by Annabel Dobbyn
Modern warfare frightens me, it feels like we have strayed too far. We can flick on a screen and watch our evolution and demise readily available for public consumption– all with high-speed internet. No lagging as we watch a town blown to pieces before we turn back to our families at the dinner table and say this roast chicken is a triumph. As human weaponry develops, the further society grows from those curious apes who descended from the trees all those years ago.
I am not naive; I am no fool. Humans, like many other animals, have always used violence. Even when we were using spears and swords to kill each other it was still devastating; however, modern warfare has shifted away from the purity of triumph and delved into something much darker, total obliteration in the name of economics.
This is all to say I am not a particularly big fan of military history, and yet I find myself deeply invested in the life and complexities of Smedley Butler, America’s most highly decorated Marine, and anti-war activist and author of War is a Racket. Revered by his men for his loyalty. Feared by those at the other end of his bullet. His triumphs made him well known amongst the American public, and turned him into a nightmare in the eyes of those whom he tormented in the name of an empire.
Our studio had the honor of conserving Butler’s medal bar, the marker of his numerous accolades; Navy Distinguished Service, Army Distinguished Service, Brevet, Sampson West Indies with USS Resolute bar, West Indies Campaign, Philippine Campaign, China Relief Expedition, Marine Corps Expeditionary, Nicaraguan Campaign, Mexican Service, Haitian Campaign, Dominican Campaign, World War I Victory, Yangtze Service, and Haitian Medaille Militaire.
Smedley Butler was born to Quaker parents on July 30th 1881. He lived in quaint Pennsylvania as he learned the Quaker doctrines of pacifism, peace, and service. Both his maternal and paternal sides of his family were involved in US politics, serving in both the House and the Senate. Butler, however, decided to join the United States Marine Corp at age 16 to serve in the Spanish-American War. His parents were against this choice as their Quaker values did not align with the violence intertwined with military service; however, Butler threatened to run away if they did not sign his papers. Thus, he became a marine, and then he thrived, as evidenced by the medals I conserved.
The enormity of Butler’s career is evidenced by the damage observed on his medal bar. Due to the weight of the medals, eight of the ribbons were splitting and four required immediate conservation treatment. For the ribbons that required it, I used netting to encapsulate the fraying threads and secure them from any further loss. It was then decided that a custom mount that would be appropriate for both display and storage would have to be constructed. The bar would have to be able to sit flush against the mount while the weight of the medals was supported. Our studio theorized for weeks, what would look most natural? What would function best on a slant? Was there a way to include a twill tape tie that would not distract the viewer’s eye? It was on one of these daily ruminations when the solution fell into my lap. Sometimes, the best solution is easiest. I should model my mount after a jewelry box.
Butler’s sense of duty and accomplishment rings true in his medal bar, which we strove to honor in its presentation. There is evidence that Butler accolades came from an unyielding sense of loyalty to his comrades and country rather than a desire for power and influence. He was affectionately known as “Old Duckboard” in World War I by his men as he himself carried boards of wood for the men to sleep on, instead of the cold mud in World War I.
If there was a job to be done, and he perceived it to be just, Butler would complete it. However, his morality eventually caught up to him and superseded his usefulness in the eyes of the government, as evidenced by his time in 1924-1925 as the Philadelphia Director of Public Safety. It was during this time that prohibition was being enforced and Butler was asked by President Calvin Coolidge to pause his military service for two years, not as a punishment, but rather to in the reigning in of illicit activities such as bootlegging. He was later asked to leave the position as he was cracking down on corrupt police officers.
Smedley Butler rejoined the Marines with his typical sense of gusto, but this would soon come to an end when he was court-martialed for criticizing Mussolini running over a child. Odd, isn’t it? I can see your guts turning over this universal wrong, and yet he was punished. The United States had not yet entered the war, and as American property, Smedley needed to be punished This action would later prevent Butler from being promoted to the role of Commandant, despite his honors and leadership capabilities.
I cannot say for certain, but I do wonder if this is where it all began. When Smedley Butler cried out about the murder of a child and was punished for it. If that moment masticated the memory of his life of service.
In 1931 Smedley Butler retired from the Marines, but he was not done crusading for justice. He became an anti-war lecturer, contributing his earnings to Philadelphia unemployment relief. He also became highly involved in the rights of veterans, and sought economic support for their roles in World War I, which had left many injured and mentally wounded. He aided a group of veterans seeking compensation for their war efforts by marching on Washington DC, and spent the night with them in their Anacostia encampment. He made speeches and stood in solidarity amongst his Later the Encampment would be attacked by military forces utilizing gas and several veterans were mortally wounded.
This was not Smedley Butler’s last time being involved in a crusade against Washington; however, it was one of the last he was willingly a part of. In 1934, Butler was approached by a group of businessmen who were dissatisfied with the leadership and policies of FDR. With an army of 500,000 ex-soldiers, these millionaires, many linked to J.P. Morgan intended to start a coup and instate a fascist dictatorship. It was through Butler’s efforts in espionage that this plot was thwarted, but he was ridiculed by the American public that did not believe him. It was only later after multiple hearings that The New York Times reluctantly reported that there was evidence indicating Butler was telling the truth. They laughed at him then. What a shame they cannot see what has become of America almost 90 years later. Megalomaniac CEOs and Billionaires take precedent over Presidential cabinets. Unelected billionaire officials may stick their hands into our treasury. The first test run failed, but big business has learned, you have to buy your way in. If you rely on people to dominate, you may just encounter a Smedley Butler, and he will ruin it for you.
It was in 1935 that Smedley Butler wrote the book, War is a Racket, in which he declares that he was not a soldier, but rather a hoodlum. He writes,
“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer; a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and 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 benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902–1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might 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.”
By the end of his life, Butler viewed all of his accolades and experiences as nothing but another cog in the machine of capitalism. If he viewed his accomplishments with such disgust, is it just that we show so much love and care towards his medals?
I was asked by someone recently why he held onto his medals when he associated them with a wretched machine. My only guess was that holding onto them was a form of penance, and that by conserving his medals we are upholding his penance. Never again, in life nor death, will Smedley Butler turn his back on the Quaker teachings of this earth.
Fascism and war are old, but love is ancient.
Key words: Marine Corp, war, textile conservation, net encapsulation, stitch stabilization, medals, Quaker, peace,
Sources
War is a Racket by Smedley Butler
Maverick Marine: General Smedley D. Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History by Hans Schmidt
Smedley D. Butler, USMC: A Biography by Mark Strecker
General Smedley Darlington Butler by Anne Venzon
https://www.npca.org/articles/1915-the-forgotten-march
https://www.inquirer.com/history/smedly-darlington-butler-philadelphia-police-20250110.html
