All the while reading John Harding’s column (Aug. 18) I was waiting in vain for the words that told me where in Bucks County Gen. Smedley Butler may have lived.
So when I turned to the internet for the answer, across many articles, I could not find any reference linking Butler to Bucks.
In fact, Smedley Butler was not a “native” of Bucks County. That hook on which to hang justification for the story was untrue.
Smedley Butler was born and raised in West Chester. He attended schools there until enlisting (by lying about his age) in the Marines at age 16.
Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, he settled in Newtown Square.
None of these locales is in Bucks County. I’m presuming, based on Harding’s citation, that Butler lived somewhere in Bucks at some time in his adult life. But, where ?
An editor’s note clarifying a Bucks County relationship with Smedley Butler would be welcomed.
William Jobes, Langhorne
Editor’s Note: Smedley Butler did not live in Bucks County.
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