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Maj. General Smedley Butler, USMC, Anti-War Activist

Submitted by HPI on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 15:36

Major General Smedley Butler* (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940) was the most decorated Marine in American history at the time of his death. He was one of only 19 people to be twice awarded the Medal of Honor.

Both his parents were members of distinguished Quaker families. His father was a lawyer, a judge and a Congressman for 31 years.

Butler was the director of the police and fire departments in Philadelphia, a city notorious for corruption, for two years (Jan 1924 - Dec 1925), taking time off from his military career to do so. Within days after taking the position, he ordered raids on 900 speakeasies and also cracked down on bootleggers, prostitutes, gamblers and corrupt police officers. Having done that, he saw no reason to spare the elite’s favorite speakeasies, the Ritz-Carlton and the Union League. A week later the mayor fired him. Said Butler, "Cleaning up Philadelphia was worse than any battle I was ever in."

After retirement from the Marines, he wrote War Is a Racket, which addressed the profit motive behind war and was one of earliest warning shots on the military-industrial complex. He was a popular and well-paid speaker on the topic, speaking to groups such as veterans, pacifists and church members.


* The biographical sketch in this article is based on the Wikipedia entry on General Butler.

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