Smedley Butler

Smedley Butler, born on July 30, 1881, was a distinguished American major general in the United States Marine Corps. Over the course of his remarkable thirty-four-year military career, he participated in numerous significant conflicts, including the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Mexican Revolution, World War I, and the Banana Wars. At the time of his passing, Butler held the distinction of being the most decorated Marine in U.S. military history, having received sixteen medals, among them five for acts of heroism, the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, and two Medals of Honor for separate actions.

In 1933, Butler made headlines when he testified before a United States congressional committee about a supposed conspiracy known as the Business Plot. He alleged that a group of affluent American industrialists was scheming to orchestrate a coup d'état aimed at toppling President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Butler claimed that the conspirators intended to use him, leading a contingent of veterans, to arrest the federal government. Although the accused denied the existence of such a plot and the media dismissed Butler's claims, a subsequent investigation by a special House of Representatives committee validated parts of his testimony.

After retiring from military service, Butler emerged as a vocal critic of American foreign policy and military interventions, which he believed were primarily motivated by the interests of U.S. businesses. In 1935, he authored the influential book 'War Is a Racket,' in which he argued that imperialist ambitions were the driving force behind several American military interventions, many of which he had personally experienced. His advocacy against war led him to speak at various gatherings organized by veterans, pacifists, and church groups until his death in 1940.