The Bonus Army

The adjusted compensation act of 1924 gave a bonus to each World War I veteran. The one hiccup was that the bonus was not to be paid until 1945. A veteran named Walter Waters left postwar France in 1919 and tried to get different jobs like a mechanic, car salesman, farm hand and bakers helper. He became fixated on the idea of marching to Washington and demanding immediate payment of veterans bonuses. By the end of June 1932, 20,000 veterans were camped out in Washington, D.C. They were known as the bonus army.