Military Records of Our Past 6 Presidents
To an outsider, military service might almost appear mandatory for those hoping to become president of the United States. All but 11 of the country’s 43 commanders in chief have listed some semblance of service on their records. Of the last half-dozen presidents, only one — Bill Clinton — did not engage in some form of military service, although there’s been plenty of debate and conspiracy theories about whether current President George W. Bush actually spent time with the Texas Air National Guard.
Here’s a look at the past six presidents and their legacy of service to our country:
-George W. Bush
First Lieutenant, Texas Air National Guard
He remained in the United States during the Vietnam War. The “Bushgate” flap at CBS regarding allegations that the president failed to fulfill his duty led to a major shakeup at the network, after scores of experts started to question the authenticity of the evidence presented.
-Bill Clinton
No military service.
The Rhodes scholar and skilled orator bypassed the draft because of student deferments. He finally entered in the draft in 1969 but received a high enough number that he was never called to serve.
-George H.W. Bush
Lieutenant, Junior Grade, United States Navy.
The first president Bush served as a Navy pilot in World War II. His plane was shot down by the Japanese, and the future president was the sole survivor. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
-Ronald Reagan
Captain, United States Army
He remained stateside during World War II. Apparently plagued by bad eyesight, Ronald Reagan continued working as actor during the war, making films for the Army.
-Jimmy Carter
Lieutenant Commander , United States Navy.
His service included sea duty and stateside service from 1946-1953. The future Nobel Peace Prize winner spent seven years in the Navy, earning the second-longest military stay of any U.S. president (Dwight D. Eisenhower tops the list).
-Gerald Ford
Lieutenant Commander , United States Navy.
A phenomenal athlete at Michigan, Ford applied for a commission in the Naval Reserve less than a week after the Pearl Harbor bombing in December 1941. He became an ensign in April 1942 and eventually served on the USS Monterey from May 1943 to December 1944.
Eleven (11) presidents had no military service:
Bill Clinton
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Herbert Hoover
Calvin Coolidge
Warren G. Harding
Woodrow Wilson
William Howard Taft
Grover Cleveland
Martin Van Buren
John Quincy Adams
John Adams
- Thanks to the Associated Press for the content of this post.
Bill Schnabel
June 21st, 2007 at 9:26 amYou state that Jimmy Carter had the second longest military service only to Eisenhower. What about U.S. Grant or even George Washington?
Rosa
September 16th, 2008 at 1:02 pmThis is great information, I believe to be president of the United States a person needs to have served in our military. Thank you.