system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Same... my incredibly liberal husband became liberal DURING his time in the service when he was deployed.... most of my friends did too... I guess if you dont come from a small farming town it might do the opposite... now I'm curious lol
gpt
Check out retired US marine General Smedley Butler. He's one of the most decorated marines in US history, and served throughout a lot of American Imperialism in the late 19th early 20th century. After he retired, he became a big advocate for veterans and lobbied congress extensively to get Congress to honor the agreements they made. He realized late in life he ordered his men to their deaths not to protect America, but to line the pockets of a few American businessmen. He was definetly more socialist at a time when socialism was considered a threat to American values, although I'm not sure if he ever came out as a socialist.

His popularity with Veterans made him an ideal candidate by some American industrialist fascistswho wanted to replace FDR due to the New Deal. Smedley Butler politely met with their representative and brought a good friend of his who was also a reporter to act as a witness. They then went to congress to reveal what would be called the Business Plot. Hearings were had in Congress, but at the outset the paper of record, the New York Times openly mocked his report to congress, probably because the owners were friends with the accused. Ultimately Congress agreed there was some thing valid to the report, however did not pursue charges against any of the accused because they were rich white men. So that's how a socialist Marine General saved America from a  fascist coup in the 1930s.