Smedley Butler

Smedley Darlington Butler was a prominent major general in the United States Marine Corps.

He lived from July 30, 1881, to June 21, 1940. Butler is remembered as one of the most decorated Marines in American military history. His life followed a dramatic path from a young soldier to a powerful political critic. He began his career fighting in many foreign conflicts. Later, he used his experience to question why those wars happened in the first place.

Butler was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to Maud and Thomas Butler. His family had deep English roots in North America dating back to the 17th century. His father, Thomas, was a highly influential lawyer and judge. Thomas also served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 31 years. He chaired the House Naval Affairs Committee during the Harding and Coolidge administrations. This political connection meant his father helped control Marine Corps budgets and manpower.

Butler attended the Haverford School, where he was an athlete in baseball and football. To join the military during the Spanish-American War, he lied about his age. He received a direct commission as a second lieutenant in 1898.

His early military service involved several intense combat operations. In the Philippine-American War, he led 300 Marines to take the town of Noveleta in 1899. During the Boxer Rebellion in China, he participated in the Battle of Tientsin in 1900.

During this battle, Butler climbed out of a trench to rescue a wounded officer. He was shot in the thigh during this rescue attempt. Because commissioned officers were not eligible for the Medal of Honor then, he received a brevet promotion to captain. He later became one of only 20 Marines to receive the Marine Corps Brevet Medal.

Butler spent much of his career involved in the Banana Wars. These were military interventions in Central America and the Caribbean. The term "Banana Wars" refers to the goal of protecting American commercial interests. Companies like the United Fruit Company had huge financial stakes in these regions. They produced goods like bananas, tobacco, and sugar cane. The United States also wanted to protect its influence and control over the Panama Canal. Butler served in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama during these many years.

In Honduras, Butler earned the nickname "Old Gimlet Eye." He was suffering from a tropical fever that made his eyes look bloodshot and piercing. He led Marines to Trujillo, where they found a battle between rebels and government soldiers. He also served in Nicaragua from 1909 to 1912. During these missions, Butler began to feel that the wars were not truly about democracy. He wrote to his parents that the revolutions were financed by Americans with "wild cat investments." He believed the goal was to install governments that favored American monopolies.

By the end of his 34-year career, Butler had earned sixteen medals. These included five for heroism and two Medals of Honor for separate actions. After retiring, he became a vocal critic of American foreign policy. He argued that military interventions were driven by business interests and Wall Street bankers. In 1935, he published his book, *War Is a Racket*. In this book, he argued that imperialist motivations drove many of the wars he had fought.

Butler also played a role in a major political scandal. In 1933, a man named Prescott Bush approached him regarding the "Business Plot." Butler testified before a congressional committee about this plot. He claimed a group of wealthy industrialists planned a coup d'état to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The plotters allegedly wanted to use Butler and a group of veterans to arrest the federal government. While the individuals involved denied it, a special House of Representatives committee confirmed his testimony.

In his final years, Butler was a dedicated anti-war advocate. He spoke at meetings for veterans, pacifists, and church groups. He remained committed to his belief that war served private interests rather than the public good. He died in 1940 and was buried in Oaklands Cemetery.

His transition from a highly decorated general to a critic of the military system remains a significant part of American history.