Random US President Who Saw Combat In The Military (17 items)

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  (#6) William McKinley

  • Dec. at 58 (1843-1901)

  Fought In: Civil War 
  Military Branch: Ohio Infantry/Union Army

  William McKinley left his job as a school teacher to fight during the Civil War, joining the Ohio Infantry as a private in 1861. He was at the Battle of Antietam in 1862 and promoted to second lieutenant and, by 1864, gained the rank of first lieutenant and captain. He fought at several battles in the Shenandoah Valley and was promoted to brevetted major for meritorious service in 1865. He left the military at the end of the war. 
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  (#9) Rutherford B. Hayes

  • Dec. at 71 (1822-1893)

  Fought In: Civil War 
  Military Branches: Union Army

  Rutherford B. Hayes entered military service in Ohio at the start of the Civil War and became a lieutenant colonel in 1861. Hayes suffered numerous injuries during Civil War battles, including an arm injury that plagued him for the rest of his life. He served through the Civil War, rising to the rank of brevet major general. He was still in the military when he first ran for office in 1865 and resigned his commission in 1867.
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  (#13) Zachary Taylor

  • Dec. at 66 (1784-1850)

  Fought In: War of 1812, Black Hawk War, Seminole Wars, Mexican-American War 
  Military Branches: US Army

  Zachary Taylor's military career spanned four decades and included participation in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War (1832), the Seminole Wars (1835-1842), and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Taylor became an officer in 1808 when he was given command of Fort Pickering, defended Fort Harrison during the War of 1812, and fought against Native American tribes in Florida during the 1830s.

  Taylor's biggest military victories came when he was in his 60s fighting at Palo Alta, Monterrey, and Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War. By the time he ran for president in 1848, Taylor was a major general, indicative of a successful military career that helped him win the election. 
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  (#3) John F. Kennedy

  • Dec. at 46 (1917-1963)

  Fought In: World War II
  Military Branch: US Navy 

  John F. Kennedy served in the Pacific during World War Two after joining the Navy as an ensign in 1941. He commanded a torpedo boat, the PT 109, that patrolled the waters near the Solomon Islands. In August 1943, a Japanese destroyer struck the PT 109. The boat split in two and the crew, including Kennedy, flew into the sea. To save his shipmates, Kennedy swam through the water, full of oil and on fire in some areas, and took refuge on the hull of the ship. The men soon abandoned ship and rafted to an island four miles away.  They spent several days on the island before being rescued.

  Kennedy earned several medals for his bravery and heroism, including the Navy and Marine Corps medals and a Purple Heart for the injuries he received. 
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  (#16) James Monroe

  • Dec. at 73 (1758-1831)

  Fought In: Revolutionary War 
  Military Branches: Third Virginia Regiment, Continental Army

  James Monroe joined the Continental Army in 1776, after his involvement in a small attack on the Governor Palace and arsenal in Virginia that year. Monroe became an officer in the Third Virginia Regiment and was wounded during the Battle of Trenton, taking a musket ball to the shoulder. His bravery earned him a promotion to captain.

  Monroe was also with George Washington at Valley Forge, PA, and fought at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. Monroe resigned his commission, by then a major, in 1779, but became lieutenant colonel of Virginia forces soon after. He  took over temporary command of all of the state's troops as a colonel in 1780 after British troops invaded Richmond. After a break in fighting to study law with Thomas Jefferson, Monroe volunteered for the Continental Army during the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. 
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  (#4) Harry S. Truman

  • Dec. at 88 (1884-1972)

  Fought In: World War I
  Military Branches: Missouri National Guard, US Army Reserves, US Army

  Harry S. Truman started his military career as a member of the National Guard in Missouri and ended it as a colonel in the US Army Reserves. Truman fought during World War I in France a a member of the 129th Field Artillery unit. He became captain of Battery D, leading his men through campaigns throughout the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Battery D, with a reputation for being unruly, saw heavy fighting and fired their final shots just fifteen minutes before the armistice ending the war was signed.

  After he returned to the United States, Truman became a major in the Organized Reserve Corp. He later became a colonel in the Army Reserves. He was said to have volunteered for active service in 1941 at the age of 56 while serving as a US Senator. 

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