<p>The debate about leadership skills taught at academies is a tricky one since one branch can’t do their job without the other very well. Look at Hasley & Bradley in WWII as an example. There have been both good & bad presidents that haven’t come from officer status. Very interesting conversation. Any historians out there know offhand (cause I’m too lazy to look it up) exactly how many Presidents we’ve had that came from our military? Seriously, I dunno. Too many years out of school I guess.</p>
<p>Found on the net but can’t vouch for its total accuracy:</p>
<p>Command Military Background of the Presidents</p>
<p>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
W- Lieutenant </p>
<p>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 </p>
<p>Presidents who were in the military but who saw no action
James Madison
James Polk
Millard Fillmore
Jimmy Carter
W</p>
<p>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</p>
<p>Brilliant! Thanks Shogun. Looking over the list I went ?? at Chester Arthur. And looking at a few bio’s on the web indicated that I wasn’t alone. The White House had the best bio of him. He’s in the “hall of the forgotten” it seems. A civil war General no less. Gosh , the things you forget when not using the old noodle is amazing. I found the last group interesting. I’d asummed it would have been larger. What does this tell us? Hmmmmm… I’m kidding you guys! Don’t start! :)</p>
<p>If I had my way, we’d have another Teddy Roosevelt next term. Bully what! I have the greatest book called “White House Tales” by Webb Garrison, published in 1989. If you get a chance do look for it. Its very entertaining with it’s intimate glimpses into the lives of the presidents. Guess what? Chester Arthur is indeed in it. </p>
<p>Whoops. I’ll stop. Guess we need to start our own thread on Service Academy Parent’s American History Forum. We took the boy to the airport today so I’ve got some free time.</p>