George H. Bush, torpedo bomber pilot

Grand Old Partisan ^ | September 2, 2010 | Michael Zak

[Moonman62]

I wish he would have stuck with his military career.

[Catsrus]

Zero is a bomber, alright, he’s bombing as a president. He bombs our economy, our Constitutional rights and freedoms. How can anyone say that he hasn’t engaged in combat? /sarc

[RVN Airplane Driver]

Would you like to explain that post?

[Textide]

Exactly one year later in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese would surrender. Happy 65th V-J Day!

[Michael Zak]

Thanks. It would be interesting to know all twelve.

[Ax]

I remember when that happened. I believe it came out of the sewer inhabited by “The Forehead.”

[Mr Inviso]

There was another leftie smear campaign that he was responsible for the deaths of the other members of the crew of his plane, that he abandoned them to save himself, etc.

[Ranxerox]

Magslinger - please remove me from you ping list - thanks.

[Ranxerox]

Magslinger - please remove me from you ping list - thanks.

[magslinger]

Done.

[BroJoeK]

"Madison and Jefferson were two of them."

As Governor of Virginia (1779-1781) during wartime, Jefferson did indeed have military responsibilities.

Of course, Virginians were not satisfied with Jefferson's performance during the military crisis of June 1781, and would not reelect him.

But, point is, Jefferson's military experience can in no way be demoted to that of, say, our current President.

[Michael Zak]

As governor, Jefferson failed to call out the state militia when the British invaded Virginia. Do you count that as military experience?

[BroJoeK]

"As governor, Jefferson failed to call out the state militia when the British invaded Virginia. Do you count that as military experience?"

Compared to our current Community Organizer in Chief? Of course.

A wise man (don't remember who for sure, might have been my Dad ;-) ), once said we can learn more from our mistakes than our successes.

Do you suppose it possible that Jefferson remembered his military mistakes as Governor when, for example, as President, Jefferson sent the new US Navy to go fight Barbary Pirates?

I mean, after all, Jefferson could have just called them all in for a Beer Summit... ;-)

[Billthedrill]

Virginians were not satisfied with Jefferson's performance...

Decidedly not. The accusations - most of them unfair - of cowardice for running from the British followed Jefferson for the rest of his life. He was, after all, the sitting Governor of Virginia at the time and what we would term a high-value target. And they very nearly caught him. Nevertheless, having military responsibilities as a civilian and acting as a member of the armed forces are two entirely different things. TommyJeff was an astoundingly brilliant man and an intellectual hero of mine but he was never a soldier.

[fredhead]

Presidents with no military service:

John Adams
John Quincy Adams
Martin Van Buren
Grover Cleveland
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Warren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Bill Clinton
Barack Obama

All this according to......http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States_by_military_service

[Michael Zak]

Thank you, though it hurts to see BHO listed among so many better presidents.

[BroJoeK]

Thanks! I always love it when arguments can be answered with facts... ;-)

Curious to learn that Jefferson was officially a Colonel, even though hardly the warrior type.

Let's see, if we limit our list to only those with no connections at all to the military:

• Martin Van Buren (Old Kinderhook)
• Grover Cleveland (ma, ma, where's my pa?)
• William Howard Taft (the Portly One)
• Woodrow Wilson ("gee, I hate that guy" -GB)
• Warren Harding (too busy philandering)
• Calvin Coolidge (Silent Cal, not the military type)
• Bill Clinton (draft dodger)
• Barack Obama (Manchurian Candidate)

Withe huge, huge apologies to one of our best ever presidents, Calvin Coolidge, for putting him in such a rogues gallery!