Which president had the longest military career?

Answer 1

There were three U.S. Presidents whose military careers spanned 40 years or more. Dwight David Eisenhower had the longest military career of any U.S. President. His service took place in two stages. The dates of the first stage were 1915-1952. His career ended with his retirement from the military in order to conduct two successful campaigns for the presidency, and to participate in two inaugurations to presidential office. But it was re-opened with 37th U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's respectful and unprecedented full restoration of the 36th U.S. President to his previous rank as Five-Star General in the U.S. Army. So the date of the second stage began in 1961, and ended with his death in 1969.

Seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson had the second-longest military career. His military career spanned service, at 13, in the Revolutionary War to military governorship of the Florida Territory, in 1821, after the end of the First Seminole War. So the dates of President Jackson's military career were 1780-1822.

Twelfth U.S. President Zachary Taylor had the third-longest military career. His military career spanned commission [from his cousin, subsequent 4th U.S. President James Madison] as first lieutenant of the 7th Infantry Regiment, to the Mexican-American War. So the dates of President Taylor's military career were 1808-1848.

Answer 2

Three US president were truly career soldiers. Three others received much national fame as war heroes and had extensive military service that notably advanced their political careers.

• Dwight David Eisenhower had the longest military career of any U.S President. His service took place in two stages. The dates of the first stage were 1915-1952. His career ended with his retirement from the military in order to conduct two successful campaigns for the presidency
• Zachary Taylor - His career spanned commission as first lieutenant of the 7th Infantry Regiment, to a high ranking general the Mexican-American War.
• Ulysses Grant- West Point graduate , served in the Mexican War and other posts. Retired for awhile but re-joined army and ended as the supreme Union general in the Civil War.
• Andrew Jackson - not really a career soldier but was a regular army general and fought in Indian Wars and had a famous victory at New Orleans in 1812
• William Henry Harrison- attracted national attention in War of 1812 and as an Indian fighter
• George Washington - the father of his country, but also the military hero who won the Revolutionary War , a job he got because of his past service in the British army.

Jimmy Carter graduated from the US Naval Academy , served on peace-time submarine duty and no doubt planned on a military career at one point in his life.

James Monroe, Franklin Pierce, James Garfield, Rutherford Hayes, Theodore Roosevelt, Jack Kennedy and George H. W. Bush all had short but serious enough combat experience to be labeled as war heroes when they later ran for office.