Command Military Background of the Presidents

Various Almanacs

[Political Junkie Too]

Command Military Background of the Presidents

George Washington: Commander in Chief of the Continental Army
James Monroe: Major
Andrew Jackson: Major General
William H. Harrison: Brigadier General
Zachary Tayler: Major General
Abraham Lincoln: Captain
Andrew Johnson: Brigadier General
Ulysses S. Grant: Lt. General, Commander of all the Union armies
Rutherford B. Hayes: Major General
James Garfield: Major General (of volunteers)
Benjamin Harrison: Brigadier General
William McKinley: Major
Theodore Roosevelt: Colonel, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Harry Truman: Captain
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander
John F. Kennedy: Lieutenant (j.g.)
Lyndon Johnson: Lieutenant Commander
Richard Nixon: Lieutenant Commander
Gerald Ford: Lieutenant Commander
Jimmy Carter: Lieutenant
Ronald Reagan: Captain
George Bush: Lieutenant (j.g.)

[Political Junkie Too]

With Wesley Clark getting into the presidential race, I thought it would be instructive to compare his record to past military leaders who became president.

-PJ

[Blzbba]

Where's "William Jefferson Clinton - Maj. Draft Dodger"?

[ladtx]

George W. Bush - 1st Lieutenant

[jmcclain19]

Additional Presidential Military info http://www.heptune.com/preslist.html#Military

Presidents who served in wars
George Washington - Commander in Chief of Continental Army during the American Revolution.
James Monroe - served in American Revolution
Andrew Jackson - American Revolution, War of 1812, First Seminole War
William Henry Harrison - Indian wars in the NW territory, War of 1812
John Tyler - War of 1812
Zachary Taylor - War of 1812, Black Hawk, Second Seminole, and Mexican wars
Franklin Pierce - Mexican War
James Buchanan - War of 1812
Abraham Lincoln - Black Hawk War
Andrew Johnson - Civil War
Ulysses Grant - Mexican War, Civil War
Rutherford Hayes - Civil War
James Garfield - Civil War
Chester Arthur - Civil War
Benjamin Harrison - Civil War
William McKinley - Civil War
Theodore Roosevelt - Spanish-American War
Harry Truman - WWI
Dwight Eisenhower - WWII General
John Kennedy - WWII
Lyndon Johnson - WWII
Richard Nixon - WWII
Gerald Ford - WWII
Ronald Reagan - WWII
George Bush - WWII

Presidents who were in the military but who saw no action
James Madison
James Polk
Millard Fillmore
Jimmy Carter

Presidents with no military experience
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
John Quincy Adams
Martin Van Buren
Grover Cleveland
William Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Warren Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Franklin Roosevelt
Bill Clinton

[dts32041]

If you are listing Miliia Officers where is the National Guard officer listings?

Specifically GWB

[AntiGuv]

Would that make Gen. Clark the third highest ranked President, in the very off-chance he were elected? Eisenhower was a five-star general, correct?

Washington might as well have been ten-star.. ;^)

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP

[AntiGuv]

I guess I'm asking about Ulysses Grant. Would he be considered of higher rank, despite being a Lt. General since he was "Commander of all the Union armies"?

[jmcclain19]

Lt. General was the highest rank a general could recieve, if memory serves, Congress had to pass a bill so he could recieve it.

So I would definately consider that a "5 star" general, above Eisenhower, equal with Washington in terms of "who was the highest".

[jmcclain19]

and BTW - FDR's Asst. Sec of the Navy can't be counted as Military expierence, its a civilian job.

If you can count that as military expierence, than Bill Clinton could count his being President as military expierence.

[AntiGuv]

Oh, OK. Thanks! I wondered if something like that were the case, but I couldn't remember my military history..

[elbucko]

If you are listing Militia Officers where is the National Guard officer listings?

The National Guard you are referring to is not a Militia, the Militia, or any kind of Militia, that you are referring to. Both by law and custom. The National Guard is a reserve component of the national army.

[Political Junkie Too]

If you can count that as military expierence, than Bill Clinton could count his being President as military expierence.

True. I was "iffy" on that one.

-PJ

[dagar]

More like a Chekist (KGB).

[Old Sarge]

FRiend, for your data, I offer this; the bold are mine:

TITLE 10, UNITED STATES CODE, Subtitle A, PART I, CHAPTER 13, Sec. 311 - Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.

(b) The classes of the militia are -

(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and

(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia

311-a and 311-b(1) both name the National Guard as the Militia

Are you rather, thinking of the U.S. Army Reserve? They are a Federal reserve force; the ARNG are not Federal troops, but under the command of the Governors of the state/territory in which they are stationed.