Yeah, last season.
Palmi (23:53):
All right.
Well, I don't know what we'regoing to do next, but I think it
might be an interview.
Kevin (23:59):
Hopefully yes.
Palmi (24:00):
Okay, well, we will see you next time.
Kevin (24:04):
I'll see you next time.
Host
Jetheswaran Gunasekaran
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