BUTLER, Smedley

Smedley Darlington Butler was one of the most decorated Marines in U.S. history, receiving two Congressional Medals of Honor for his service in Haiti and China. During his 34-year military career, he participated in numerous interventions throughout the Caribbean and Central America, earning the nickname “Old Gimlet Eye” for his fierce demeanor and tactical brilliance. Butler commanded forces during the Banana Wars, serving in Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic between 1898 and 1931.

Butler’s most controversial moment came in 1934 when he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee about an alleged conspiracy by wealthy businessmen to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt. According to Butler’s testimony, representatives of a group of industrialists approached him to lead a fascist veterans’ organization that would march on Washington and force Roosevelt’s removal from office. Butler claimed the conspirators offered him $3 million and promised the support of 500,000 veterans. The alleged plot, dubbed the “Business Plot,” was reportedly modeled after European fascist movements.

After retiring from the military, Butler became a prominent critic of American interventionism and corporate influence in foreign policy. His 1935 pamphlet “War Is a Racket” argued that military interventions primarily served business interests rather than national security, declaring that “war is a racket conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.” Though the House committee found Butler’s testimony credible, the investigation was limited and no prosecutions resulted. Butler’s allegations remain a subject of historical debate, with some viewing him as a prescient critic of the military-industrial complex while others question the scope and seriousness of the alleged conspiracy.