A Biography of Smedley Darlington Butler Essay

Smedley Darlington Butler On July 30, 1881, a man was born that would bring into this country courage and leadership as it has never seen before. He was one of only two men to ever win the Congressional Medal of Honor twice, as well as being the most decorated soldier to ever wear an American uniform. He fought in every American conflict from the Spanish-American War in 1898 to the guerrilla Wars in Central America that followed World War I as an officer in the Marine Corps. He also protected domestic disputes by organizing a force from the 4th Marine Regiment in October of 1926 to protect the mailing system, which would become known as the Western Mail Guards. After his tour with the Marines, he was very popular with rank-and-file soldiers and veterans. He strongly defended the Bonus Marchers in 1932, who were later attacked by US troops under General Douglas MacArthur in Washington DC. In an incident whose history is surpressed today, he was approached by representatives of the Morgan Bank who wished him to lead a fascist military coup d etat against the Roosevelt government in 1932, which he refused. Yet through all of these conflicts, he still maintained that American armed intervention into the affairs of sovereign nations was not in our best interest. In his 34 year career with the Marine Corps, he would demonstrate that true patriotism does not mean blind allegiance to government policies with which one does not agree. His name was Smedley Darlington Butler. Smedley Butler played a big role in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. In the Yellow Sea, the USS Solance sailed with 106 Marines including two extra that snuck aboard the night before it s departure. These men, along with eight officers, were the first American reinforcements which could be sent from the Philippines they had been mounting out for Guam, under the command of Major Waller, when the emergency diverted them...