Posted on 02/19/2010 6:58:22 AM PST by Pharmboy
In November 2008, the United States elected just its 44th president. It wasnt until I started researching this column I found the full extent of military influence on our nations highest office.
Fully 31 of the 44 men who have taken the oath of office to the highest post in the land have served in some capacity in this nations military.
Of the 31 who have donned either an Army, Navy, Guard or militia uniform, 12 achieved the rank of general during their term in service.
Of course, none will ever be higher ranked than our first president Gen. George Washington.
Congress saw to that on our 200th anniversary, declaring him General of the Armies of the United States on July 4, 1976, stating further no officer of the Unites States Army will ever outrank Lt. Gen. George Washington.
Other generals include Dwight Eisenhower, Ulysses Grant, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur and Benjamin Harrison.
Five of our presidents served as colonels, including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Polk, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
Lesser officers, from Navy commanders down through majors, captains and lieutenants included Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, James Monroe, William McKinley, Gerald Ford, Millard Fillmore, John Tyler, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
The only Army private to ever have the distinction of being elected president of the United States was James Buchanan. Franklin Pierce entered the Army as a private, but came out a brigadier general.
Of the 31 presidents with time in military service, 19 of them actually saw combat. And 14 of them, including Washington, Monroe, Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Taylor, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and George H.W. Bush, were in harms way more than once, and in fact throughout most of their military careers.
Three future presidents were wounded in battle Continental Army Maj. James Monroe, wounded at the Battle of Trenton; Army Lt. Col. Rutherford B. Hayes, wounded at the Battle of South Mountain during the Civil War; and Navy Lt. JG John F. Kennedy, wounded when his famous motor torpedo boat PT-109 was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer near the Solomon Islands during World War II.
One president Andy Jackson actually was a prisoner of war during the American Revolution. While just a lad of 13, he was serving as a militia messenger when he was captured by the British.
Washington also technically was a prisoner of war during the French and Indian War but was immediately paroled.
Four of our presidents were decorated for valor in battle.
The most notable was Teddy Roosevelt. While a colonel during the Spanish-American War, he led the charge up San Juan Hill near Santiago, Cuba, with the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. He later was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Lyndon Johnson was decorated with the Silver Star by Gen. Douglas McArthur for his role in a B-26 bombing mission in the Pacific during World War II, while serving as a commander in the Navy, although the decoration was controversial as to whether it was fully deserved.
Kennedy, who received the Purple Heart after being wounded, was decorated with the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for saving his crew.
And finally, George H.W. Bush, who was the youngest pilot in the Navy during World War II at age 19, received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Several presidents served in more than one of Americas wars over the years.
Washington, Eisenhower, Grant, William Henry Harrison and Carter all served during two wars.
However, two presidents stand alone in service to their country, having been a part of four wars prior to becoming president.
Zachary Taylor, who achieved the rank of major general, fought in four different wars the War of 1812, the Blackhawk War, the Second Seminole War and the Mexican-American War.
Not to be outdone, Andrew Jackson also served in four different wars for this nation. Old Hickory, who also attained the rank of major general, fought in the Revolutionary War, the Creek War, the First Seminole War and the War of 1812. During the latter, he routed a superior, veteran British force with a rag-tag army, becoming a national hero at the Battle of New Orleans.
As an asterisk to this column, President Grover Cleveland was drafted into the Army during the Civil War, but paid a substitute $150 to serve in his stead, as was allowed during that time in our nations history. His substitute survived the war.
While you may think this last historical fact strange and totally foreign to a great democracy such as ours, and out of character for most presidents, that will be addressed in the future historically speaking.
Christy is news editor at the Enid News & Eagle and can be reached at davidc@enidnews.com.
I’d add to the list that flying a F-102 Delta Dagger was putting one’s self in harms way every time it went wheels up let alone run an intercept mission against the Russkies.
You, sir, are correct. I meant to write Madison, not Monroe.
Monroe was a fine and brave officer and an example to us all.
I am curious about the statement Carter served in two wars. I know he was a Naval Academy grad and a submariner, but I don’t recall that he had any wartime service. Am I wrong about that?
He was at Annapolis during World War II and was in during Korea. Strictly speaking he served during never in combat either time.
A fine posting!
And just a random note about General Washington.
After he left the presidency, he wanted to be referred to as "General Washington" and thought that all future presidents--when they left office--should be referred to by their highest attained military rank. I imagine he thought Adams would be a rare exception.
Carter was still a leg up on Xlinton and Zero ... At least Carter did something useful before becoming a worthless leftist politician.
“no officer of the Unites States Army will ever outrank Lt. Gen. George Washington.”
ROFL - won’t outrank a “Leiutenant General”?
Error!
Well, he was given a sixth star and congress also said at the time that no other general would ever be awarded a sixth star. Yeah...I didn’t understand the “Lt.” either...a strange error indeed.
“served as colonels, including Thomas Jefferson”
WHAT????? WHERE??? Seriously, I’m not a “student”, but I’ve never heard mention of any service.
Yeah, I knew about that, but never heard of any “Lt. Gen.”, which would likely mean he’s outranked already!
Madison, however, did take his nickname very seriously in office, and went out to Bladensburg to be “Commander in Chief”. Unfortunately, he was too late as Gen. Winder had already let things turn to hell in a handbasket.
Military Service: Colonel of County Militia, Virginia
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Thanks Pharmboy. |
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