Smedley
Darlington Butler, Major General - United States Marine Corps [Retired],
was born in West Chester, Pa., July 30, 1881, educated at Haverford
School, married Ethel C. Peters, of Philadelphia, June 30, 1905. He
was awarded two congressional medals of honor, for capture of Vera Cruz,
Mexico, 1914, and for capture of Ft. Riviere, Haiti, 1917. He was also
awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 1919.
He joined the Marine Corps when the Spanish American War
broke out, earned the Brevette Medal during the Boxer Rebellion in China,
saw action in Central America, and in France during World War I was
promoted to Major General. Smedley Butler served his country for 34 years,
yet he spoke against American armed intervention into the affairs of
sovereign nations. Throughout his life, Butler demonstrated that true
patriotism does not mean blind allegiance to government policies with
which one does not agree.
Unhappy with the Marine Corps bureaucracy, he took a leave
of absence to act as director of Department of Safety, Philadelphia, 1932
but encountered much opposition from government officials who were in
league with the illegal liquor syndicates. In Oct. 1, 1931 General
Butler retired. To earn extra income he became a lecturer throughout
the 1930's, was a Republican Candidate for Senate in 1932, and was asked
to head an alternative government by right-wing industrialists. He
died of cancer at Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, June 21, 1940
Producer Andy Lanset profiles the two-time
Congressional Medal of Honor winner whose words still have resonance
today.

Left to right - Capt F.H. Delano, SgtMaj John H. Quick, LtCol W.C.
Neville, Col J.A. Lejeune, and Maj S.D. Butler in Vera Cruz, Mexico (MCU
Archives)
For distinguished conduct in battle, engagement of Vera Cruz, 22 April
1914. Maj. Butler was eminent and conspicuous in command of his battalion.
He exhibited courage and skill in leading his men through the action of
the 22d and in the final occupation of the city.
Smedley Butler on Interventionism
-- Excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933, by Major General Smedley
Butler, USMC.
War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as
something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a
small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the
benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.
I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a
nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with
America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it
gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag
follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.
I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy
investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight
for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of
Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.
There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is
blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men"
to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big
Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.
It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison.
Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty- three years and four months
in active military service as a member of this country's most agile
military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks
from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent
most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for
Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster
for capitalism.
I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of
it. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a
thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained
in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is
typical with everyone in the military service.
I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil
interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the
National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping
of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall
Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua
for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912
(where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to the Dominican
Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see
to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.
During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a
swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al
Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in
three districts. I operated on three continents.

Capture of Fort Riviere, Haiti, 1915, by D. J. Neary; illustrations of
Maj Smedley Butler, Sgt Iams, and Pvt Gross (USMC art collection)
As Commanding Officer of detachments from the 5th, 13th, 23d
Companies and the marine and sailor detachment from the U.S.S.
Connecticut, Maj. Butler led the attack on Fort Riviere, Haiti, 17
November 1915. Following a concentrated drive, several different
detachments of marines gradually closed in on the old French bastion
fort in an effort to cut off all avenues of retreat for the Caco
bandits. Reaching the fort on the southern side where there was a small
opening in the wall, Maj. Butler gave the signal to attack and marines
from the 15th Company poured through the breach, engaged the Cacos in
hand-to-hand combat, took the bastion and crushed the Caco resistance.
Throughout this perilous action, Maj. Butler was conspicuous for his
bravery and forceful leadership.
General Smedley Butler speaks
out:
WAR
IS A RACKET
WHO MAKES THE PROFITS FROM WAR?
WHO PAYS THE BILL FOR THE WARS?
HOW TO SMASH THIS WAR RACKET!
TO HELL WITH WAR!
Smedley Butler: Marine Corps Legend
Listen to Smedley Butler
produced by Andy Lanset for HearingVoices.com, with a grant
from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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are in A
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