BONUS ARMY STAMP
AIRED: Season 6, Episode 5
THE DETECTIVE: Wes Cowan
THE PLACE: Hyde Park, NY and Washington, DC
THE CASE:
A collector in Hawaii has a postage-sized stamp with an illustration of a World War I “doughboy” solider and the words “PAY THE BONUS.”
Our contributor, whose grandfather was a World War I soldier, thinks the stamp is linked to the “Bonus Army” veterans.
A bill was passed in 1924 promising WWI veterans a payment 21 years later -- dubbed a “bonus” -- in 1945. When the Great Depression hit, veterans organized to demand early payment of the bonus. They organized a protest march on Washington in 1932, demanding pay for their combat, and approximately 20,000 veterans camped out in the Capitol following the march.
Weeks went by until Herbert Hoover ordered General Douglas McArthur to force the vets out. Two veterans were shot and killed, thousands were tear gassed.
What role did this political stamp play in the veterans’ movement?
History Detectives reveals the stamp’s connection to the veterans' struggle.
Feature: Veterans of Foreign Wars
Since the late 18th century U.S. servicemen and women have been deployed overseas. Today there is more support for those who have served but veterans continue to fight for just compensation.
Think you have a case for the History Detectives? Send us your mystery here. 