[robowombat]

He was also a socipathic nut who nursed a huge resentment towards the USMC, the Dept of the Navy and the US government for him being blocked from becoming Commandant since his Congressman for Life father expired at the wrong time and Smedley faced all the people he had screwed over in his egomaniac climb to the top. I first heard this from aMarine who served from 1919 to 1938 and who had been and fought in Haiti and Nicaragua and served in China. He was a Quantico when Butler built his football stadium there and (and I believe this guy) Butler had the Marines from both the tactical and support functions working 6 1/2 days a week (12 hour days) as labor for his pet rock stadium. The desertion and UA rate went through the sky and being only 40 miles from HQUSMC brought a full colonel and a staff team from the Inspector General of the USMC to make a friendly visit. The findings nearly caused a court marshal for Butler who was told he would retire at the end of his tenure at Quantico, like in a few months. His dad died around this time and while SB (as he was unlovingly known throughout the Corps) called in every marker he had it didn't work. He left the USMC seething with rage at those he considered ‘betrayed’ him. One result was his Ron Paulist hyperbolic denunciations of the military and the US government.

[marktwain]

He was also a socipathic nut who nursed a huge resentment towards the USMC, the Dept of the Navy

So, kind of an early John McCain.

I know it is not a perfect fit. Still, thanks for this bit of wisdom. I figured there was a back story.

[DesertRhino]

Bullcrap. He saved the nation when approached to lead the bonus Army to overthrow Roosevelt. He turned them in. The same cabal waited a few more years and installed the national security state which Eisenhower warned us about, and which then went on to murder JFK.

Butler was a hero. Not to mention well deserved two medals of honor.

[wally_bert]

That is a history lesson.

[Vermont Lt]

I get that he was a nut. But was his essay incorrect? I don’t know his background. So, I would be interested in hear an “informed” opinion in the context of the “time.”