The last king I know of that did that was Albert I of Belgium in WWI. Though I suppose Queen Elizabeth of the UK drove supply trucks in WWII, so does that count?
@@TDR85yes but he still somehow missed the actual top ranking generals who ascended to the Presidency. Like, of all the people he should have included…
@@RAdaltonracermy guess is that there are so many other simplified history videos with these General Presidents that he wanted talk about lesser known and war hero presidents
@@Less_SeriousHe didn't actually fight them but did volunteer to, was elected Captain and was a popular wrestler and story teller in camp. The war against Blackhawk and his British (loyalist) band was over before the 3rd string made it to the fight.
Kind of ironic how Jimmy Carter dealt with nuclear material in his time in the service and then later had to contend with Three Mile Island while in office
Dwight D. Eisenhower served not only as the General of the Untied States Army and one of the masterminds behind Operation Overlord (D-Day Normandy Landings) but also as President of the United States.
What about Andrew Jackson, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan. I'm sure theirs more.
Yep teddy led the rough riders, Eisenhower was supreme commander of the Europe expeditionary forces in ww2, Andrew Jackson served in war of 1812 my hometown of hamilton al has a road named military street that was built by Jackson and his men that passed through, Reagan served in the army, these are just the ones I remember what branch they served and what they did and of course Washington was the commander of the continental army of the revolutionary war
Reag*n did not see any combat. He was stationed in Los Angeles and was a paper pusher in an enlistment/de-mob centre. The closest he came to combat was signing discharge papers of those who had seen combat. Like James Stewart and Clark Gable and Tyrone Power.
The most memorable president's military service for me was James Madison's defense of Washington D.C. He faced overwhelming British assault during the War of 1812. He served as Commander in Chief on the front lines while he was president.
You also got Monroe who very nearly died at the Battle of Trenton Hayes also broke his arm from a musketball at the Battle of South Mountain and was left between lines briefly.
I’m a little surprised LBJ wasn’t mentioned, as he was the highest ranking of the naval officers who went on to become president, and the one with the highest award, the Silver Star, although almost certainly the least deserved Silver Star in history.
Actually, he was tied for highest ranking naval officer with Richard Nixon. They both became Commanders while in the reserves. Interesting side note: Nixon financed his first run for Congress in part with winnings from playing poker.
John Adams engaged a British warship on his way to France to negotiate an alliance and financial support. The captain initially refused to engage as his orders from Congress were to deliver John Adams safely to Europe, but John Adams refused and ordered the captain to attack.
He was a joke in the Spanish Civil War and his so called Rough Riders took credit for the Buffalo Solders that were the real heroes fighting in Cuba. Also, the Buffalo Solders, at the time, was the only elite force that had combat experience the U.S. Army had during the Spanish Civil War. A Lieutenant named John Pershing was assigned to them and fought with them in Cuba. Roosevelt was awarded the Medal of Honor based on the courage of the Buffalo Soldiers.
This video was enlightening, well done Simple History. I truly admire how these soon-to-be presidents served in the US Armed Forces before becoming commanders-in-chief themselves.
And he would’ve ended the Vietnam War in a day too. 😂 And they would’ve had a bigly celebration in his honor. Nobody would’ve fought wars better than he could’ve, but those darn bone spurs. Oh darn.
Jimmy Carter didn't serve in a war. He didn't graduate Annapolis until WWII was over. He was in training for Rickover's "Nuclear Navy" during the Korean War, then had to resign and return to the family farm when his father died. This is not to dishonor his service, just that he never saw combat. You also forgot Nixon, who served in the Navy in the Pacific during WWII. While he was a logistics officer and never saw direct combat, he spent about a year and a half in the forward areas of the Solomons/New Guinea zone. Then there's Eisenhower.
As side note, Nixon served well, and was popular and and outstanding poker play. Hi buddies supported him in his first political campaign . One was asked to describe him. surprised the questioner by comparing him with “Mr. Roberts”, I think he would have been happier as a Lawyer OR as Naval Officer.
Carter is classified as a veteran of both WW2 and Korea, although he never saw combat. His time at USNA counts as WW2 service, and he was on active duty during Korea. The definition of "veteran of X conflict" can be confusing. My father was awarded the WW2 Victory Medal despite not joining the Army until 1946 because he served in occupied Germany.
@@roberthudson1959 Yes, I know attending the service academies counts as active duty. The point was Carter never served in combat, or anywhere near it. He graduated the USNA in 1946, so he spent the entire war in Annapolis, MD. He was also in the Navy during Korea, but he was never in what the military calls the theater, which for Korea would be Japan, the Korean peninsula, and the Sea of Japan. Likewise, Reagan was in the Army Air Forces during WWII, but was barred from combat due to severe nearsightedness. He spent the war stateside making training films. As I said, Nixon was actually "in-theater," but he was stationed in what by the time he got there was a rear area well away from the actual fighting. None of this dishonors or impugns any of their service. There was a war on and everybody had a job to do.
I still think the greatest story to come out of a president serving in active combat is Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Monterrey in the Mexican-American War. He was in charge of delivering supplies to troops on the field. And so at one point during the battle he had to to deliver a dispatch message by riding under hostile fire and avoiding the sharpshooters on the city's rooftops. So in order to make it through, he actually side straddles his horse and rides the horse on one side so that if they took a shot it wouldn't hit him. The man used a horse moving at full speed as a human shield and managed to control riding it while hiding behind its torso. What a legend.
First 15: 1. Washington - General during Rev. War (Saw Combat; Obviously) 2. Jefferson - Col. of Virginia Militia during Rev. War (Never Saw Combat) 3. Madison - Col. of Virginia Militia during Rev. War (Never Saw Combat) 4. Monroe - Lt. Col. in the Continental Army; Nearly Died at the Battle of Trenton (Saw Combat) 5. Jackson - Major General and fought in War of 1812 (Saw Combat) 6. Harrison - Major General and served during War of 1812 and fought in battles in the Northwest Indian War (Saw Combat) 7. Tyler - Captain for 2 months in his own Virginia-based militia in the War of 1812 to defend Richmond (surprisingly, Never Saw Combat) 8. Polk - Served in Tennessee Militia (Never Saw Combat) 9. Taylor - Fought in many wars including War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War, and Mexican-American War; rose to Major General (Saw Combat) 10. Fillmore - No service prior, but led a militia during the Civil War in Buffalo (Never Saw Combat) 11. Pierce - Started as a Private and rose to Brigadier General during the Mexican-American War; passed out from a knee injury during a battle (Saw Combat) 12. Buchanan - Private in Pennsylvania Militia during the War of 1812; rounded up horses from the British after the Battle of Baltimore (Surprisingly, Never Saw Combat) 13. Lincoln - Illinois Militia Captain during Black Hawk War (Never Saw Combat) 14. Andrew Johnson - Brigadier General in the US Army during the Civil War (I don't think he saw combat) 15. Grant - Union General during the Civil War and fought in the Mexican American War with Lee (Saw Combat; Obviously) Fun fact, only 3 of the first 18 (Adams, Quincy Adams, and Van Buren) didn't serve in the military. In defense of the Adams' both had vital roles outside of serving. Adams was an important lawyer during the colonial times, and Quincy Adams was a part of America's delegation and helped negotiate the end of the War of 1812. Edit: Looked up Van Buren. He was a judge during the War of 1812 and served as prosecution for Madison during the War. He did collaborate with Winfield Scott on ways to reorganize the New York militia during the winter of 1814-15, but the war ended.
16-31: 16. Hayes - Major General during Civil War (Saw Combat) 17. Garfield - Major General during the Civil War for only 2 years (Saw Combat) 18. Arthur - Brigadier General during the Civil War in the New York Militia (Never Saw Combat; partly due to familia ties with the Confederacy) 19. Benjamin Harrison - Brevet Brigadier General of Volunteers in Indiana during the Civil War; Fought in the Southern Theater with Sherman but didn't participate in the March to the Sea (Saw Combat) 20. McKinley - Brevet Major during the Civil War; fought at the Battle of Antietam (Saw Combat; Obviously, and possibly some of the worst of any former President) 21. Teddy - Leader of the Rough Riders; Earned the Medal of Honor posthumously and the only person to ever receive both the MoH and the Nobel Peace Prize (Saw Combat) 22. Truman - Faked his way into the Army after memorizing the eye test; covered in this video (Saw Combat; Obviously from the Video) 23. Eisenhower AKA Ike - General in WW2, and one of the most famous generals in American history (Never Saw Combat; but that doesn't negate his importance) 24. Kennedy - Officer in the Navy; Covered in Video (Saw Combat) 25. LBJ - Served in WW2 despite being a legislator; I recommend looking up his story as it is a bit more complicated than just Saw Combat vs. Never Saw Combat (Complicated) 26. Nixon - Naval Officer during WW2 (Never Saw Combat) 27. Ford - Naval Officer during WW2; Covered in the Video (Saw Combat) 28. Carter - Naval Officer after WW2; officer in some of the first Nuclear Subs (Never Saw Combat; but takes balls of steel to be in a sub, especially with the early nuclear submarines) 29. Reagan - Officer during WW2; Helped with training and propaganda videos (fitting for the actor that he would become) (Never Saw Combat) 30. Bush Sr. - Enlisted into the Navy during WW2 and became the Youngest Naval Pilot at the time; flew 58 combat missions (Saw Combat in a very intense and intimate way) 31. Bush Jr. - Texas Air National Guard for 5 years during Vietnam (Never Saw Combat; Criticized heavily for this).
Presidents that never served (14 of 45) 2. John Adams 6. John Quincy Adams 8. Van Buren 22/24. Cleveland 27. Taft 28. Wilson 29. Harding 30. Coolidge 31. Hoover 32. FDR (though vital for WW2) 42. Clinton 44. Obama 45/47. Trump 46. Biden
Aside from those who have served on the frontlines, no less than 10 Presidents have held the rank of General prior to their ascension to President. I might be forgetting one or two
I also never knew about Carter's exploit, but wonder why he didn't participate in the Korean War, since he didn't get out of the service until the 1950's?
There were many other presidents who saw combat such as William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, Ulysses S Grant, Rutherford B Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, etc. Additionally Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan served during WW2 but didn’t see active combat. Although Eisenhower commanded Allied forces in Europe. (A little surprised LBJ, Nixon, Ike, and Reagan weren’t in the video and that it wasn’t titled “Presidents in the World Wars”) The last combat veteran (as of 2024) to have been nominated by a major political party in an election was John McCain in 2008, and the last veteran to have been President was George W Bush was served in the Air National Guard.
@@Zeppathy Trump actually had health issues. Bill Clinton actually dodged the draft, but that's OK brcause he's a democratic socialist pig monkey. John Mcain was a traitor. He has given all the information that the VC needed to cause more harm to our troops. The North Vietnamese called him "The Song Bird." He also bombed one of our aircraft carriers out of protest against the war. Tampon Walz committed stolen valor and left his unit to die in a combat zone and does not even know how to properly use a gun. He also slept with a Chinese spy and with 16 year old boys.
Here are the other Presidents who served in combat who were not on this list for the video. George Washington (Duh) James Monroe (Served under Washington in our War for Independence) Andrew Jackson (General and War Hero during the war of 1812) William Henry Harrison (Served as a Brigadier General during the War of 1812) Zachary Taylor (Served as Major General during the War of 1812 & the Mexican-American War) Ulysses S. Grant (Served as an officer in the Mexican-American War, and a General in the US Civil War) Rutherford B. Hayes (Served as an officer during the US Civil War) Theodore Roosevelt (Served as an officer in the Spanish-American War [w/The Original Rough Riders]) Dwight D. Eisenhower (Best known as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, he also served in WWI commanding a tank crew)
Would've been nice to see pre-WW2 presidents. I think Washington is a bit obvious but perhaps some other 1780s-1900s presidents. Truman was nice to see, didn't know he served in WW1
It would have been a much longer video if they did that since most served in the military at some point. One the size of this one would have been which ones that didn't.
Personally, I feel that military service should be a requirement for anyone who wants to hold the position of Commander in Chief.... But that's just me.
Interesting thing about Harry S Truman. Truman was rejected by West Point due to his poor eyesight. He was able to get in the Missouri National guard by memorizing the eye chart.
Donald J. Trump served in Studio 54 during the Disco Wars. He said that avoiding STDs was his own personal Viet Nam. He also claimed to be "like a first responder" on 9/11, but he was actually no where near it.
Trump was actually in college during the Vietnam War. Someone else was actually out of college and a few years older than him. Three Democrat presidents since Carter got out of office. None of those three served.
@paulthomson4960 How many deferment did Clinton and Biden have? It's amazing that Biden played varsity football and was a lifeguard. He went to college and graduated. Was of serving age and then developed asthma when he might be drafted. How many deferments?
@@gothabilly5 I am not sure what you have against Dwight D. Eisenhower that you want to post such nonsense. Nor do I know what your definition is of *COMBAT*
@Amp661Fdr has none of these because he wasn't great wasn't even good he is overly appreciated because he was prez during WW2 and the great depression ended while he was president however looking back on it he was actually one the worst to be in office
should have covered Grant, Washington, Monroe, Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, McKinley, Hayes, Eisenhower, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, and WIlliam Harrison- all who had very active and distinct military action.
I'm shocked you didn't cover Theodore Roosevelt's service in the Spanish-American War. Or Ulysses S. Grants service in the Mexican-American War, not to mention the American Civil War.
@@aamaravel2493Wouldn't surprise me if Senior Bush go out of his way to help Junior dodge considering what he has been through in WW2 and don't want his son to experience something like that again
JRR Tolkien: You want a war George? Welcome to Shire-raq! I cut my teeth in the trenches of the Somme, you larped your Santa Claus butt through Vietnam! Theodore Roosevelt: You should be ashamed of your military honor! Don’t worry, the US will give you the pass! Just change your poster to “Keep calm and kiss my cousin’s a**!” John F Kennedy: In the navy for years, never tasted anything that fishy.
Incidentally Church did something that Teddy never did and fought on the front lines in ww1 with the royal Scots fusiliers on the western front to wipe the stain after gallipoli in 1915 and served untill 1917
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) served in the United States Navy during World War II: 1940: Appointed Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve (USNR) 1941: Reported for active duty three days after Pearl Harbor 1942: Served in the Pacific, including inspection duty in San Francisco, California, and observing a bombing mission over Lae, New Guinea June 9, 1942: Awarded the Army Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action in New Guinea July 16, 1942: Released from active duty under honorable conditions LBJ was one of the first members of Congress to volunteer for active military service
To other comments about prior military service of future presidents, add James Monroe (Revolution), Andrew Jackson (Creek War and War of 1812), William Henry Harrison (War of 1812), Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce (both Mexican War), Abraham Lincoln (Black Hawk War), Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley (all Civil War), Theodore Roosevelt (Spanish-American War), and Richard Nixon (WWII).
LBJ also served during WW2. A bit more complicated as I don't think he saw combat, but he was flying in bombers and nearly died once (he had to go to the bathroom so left a bomber, and when he got back his seat was taken; said bomber got attacked by the Japanese and there were no survivors).
Revolution: George Washington & James Monroe ; War of 1812: Andrew Jackson (also 1st Seminole War), William Henry Harrison (also Tecumseh's War), John Tyler, & Zachary Taylor (also Black Hawk War, 2nd Seminole War, Mexican-American War); Black Hawk War: Taylor, & Abraham Lincoln; Mexican-American War: Taylor, Franklin Pierce, & Ulysses Grant; U.S. Civil War: Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur (NY State Militia QM General), Benjamin Harrison, & William McKinley; Spanish-American War: Theodore Roosevelt; World War I: Harry S.Truman & Dwight D. Eisenhower; World War II: Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, & George H.W. Bush; Cold War: Carter & George W. Bush. So out of the 45 men who have been elected President under the U.S. Constitution, 25 (56%) were military veterans.
And you missed Theodore Roosevelt who was in the Arny National Guard, was in the volunteer cavalry for the Spanish-American War, and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Harry truman was a Major in the Army and commanded a field Artillery battalion during World War 1 where he was under the command of General Douglas MacArthur
Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video & for the free product! Head to keeps.com/simplehistory to get a special offer. Individual results may vary.
Like video
awesome
Isn't the narrator bald? Guess keeps didn't work 😂
You missed several who served in the mexican, civil war and revolutionary wars.
You forgot jfk who fought against zombies with fidel castro, Nixon and McNamara
This better get more likes
Don’t forget about Nixon!
By 2 other Americans you mean McNamara and Nixon? Lol cmon dude brush up a bit 😂
That war was crazy, but he survived....just to be shot by his own government. Rest in peace brother.
Great comment
Everybody forgets poor James Garfield. The guy was in the thick of it at Shiloh and Chickamagua.
those who know 💀
@@atrociousprogramming If thats a joke relating to KSI's song you should probably touch grass.
@@terrancehood5292 i probably should tbh
"From the field to the camp to the house🥶"
I didn't know that. tyvm
"Do not pray for easy lives, my friends. Pray to be, stronger men."
Praying for both is legitimate too.
Do not pray on Earth, go to heaven and tell him personally if you are a true believer.
Rutherford B hayes also served in the civil war, wounded 4 times and showed extreme bravery ending the war a beveret major general.
And he Served alongside fellow future president WIlliam Mckinley
He wasn’t given a Medal of Honor, that was Teddy Roosevelt
@@willfakaroni5808Both fought at third Winchester
Ulysses S Grant who was a start general in the civil war for the union. For crying out out.
Harrison was the butcher at Tippicanu
"Imagine a king who fights his own battles. wouldn't that be a sight" -Achilles
Lots of kings did that during medieval and ancient times.
@@MatthewTheWanderer should also be the requirement today
@@Kakashi19-69 That would be incredibly dumb
Imagine a beefy cow with no udders cooking a bacon cheeseburger 😂😂
The last king I know of that did that was Albert I of Belgium in WWI. Though I suppose Queen Elizabeth of the UK drove supply trucks in WWII, so does that count?
Wow, Carter cleaned up nuclear material and survived to see 100!
Bros just built different
Unironically tho, guy took care of his body his entire life so I’m not surprised
90 seconds to clear up contaminated material.
Sounds like conditions at Chernobyl.
It takes me 90 seconds just to bend down and pick up a couple things off the floor. (let alone accomplish something significant)
Ikr. Still a little upset at him for not clearing up the misinformation on TMI though.
But he didn't fight. He sat out WWII at Annapolis
Grant? Eisenhower? Washington?
That's why they said "a few" and not "all."
@@TDR85yes but he still somehow missed the actual top ranking generals who ascended to the Presidency. Like, of all the people he should have included…
@@RAdaltonracermy guess is that there are so many other simplified history videos with these General Presidents that he wanted talk about lesser known and war hero presidents
this was a video made with political motives, so no libertarians featured
@levisvarela3735 What "political motives"?
2:22 - RIP, Ex-President Jimmy Carter
❤ He was a good man who loved his country and served his fellow citizens.
Sees thumbnail: Once again Grant is denied his rightful place.
sigh... ikr
Tell me about it.
The sheer power that is Ulysses S. Grant can't be contained in a single video.
No Washington either, father of the country and main leader of the American Revolution
Yep. My parents name my brother after the man.
Where's Lincoln? He fought Vampires!
as a young man, he fought Indians in the Blackfoot Wars
Good movie! 👍
they forgot about the fact jfk fought zombies in the pentagon with nixon, castro, and mcnamara
@@Less_SeriousHe didn't actually fight them but did volunteer to, was elected Captain and was a popular wrestler and story teller in camp. The war against Blackhawk and his British (loyalist) band was over before the 3rd string made it to the fight.
Lincoln served in the Blackhawk wars
That Kennedy was so ill and not only survived but helped other crew members is impressive.
I always wondered why the PT 109 boat, that could go 50 mph, could not get
out of the way, if they saw the Jap destroyer coming?
Grant, Washington, Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt all missing? Weird
"these are just a few examples"
I was about to say that
I mean...the video could have been longer. I'm with you on this.
Especially since Teddy was given the Medal of Honor
Teddy was the man. "I'm into fitness. Digging ditches through an Isthmus. Rough ridin' down to Cuba like what's up, Bitches."
Kind of ironic how Jimmy Carter dealt with nuclear material in his time in the service and then later had to contend with Three Mile Island while in office
and yet he is the longest lived president
And he is still alive at over a 100 years old!
He was actual one of Rickover's students.
@@pablo_giustiniani Not anymore !!! They buried him on Jan 9 2025, RIP Jimmy !!!!
Dwight D. Eisenhower served not only as the General of the Untied States Army and one of the masterminds behind Operation Overlord (D-Day Normandy Landings) but also as President of the United States.
He was also the Commander of the entire Allied Forces in Europe.
No Teddy Roosevelt? Need I remind you people he’s the only President with a friggin Medal of Honor?
What about Andrew Jackson, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan. I'm sure theirs more.
:17 “…these are just a few of men who served in the armed forces…”
Yep teddy led the rough riders, Eisenhower was supreme commander of the Europe expeditionary forces in ww2, Andrew Jackson served in war of 1812 my hometown of hamilton al has a road named military street that was built by Jackson and his men that passed through, Reagan served in the army, these are just the ones I remember what branch they served and what they did and of course Washington was the commander of the continental army of the revolutionary war
Reag*n did not see any combat. He was stationed in Los Angeles and was a paper pusher in an enlistment/de-mob centre. The closest he came to combat was signing discharge papers of those who had seen combat. Like James Stewart and Clark Gable and Tyrone Power.
@@teto85 Dutch Reagan was a Captain in the USAAF's First Motion Picture Group. He directed and starred in several Army Air Force training films.
James Madison was POTUS during the War of 1812 and commanded a artillary unit
Jimmy Carter, I did not see that one coming.
Yeah he served in WW2
@@andysanchez1215 Kind of. He was still a midshipman when the war ended.
He was one of the Navy's first nuclear officers!
Same dude
And then he went on to be one of the worst presidents in history!
The most memorable president's military service for me was James Madison's defense of Washington D.C. He faced overwhelming British assault during the War of 1812. He served as Commander in Chief on the front lines while he was president.
I didn't know that. For me it would be "Old Hickory" Jackson for the Battle of New Orleans, McKinley for fighting at the Battle of Antietam.
You also got Monroe who very nearly died at the Battle of Trenton
Hayes also broke his arm from a musketball at the Battle of South Mountain and was left between lines briefly.
Whoever animated the Gerald Ford portion did a fantastic job. Some shots, especially the ones with fire and water, looked really good.
Interesting as always!
You need to make a part two. From Washington to Teddy Roosevelt, many were not covered here.
the fact that carter is still alive when he had to clean up radiative waste is wild.
It's the radiative waste exposure that's keeping him alive this long.
Sadly he just passed away today. May he rest in peace.
That being said, I have a new level of respect for him for that.
He dead now
You guys forgot Eisenhower, Grant, Jackson, and Washington off the top of my head.
Lots of great vet presidents are missing. I think Teddy Roosevelt with his Rough Rider charge should have been on here at the very least
I had never knew that GEORGE H.W BUSH crash landed in the water of the Island I was born and raised in.
He parachuted out of aircraft. He has the distinction of being the youngest Navy pilot ever!
I’m a little surprised LBJ wasn’t mentioned, as he was the highest ranking of the naval officers who went on to become president, and the one with the highest award, the Silver Star, although almost certainly the least deserved Silver Star in history.
Actually, he was tied for highest ranking naval officer with Richard Nixon. They both became Commanders while in the reserves. Interesting side note: Nixon financed his first run for Congress in part with winnings from playing poker.
there are some dubious claims about what he actually did to earn it...but...
@@gbonkers666 Joseph Kennedy donated to his campaign. Jack delivered the money personally to Nixon.
"i wish politicians would fight wars themselves"
these guys: bet
Yeah you’d never find a modern politician who’s a veteran. Certainly not a president
Politicians jobs are not to do things it’s to convince others to do things plus those careers don’t overlap
Those weren't their wars. None of them started or joined them. Those were other presidents' wars.
Says more about the people voting them in.
Can't believe you took TR off Mount Rushmore in the thumbnail when the dude won a Medal of Honor.
Teddy Roosevelt is truly the *Only* U.S. president to earn the Medal of Honor
Undeserving. The medal doesn't have the same connotation that it does today.
John Adams engaged a British warship on his way to France to negotiate an alliance and financial support. The captain initially refused to engage as his orders from Congress were to deliver John Adams safely to Europe, but John Adams refused and ordered the captain to attack.
Despite never serving, both Adams' had very important roles in America's first wars. Both were instrumental in negotiations.
Like father, like son.
Teddyy Roosevelt was awsome
Rough Riders 🐻
He was a joke in the Spanish Civil War and his so called Rough Riders took credit for the Buffalo Solders that were the real heroes fighting in Cuba.
Also, the Buffalo Solders, at the time, was the only elite force that had combat experience the U.S. Army had during the Spanish Civil War.
A Lieutenant named John Pershing was assigned to them and fought with them in Cuba.
Roosevelt was awarded the Medal of Honor based on the courage of the Buffalo Soldiers.
@@edalice1926 is there a source link to find the answers
He was not, he is! Even tough he's dead
I'm from Solomon Islands 🇸🇧 🏝 and one of the small islands was named after him as the Kennedy Island.❤
What about Eisenhower.. he was literally The Allied Supreme Commander
Right? Same question here.
Served never saw combat
yep
Hopefully there is a part two or three to highlight previous presidents that were in combat. Thank you for this clip. It was very informative...
There are a lot that served and saw combat. Frankly they need to make multiple videos covering the rest
This video was enlightening, well done Simple History. I truly admire how these soon-to-be presidents served in the US Armed Forces before becoming commanders-in-chief themselves.
Honestly part of me wants Military Service to be a Requirement for the Presidency
2:34 RIP 🪦 Jimmy Carter
If only Don trump didn't have those darn bone spurs he would have been the most decorated of them all . Thanks daddy trump.
And he would’ve ended the Vietnam War in a day too. 😂
And they would’ve had a bigly celebration in his honor.
Nobody would’ve fought wars better than he could’ve, but those darn bone spurs.
Oh darn.
Jimmy Carter didn't serve in a war. He didn't graduate Annapolis until WWII was over. He was in training for Rickover's "Nuclear Navy" during the Korean War, then had to resign and return to the family farm when his father died. This is not to dishonor his service, just that he never saw combat. You also forgot Nixon, who served in the Navy in the Pacific during WWII. While he was a logistics officer and never saw direct combat, he spent about a year and a half in the forward areas of the Solomons/New Guinea zone. Then there's Eisenhower.
As side note, Nixon served well, and was popular and and outstanding poker play. Hi buddies supported him in his first political campaign . One was asked to describe him. surprised the questioner by comparing him with “Mr. Roberts”, I think he would have been happier as a Lawyer OR as Naval Officer.
@@johnschuh8616 He used some of his poker winnings to finance his first campaign.
What's your point?
Carter is classified as a veteran of both WW2 and Korea, although he never saw combat. His time at USNA counts as WW2 service, and he was on active duty during Korea. The definition of "veteran of X conflict" can be confusing. My father was awarded the WW2 Victory Medal despite not joining the Army until 1946 because he served in occupied Germany.
@@roberthudson1959 Yes, I know attending the service academies counts as active duty. The point was Carter never served in combat, or anywhere near it. He graduated the USNA in 1946, so he spent the entire war in Annapolis, MD. He was also in the Navy during Korea, but he was never in what the military calls the theater, which for Korea would be Japan, the Korean peninsula, and the Sea of Japan. Likewise, Reagan was in the Army Air Forces during WWII, but was barred from combat due to severe nearsightedness. He spent the war stateside making training films. As I said, Nixon was actually "in-theater," but he was stationed in what by the time he got there was a rear area well away from the actual fighting. None of this dishonors or impugns any of their service. There was a war on and everybody had a job to do.
Zachary Taylor, William Henry Harrison, Rutherford B Hayes, James Garfield, William McKinley, Ulysses Grant….
You forgot Grant who was a General in the Civil War and how can you forget George Washington.
No one will find this comment so I will eat 1 cup of rice for each like this gets
Edit: i bought so many sacks of rice
That's 9
That’s 19, make this Asian proud boy
Like beggar
Raw or cooked?
I hope you're hungry
I still think the greatest story to come out of a president serving in active combat is Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Monterrey in the Mexican-American War. He was in charge of delivering supplies to troops on the field. And so at one point during the battle he had to to deliver a dispatch message by riding under hostile fire and avoiding the sharpshooters on the city's rooftops. So in order to make it through, he actually side straddles his horse and rides the horse on one side so that if they took a shot it wouldn't hit him. The man used a horse moving at full speed as a human shield and managed to control riding it while hiding behind its torso. What a legend.
Cant wait for a part 2
Washington, Tyler, Grant, Teodore Roosevelt back in the early days.
31? I didn't realize how many presidents actually fought for our country
Many served in the military, but didn't actually "fight"!
First 15:
1. Washington - General during Rev. War (Saw Combat; Obviously)
2. Jefferson - Col. of Virginia Militia during Rev. War (Never Saw Combat)
3. Madison - Col. of Virginia Militia during Rev. War (Never Saw Combat)
4. Monroe - Lt. Col. in the Continental Army; Nearly Died at the Battle of Trenton (Saw Combat)
5. Jackson - Major General and fought in War of 1812 (Saw Combat)
6. Harrison - Major General and served during War of 1812 and fought in battles in the Northwest Indian War (Saw Combat)
7. Tyler - Captain for 2 months in his own Virginia-based militia in the War of 1812 to defend Richmond (surprisingly, Never Saw Combat)
8. Polk - Served in Tennessee Militia (Never Saw Combat)
9. Taylor - Fought in many wars including War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War, and Mexican-American War; rose to Major General (Saw Combat)
10. Fillmore - No service prior, but led a militia during the Civil War in Buffalo (Never Saw Combat)
11. Pierce - Started as a Private and rose to Brigadier General during the Mexican-American War; passed out from a knee injury during a battle (Saw Combat)
12. Buchanan - Private in Pennsylvania Militia during the War of 1812; rounded up horses from the British after the Battle of Baltimore (Surprisingly, Never Saw Combat)
13. Lincoln - Illinois Militia Captain during Black Hawk War (Never Saw Combat)
14. Andrew Johnson - Brigadier General in the US Army during the Civil War (I don't think he saw combat)
15. Grant - Union General during the Civil War and fought in the Mexican American War with Lee (Saw Combat; Obviously)
Fun fact, only 3 of the first 18 (Adams, Quincy Adams, and Van Buren) didn't serve in the military. In defense of the Adams' both had vital roles outside of serving. Adams was an important lawyer during the colonial times, and Quincy Adams was a part of America's delegation and helped negotiate the end of the War of 1812.
Edit: Looked up Van Buren. He was a judge during the War of 1812 and served as prosecution for Madison during the War. He did collaborate with Winfield Scott on ways to reorganize the New York militia during the winter of 1814-15, but the war ended.
16-31:
16. Hayes - Major General during Civil War (Saw Combat)
17. Garfield - Major General during the Civil War for only 2 years (Saw Combat)
18. Arthur - Brigadier General during the Civil War in the New York Militia (Never Saw Combat; partly due to familia ties with the Confederacy)
19. Benjamin Harrison - Brevet Brigadier General of Volunteers in Indiana during the Civil War; Fought in the Southern Theater with Sherman but didn't participate in the March to the Sea (Saw Combat)
20. McKinley - Brevet Major during the Civil War; fought at the Battle of Antietam (Saw Combat; Obviously, and possibly some of the worst of any former President)
21. Teddy - Leader of the Rough Riders; Earned the Medal of Honor posthumously and the only person to ever receive both the MoH and the Nobel Peace Prize (Saw Combat)
22. Truman - Faked his way into the Army after memorizing the eye test; covered in this video (Saw Combat; Obviously from the Video)
23. Eisenhower AKA Ike - General in WW2, and one of the most famous generals in American history (Never Saw Combat; but that doesn't negate his importance)
24. Kennedy - Officer in the Navy; Covered in Video (Saw Combat)
25. LBJ - Served in WW2 despite being a legislator; I recommend looking up his story as it is a bit more complicated than just Saw Combat vs. Never Saw Combat (Complicated)
26. Nixon - Naval Officer during WW2 (Never Saw Combat)
27. Ford - Naval Officer during WW2; Covered in the Video (Saw Combat)
28. Carter - Naval Officer after WW2; officer in some of the first Nuclear Subs (Never Saw Combat; but takes balls of steel to be in a sub, especially with the early nuclear submarines)
29. Reagan - Officer during WW2; Helped with training and propaganda videos (fitting for the actor that he would become) (Never Saw Combat)
30. Bush Sr. - Enlisted into the Navy during WW2 and became the Youngest Naval Pilot at the time; flew 58 combat missions (Saw Combat in a very intense and intimate way)
31. Bush Jr. - Texas Air National Guard for 5 years during Vietnam (Never Saw Combat; Criticized heavily for this).
Note: I am a little loose with the term, "Saw Combat". If you were a field officer during a battle/war, I considered them under this category.
Presidents that never served (14 of 45)
2. John Adams
6. John Quincy Adams
8. Van Buren
22/24. Cleveland
27. Taft
28. Wilson
29. Harding
30. Coolidge
31. Hoover
32. FDR (though vital for WW2)
42. Clinton
44. Obama
45/47. Trump
46. Biden
Aside from those who have served on the frontlines, no less than 10 Presidents have held the rank of General prior to their ascension to President. I might be forgetting one or two
The Carter story isn't known widely enough. That man is still alive as of this comment.
I also never knew about Carter's exploit, but wonder why he didn't participate
in the Korean War, since he didn't get out of the service until the 1950's?
@@rongendron8705 never everyone sees combat, plus working with nuclear subs is a big responsibility in it of itself.
Some had bone spurs! He knows more than all of the Generals, but how does he get Top Secret clearance???
There were many other presidents who saw combat such as William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, Ulysses S Grant, Rutherford B Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, etc. Additionally Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan served during WW2 but didn’t see active combat. Although Eisenhower commanded Allied forces in Europe. (A little surprised LBJ, Nixon, Ike, and Reagan weren’t in the video and that it wasn’t titled “Presidents in the World Wars”)
The last combat veteran (as of 2024) to have been nominated by a major political party in an election was John McCain in 2008, and the last veteran to have been President was George W Bush was served in the Air National Guard.
I was gonna say...several of the presidents in this video were nothing special, but they didn't include Grant or Eisenhower.
And then there's Trump... who dodges the draft 5x.
@@Zeppathy thats messed up neither obama biden or al gore served in any military capacity
John McCain was a traitor. The Vietnamese called him "Song Bird" for a reason.
@@Zeppathy Trump actually had health issues. Bill Clinton actually dodged the draft, but that's OK brcause he's a democratic socialist pig monkey. John Mcain was a traitor. He has given all the information that the VC needed to cause more harm to our troops. The North Vietnamese called him "The Song Bird." He also bombed one of our aircraft carriers out of protest against the war. Tampon Walz committed stolen valor and left his unit to die in a combat zone and does not even know how to properly use a gun. He also slept with a Chinese spy and with 16 year old boys.
Kenedy had that coconut on his desk in the oval office.
that's a curiously timed video.
Here are the other Presidents who served in combat who were not on this list for the video.
George Washington (Duh)
James Monroe (Served under Washington in our War for Independence)
Andrew Jackson (General and War Hero during the war of 1812)
William Henry Harrison (Served as a Brigadier General during the War of 1812)
Zachary Taylor (Served as Major General during the War of 1812 & the Mexican-American War)
Ulysses S. Grant (Served as an officer in the Mexican-American War, and a General in the US Civil War)
Rutherford B. Hayes (Served as an officer during the US Civil War)
Theodore Roosevelt (Served as an officer in the Spanish-American War [w/The Original Rough Riders])
Dwight D. Eisenhower (Best known as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, he also served in WWI commanding a tank crew)
Would've been nice to see pre-WW2 presidents. I think Washington is a bit obvious but perhaps some other 1780s-1900s presidents. Truman was nice to see, didn't know he served in WW1
It would have been a much longer video if they did that since most served in the military at some point. One the size of this one would have been which ones that didn't.
James Monroe served with Washington and was his XO when crossing the Deleware
James Madison is said to had commanded an artilary unit while he was POTUS during the war of 1812
No wonder US developed so much ,they had veterans as their heads,they had presidents who were ex soldiers and were capable of taking bold decisions.
Personally, I feel that military service should be a requirement for anyone who wants to hold the position of Commander in Chief.... But that's just me.
Rest in peace Jimmy Carter
Terrible president, but one of the greatest men to ever hold the office. May he rest in peace in Heaven with his wife.
Depending on your definition all presidents fight for their country.
Interesting thing about Harry S Truman. Truman was rejected by West Point due to his poor eyesight. He was able to get in the Missouri National guard by memorizing the eye chart.
Hayes had multiple horses shot down underneath him
Guys thanks so much for making this video, I will say this is your best video yet
I think Ulysses Grant might’ve been in the army at some point I’m sure I heard that somewhere
He might have been..I don't know...have to go the library later.
@@gbonkers666. Just maybe the civil war?
Great video!
George and Teddy are the best! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for you country."
Donald J. Trump served in Studio 54 during the Disco Wars. He said that avoiding STDs was his own personal Viet Nam. He also claimed to be "like a first responder" on 9/11, but he was actually no where near it.
Trump was actually in college during the Vietnam War. Someone else was actually out of college and a few years older than him. Three Democrat presidents since Carter got out of office. None of those three served.
Heel spurs also served in the Twitter Wars.
@paulthomson4960 How many deferment did Clinton and Biden have? It's amazing that Biden played varsity football and was a lifeguard. He went to college and graduated. Was of serving age and then developed asthma when he might be drafted. How many deferments?
@@marcustalley7987How many whataboutisms, snowflake?
Flyboys mentioned, absolutely wonderful book, very interesting to read. Would recommend
How could you forget Eisenhower ?
Don't you like Ike?
He was already well-known and too obvious
Eisenhower was a career I was there however never saw combat
@@gothabilly5 I am not sure what you have against Dwight D. Eisenhower that you want to post such nonsense. Nor do I know what your definition is of *COMBAT*
Kind of forgot Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, and Eisenhower
No Eisenhower????
He will be to OP in this list
The best so far DT ❤❤❤
Effing PT boats 0:51
“TAKE OUT THOSE FUCKING PT BOATS!”
Great video I love your history video's
iv said that most of the best presidents have had two of three things: facial hair, white hair (usually as a powdered wig), and military experience
@Amp661 theres always an exception to thw rules
@Amp661Fdr has none of these because he wasn't great wasn't even good he is overly appreciated because he was prez during WW2 and the great depression ended while he was president however looking back on it he was actually one the worst to be in office
should have covered Grant, Washington, Monroe, Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, McKinley, Hayes, Eisenhower, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, and WIlliam Harrison- all who had very active and distinct military action.
Where’s my manz teddy Roosevelt 😢
I'm shocked you didn't cover Theodore Roosevelt's service in the Spanish-American War.
Or Ulysses S. Grants service in the Mexican-American War, not to mention the American Civil War.
How about a list of Presidents that were draft dodgers.
that would be Grover Cleaveland (who dodged via a legal way at the time), Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump
Clinton and Trump.
@@willfakaroni5808 george w bush too
@@aamaravel2493Wouldn't surprise me if Senior Bush go out of his way to help Junior dodge considering what he has been through in WW2 and don't want his son to experience something like that again
@@quakethedoombringer yes. I would do the same if i had a son
Another great education video!💯👍👍❤️
Every president should serve in the military. You are the Commander in Chief, not a hedge fund baby. This is why America is going downhill.
🏆
bug daddy issues detected
TR, CMH winner for combat in the Spanish/American war...
JRR Tolkien: You want a war George? Welcome to Shire-raq! I cut my teeth in the trenches of the Somme, you larped your Santa Claus butt through Vietnam!
Theodore Roosevelt: You should be ashamed of your military honor! Don’t worry, the US will give you the pass! Just change your poster to “Keep calm and kiss my cousin’s a**!”
John F Kennedy: In the navy for years, never tasted anything that fishy.
Incidentally Church did something that Teddy never did and fought on the front lines in ww1 with the royal Scots fusiliers on the western front to wipe the stain after gallipoli in 1915 and served untill 1917
@@loyalpiperteddy fought on the front lines
@db4517 yeah but he got declined the opportunity to actually go fight in ww1 with a bunch of volunteers.
Nice references to ERB and Black Ops
What about George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt?
Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) served in the United States Navy during World War II:
1940: Appointed Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve (USNR)
1941: Reported for active duty three days after Pearl Harbor
1942: Served in the Pacific, including inspection duty in San Francisco, California, and observing a bombing mission over Lae, New Guinea
June 9, 1942: Awarded the Army Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action in New Guinea
July 16, 1942: Released from active duty under honorable conditions
LBJ was one of the first members of Congress to volunteer for active military service
And almost served as a prime example as to why they don't. Had his bladder not been full he would have been shot down.
To other comments about prior military service of future presidents, add James Monroe (Revolution), Andrew Jackson (Creek War and War of 1812), William Henry Harrison (War of 1812), Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce (both Mexican War), Abraham Lincoln (Black Hawk War), Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley (all Civil War), Theodore Roosevelt (Spanish-American War), and Richard Nixon (WWII).
LBJ also served during WW2. A bit more complicated as I don't think he saw combat, but he was flying in bombers and nearly died once (he had to go to the bathroom so left a bomber, and when he got back his seat was taken; said bomber got attacked by the Japanese and there were no survivors).
UNDER HOUR GANG
Usually the Civil War participants are not considered as fighting for their country, normally considered as fighting against each other.
So not Donald Trump
Hello nice video
What about presidents who got deferred due to "bone spurs"?
Where is Biden,Clinton or Obama?
Get help for your TDS.
@@ap8409 It's called maturity and it isn't happening.
You shouldn't even be legally allowed to go near the white house unless you served.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a generation or two of Americans that haven't gone to war?And service is not an indicator of a good President.
@@ShawnKennedy-w2i You need to show national interest, if you're a woman advocating for abortion you clearly don't care about your country for example
Revolution: George Washington & James Monroe ; War of 1812: Andrew Jackson (also 1st Seminole War), William Henry Harrison (also Tecumseh's War), John Tyler, & Zachary Taylor (also Black Hawk War, 2nd Seminole War, Mexican-American War); Black Hawk War: Taylor, & Abraham Lincoln; Mexican-American War: Taylor, Franklin Pierce, & Ulysses Grant; U.S. Civil War: Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur (NY State Militia QM General), Benjamin Harrison, & William McKinley; Spanish-American War: Theodore Roosevelt; World War I: Harry S.Truman & Dwight D. Eisenhower; World War II: Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, & George H.W. Bush; Cold War: Carter & George W. Bush. So out of the 45 men who have been elected President under the U.S. Constitution, 25 (56%) were military veterans.
Fighting in wars vs the native people is closer to contributing to genocide than fighting for your country.
Captain Bone Spurs
Totally incomplete. Jackson, w.h. Harrison, Zack Taylor, Ike, and others. Oh yes, grant
And you missed Theodore Roosevelt who was in the Arny National Guard, was in the volunteer cavalry for the Spanish-American War, and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Harry truman was a Major in the Army and commanded a field Artillery battalion during World War 1 where he was under the command of General Douglas MacArthur
Correction Battery
Captain I stand corrected
10:22 We had fire hoses on ships and carriers in WWII. Why didn’t they use those instead of buckets of water?
You should make a list of all the presidents who've failed to conduct a peaceful transfer of power.
I like how this channel always talk positively about america and other country like the other is like nothin
Can y'all do a Part 2 and Part 3 going over all the others.