Smedley Butler
Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940), nicknamed the Maverick Marine, was a senior United States Marine Corps officer. During his 34-year career, he fought in the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Mexican Revolution, World War I, and the Banana Wars. At the time of his death, Butler was the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. By the end of his career, Butler had received sixteen medals, including five for heroism; he is the only Marine to be awarded the Brevet Medal as well as two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions.
General Smedley Darlington Butler
Smedley Darlington Butler
"Old Gimlet Eye", "The Fighting Quaker", "Fighting Hell-Devil"
July 30, 1881
West Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
June 21, 1940 (aged 58)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
United States
1898–1931
- Spanish–American War
- Philippine–American War
- Boxer Rebellion
- Battle of Tientsin (WIA)
- Battle of San Tan Pating
- Banana Wars
- Battle of Masaya
- Siege of Granada, Nicaragua
- Battle of Coyotepe Hill
- Infiltration of Mexico City
- Battle of Fort Dipitie
- Battle of Fort Rivière
- Mexican Revolution
- World War I
- Medal of Honor (2)
- Marine Corps Brevet Medal
- Military Medal (Haiti)
- Commander of the Order of the Black Star (France)
- Smedley Darlington (grandfather)
- Samuel Butler (grandfather)
- Thomas S. Butler (father)
- Isabel Darlington (aunt)
Activist, official, lecturer, writer
In 1933, he became involved in a controversy known as the Business Plot, when he told a congressional committee that a group of wealthy industrialists were planning a military coup to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with Butler selected to lead a march of veterans to become dictator, similar to fascist regimes at that time. The individuals involved all denied the existence of a plot, which included the father of George H. W. Bush, Prescott Bush, and the media ridiculed the allegations, but a final report by a special House of Representatives Committee confirmed some of Butler's testimony.
Butler later became an outspoken critic of American wars and their consequences. In 1935, Butler wrote the book War Is a Racket, where he alleged imperialist motivations for U.S. foreign policy and wars (such as those in which he had been involved). After retiring from service, he became a popular advocate, speaking at meetings organized by veterans, pacifists, and church groups in the 1930s.
Early life[edit]
Smedley Darlington Butler was born July 30, 1881, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the eldest of three sons. His parents, Thomas and Maud (née Darlington) Butler,[1] were descended from local Quaker families. Both of his parents were of entirely English ancestry, and their families had been in North America since the 17th century.[2]
His father was a lawyer, a judge, and later served in the House of Representatives for 31 years, serving as chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee during the Harding and Coolidge administrations. Smedley's Marine Corps career successes occurred while his father held that politically influential Congressional seat, controlling the Marine Corps manpower and budget.[3] His maternal grandfather was Smedley Darlington, a Republican congressman from 1887 to 1891.[4] His paternal grandfather was Samuel Butler, who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and served as Pennsylvania State Treasurer from 1880 to 1882. Butler's childhood home is a registered landmark.
Butler attended the West Chester Friends Graded High School, followed by The Haverford School, a (then) Quaker-affiliated secondary school, popular with sons of upper-class Philadelphia families.[5] He became captain of the school baseball team and quarterback of its football team.[1] Against the wishes of his father, he left school 38 days before his seventeenth birthday to enlist in the Marine Corps during the Spanish–American War. Haverford awarded him his high school diploma, nevertheless, on June 6, 1898, before the end of his final year. His transcript stated that he completed the scientific course "with Credit".[1]
Military career[edit]
Spanish–American War[edit]
In the Spanish war fervor of 1898, Butler lied about his age to receive a direct commission as a Marine second lieutenant.[1] He trained at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. In July 1898, he went to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, arriving shortly after its invasion and capture.[6] His company soon returned to the U.S., and after a short break, he was assigned to the armored cruiser USS New York for four months.[7] He came home to be mustered out of service in February 1899,[7] but on April 8, 1899, he accepted a commission as a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps.[7]
This article incorporates from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
