President's Week Thread

[The Gipper]

With this thread I will be posting some historical factoids about various Presidents.   Nothing much political...just informational.

Presidents Week Facts: Presidents and WWII:

*FDR and Truman served as CIC during WWII.
*However Herbert Hoover was the only living ex-Prez during the course of the war. Every previous President had passed away before the war started (e.g. Coolidge, Harding, Wilson etc.)
But many future Presidents served in the war:
#IKE was the Supreme Allied Commander
#Lt. John F. Kennedy's PT109 heroics are well documented in books and movies
Richard Nixon was on active duty with the Naval Reserves.
LBJ was also in the Navy for about a 6 month tour even though he was a sitting member of the House of Representatives. He spent time in New Zealand and Australia assisting bombing missions (he was not in the planes...just on the ground.)
Gerald Ford served on the USS Monterey as a Commander in the Navy. That ship actually was sunk, but he made it off safely. 
George HW Bush was literally a Navy Pilot Hero during the war. 
Ronald Reagan was a reasonably famous actor before the war, and during the War he was Commissioned with the US Army Air Force making patriotic films that promoted the war effort. The military adapted his skill set to their needs and he performed his duties well. 
Jimmy Carter "served" in the military during WWII in that he was attending the US Naval Academy at Annapolis from 1943 to 1946.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

29 minutes ago, The Gipper said:

With this thread I will be posting some historical factoids about various Presidents.   Nothing much political...just informational.

Presidents Week Facts: Presidents and WWII:

*FDR and Truman served as CIC during WWII.
*However Herbert Hoover was the only living ex-Prez during the course of the war. Every previous President had passed away before the war started (e.g. Coolidge, Harding, Wilson etc.)
But many future Presidents served in the war:
#IKE was the Supreme Allied Commander
#Lt. John F. Kennedy's PT109 heroics are well documented in books and movies
Richard Nixon was on active duty with the Naval Reserves.
LBJ was also in the Navy for about a 6 month tour even though he was a sitting member of the House of Representatives. He spent time in New Zealand and Australia assisting bombing missions (he was not in the planes...just on the ground.)
Gerald Ford served on the USS Monterey as a Commander in the Navy. That ship actually was sunk, but he made it off safely. 
George HW Bush was literally a Navy Pilot Hero during the war. 
Ronald Reagan was a reasonably famous actor before the war, and during the War he was Commissioned with the US Army Air Force making patriotic films that promoted the war effort. The military adapted his skill set to their needs and he performed his duties well. 
Jimmy Carter "served" in the military during WWII in that he was attending the US Naval Academy at Annapolis from 1943 to 1946.

Interesting fact.  Jimmy Carter attended Nuclear school in Ballston Spa, New York and lived in Army Housing.  I lived in the unit directly next to his when I was on recruiting duty in Scotia, New York.  They had a bronze plaque in the middle of the traffic circle with his name and housing number on it.  I doubt the housing is still there.  Edit:  It was Union College in Schenectady where he studied the nuclear studies.   I guess Ballston Spa site didn't exist then.

https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6870

 

[The Gipper]

More on Presidents and their Military Service.

Of the 44 people who have served in office.....31 of them had military service  (not counting being CIC).

Of the thirteen who did not serve....some had some tangential connection with the military:

FDR served as the Asst. Sec'y of the Navy during WWI under Wilson.  He had asked to resign that post to take a commission....but Wilson refused his resignation, telling him that he could serve the war effort best by doing the job he was doing.

William Howard Taft served as the Secretary of War  (today it would be called Secretary of Defense)

John Adams served in what would be the equivalent of the Secretary of Defense during the Revolutionary War.  His title was something like "the Chairman of the Board of War"  of the Continental Congress.

The following Presidents were Generals:      Washington, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson, Grant, Hayes,  Garfield, Chester Arthur, Benjamin Harrison...an Dwight D. Eisenhower.     Note that Ike is the only General to become President post 1800s. 

EVERY President that served in the military achieved officer rank.......except one:    James Buchanan never rose above a lowly Private.

Note:  ONE President did his military service AFTER he was President:   Millard Fillmore  Became a Major of the Regiment that he formed from upstate NY (near Buffalo) during the Civil War.

And also....note this about Grover Cleveland:  Paid George Benninsky $150 to take his place after Cleveland was drafted during American Civil War under the Conscription Act of 1863.   This law allowed you to pay someone to take your place in the military if you have been drafted.  Could you imagine such a thing in later years?

Two Presidents  were Prisoners of War:    George Washington...during his time with the British Military during the French and Indian War (became Prisoner after the Battle of Fort Necessity).....and Andrew Jackson.  In some paintings of him you may actually see a deep scar across his face.  Jackson was a teenager and a scout for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and was captured.  The scar was given to him by a British officer who struck him with a sword after Jackson hesitated when the officer demanded that he shine his boots.  Jackson's brother has also been captured......but both were released when their mother showed up to collect them.   However, due to their treatment as a POW...and because of illness that both contracted on their way home from captivity...both  Jackson's brother and mother died on the way home.  Jackson barely survived. Jackson developed a deep hatred for the British.......and had no qualms about later slaughtering a massive amount of them at the Battle of New Orleans. 

 

[mjp28]

There are no real exciting world wars now to make the world safe for democracy. Plus an all volunteer military it just doesn't have the pazaazzz the WWII had.

Now we're just trying to get scumbuckets out of desserts and mountain holes that like to car bomb people and hope an IED doesn't rip you up.

Would you sign up now to serve? 

[Westside Steve]

To quote sergeant Hulka:

" son there ain't no draft no more"

WSS

[The Gipper]

Well, 3 of the last 4 have never served (including the current one).  GW Bush was in the reserves during Vietnam and by doing that avoided having to go over there.   But that is not by far the biggest run of non military Potus.

There was a run of 6 in a row that did not serve:   Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, FDR   (other than as noted above).

[The Gipper]

Interestingly....the ONLY one to serve in combat in WWI  was Truman.   

Eisenhower was in the military then...but did all his service stateside.  Though not without trying.  He twice requested combat duty...and twice was denied.   When his orders finally arrived to go "over there" it was just one week before the Armistice was signed on Nov. 11, 1918.

[The Gipper]

5 hours ago, mjp28 said:

There are no real exciting world wars now to make the world safe for democracy. Plus an all volunteer military it just doesn't have the pazaazzz the WWII had.

Now we're just trying to get scumbuckets out of desserts and mountain holes that like to car bomb people and hope an IED doesn't rip you up.

Would you sign up now to serve? 

Lately NON-servers have defeated a number who served:

Starting with Clinton over Poppy Bush....a decorated war hero.

Then Clinton over Bob Dole.  Dole a decorated, wounded war hero.

W Bush stayed stateside over Gore who did do a short stint in Vietnam (but he was in journalism...and likely faced no real danger)

W. Bush  over Kerry...who "won" 3 Purple hearts, a silver star, and a bronze star while serving.

Obama over John McCain...who of course was a POW for like 5 years...and otherwise had a distinguished military career.

But the last two elections saw neither Presidential candidate have military service.  Obama/Romney...neither served.  Trump/Hillary neither served. Of course, they were not drafting women when she was of military service age.

So...at least for the last quarter century or so, having a military career has been no advantage at all in getting elected.

 

[TexasAg1969]

Trump served during the Vietnam War as a school deferment and when that ran out he served as a bone spur deferment. Go figure.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

1 hour ago, TexasAg1969 said:

Trump served during the Vietnam War as a school deferment and when that ran out he served as a bone spur deferment. Go figure.

He has a Ribbon for it.  It's pink with a purple line through the middle.  Called the BSD (with gold star).

[mjp28]

17 hours ago, The Gipper said:

Lately NON-servers have defeated a number who served:

.......So...at least for the last quarter century or so, having a military career has been no advantage at all in getting elected.

 

I would guess that it's possible that a Gulf War or America's longest war in Afghanistan might produce a few candidates, you figure the minimum 35 year old requirement plus a few you might end up even with veteran vs veteran. 

Or hot shot businessman egomaniac vs late night comedian?  

[TexasAg1969]

2 hours ago, DieHardBrownsFan said:

He has a Ribbon for it.  It's pink with a purple line through the middle.  Called the BSD (with gold star).

Which explains why he was so nice to the Gold Star parents during the campaign.

I'm pretty sure if you look at the back there is a yellow streak down the middle.

[The Gipper]

Today's President's Week Thread:    Presidential Homes I have visited:

Washington:   I have been to his birthplace in Virginia.....but I have never been to Mt. Vernon

John Adams: I have been to both homes he lived in in Quincy Mass.

Jefferson:   I was at Monticello when I was a child but have not been back since

Jackson:   Been to the Hermitage near Nashville

Van Buren:  Been to his home in Kinderhook NY

William Henry Harrison:  been to his birthplace on the Berkely Plantation in Virginia, and to his terrritorial Governor's home he built in Vincennes Indiana

Tyler:  Been to his Sherwood Forest Plantation in Virginia

Polk:  Been to his home in Columbia Tennesse, just south of Nashville

Taylor:  Been to his home in Louisville KY (still a private Residence)

Buchanan:  Been to his home "Wheatfield" in Lancaster Pa.

Lincoln:  Been to his birthplace near Hodgenville KY, his boyhood home site in Indiana, and his home in Springfield, Ill.

Andrew Johnson:  Been to his home in Greenville Tenn.

Grant:  Been to his homes near St. Louis Mo. and Galena Ill.

Garfield:  Been to Lawnfield in Mentor Ohio

Benjamin Harrison:  Been to his home in Indianapolis

William McKinley:  Been to his and his Wife's home in Canton Oh.

Teddy Roosevelt:  Been to his ranch: Elk Grove, in North Dakota

Taft:  Been to his home in Cincinnati

Wilson:  was outside his home in Washington DC....after hours so could not go in.

Harding:  been to his home in Marion Ohio

Coolidge:  been to his home in Plymouth Vermont

Hoover:  Been to his boyhood home in West Branch, Iowa

Franklin Roosevelt:  Been to both his home in Hyde Park NY and to his vacation home in Campobello, New Brunswick Canada

Truman:  Been to his home in Independence, Missouri

Eisenhower:  Been to the Eisenhower farm in Gettysburg Pa.

Kennedy:  Been to his birthplace in Brookline Mass. and just outside the Kennedy Compound in Hyaniss Port Mass. (my sister used to work on the Kennedy Compound)

Lyndon Johnson:   been to the LBJ Ranch in Johnson City Texas

Carter:  Been to his boyhood home in Plains Ga.

Poppy Bush:  Been outside of his home in Kennebunkport Maine (you can't go in because he still essentially lives there at times) and to his homes in Midland and Odessa TX

Clinton: Been to his birthplace in Hope Arkansas

George W. Bush:   been to his boyhood homes in Midland and in Odessa Texas

 

[mjp28]

William McKinley:  Been to his and his Wife's home in Canton Oh.

When you get time swing over to the McKinley Memorial Museum and Library in my old hometown of Niles, OH (I actually grew up in the sticks in McKinley Heights, loved it). Make a day of it and catch a game at the Indians A team at Eastwood Field behind the very nice Eastwood Mall in Niles.