Major Patton's Role as Executive Officer of the 3rd Cavalry During Military Operations in July 1932

On 28/07/1932, Major George S. Patton Jr. took part in the U.S. Army operation to disperse the Bonus Army encampments in Washington, D.C. The Bonus Army consisted of approximately 17,000 World War I veterans, along with thousands of family members and supporters, who had gathered in the capital to request early payment of service certificates scheduled for redemption in 1945. President Herbert Hoover ordered the removal after tensions increased following clashes with local police. The operation was placed under the command of Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur, with Major General Perry L. Miles overseeing troops in the city and cavalry units led in part by Major Patton. Patton commanded elements of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment during the advance across the Anacostia River to clear remaining camps. The troops, supported by infantry and tanks under Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, moved to remove veterans from temporary shelters. Fires later destroyed many of the encampments as the Army completed the dispersal. During the operation, Patton reportedly encountered Joseph T. Angelo, a former soldier he had known from World War I, and ordered him to leave the area as the cavalry advanced. By the evening of 28/07/1932, the Army had cleared the Bonus Army from the Anacostia Flats, ending the protest presence in Washington.