Radiotopia.

From PRX.

From PRX is Radiotopia.

This is Radio Diaries.

I'm Joe Richmond.

Author James Baldwin once wrote,

I love America more than any other country in the world.

And exactly for this reason,

I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.

Criticism and dissent are patriotic, as my daughter would say, sharing is caring.

In fact, one of the most important strands of the American DNA is protest,

from the Boston Tea Party to the Republican Tea Party,

from civil rights marches to occupy Wall Street.

But it's how the government and the

institutions of power respond to dissent that is really the test of any democracy.

That's why we're bringing you this story today, about a chapter of American history that isn't

so well known, but suddenly feels all too relevant. In 1932, a group of World War I veterans set up an encampment in Washington, D.C., and

vowed to stay until their voices were heard. The government had promised them cash bonuses for their

service, payable in 1945, but then the Depression struck, and the vets, who were desperate for

relief, couldn't wait. They descended on Washington, demanding

payment of their bonuses right away. It was a moment in American history that showed the

remarkable power of citizens to come together for a cause, but in the end, it didn't turn out

...