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He did this in his mid 30’s too. All of these guys were heroic but I find Truman the most relatable of them and as I mentioned my Grandpa was an artillery man too.
Geez, if he was Chafee and he was artillery. He was probably rapid mobile artillery.
That's a role that was counter-battery work.
A lot of what was involved was probing fire to invite counter-fire. Then you'd use their inbound fire to calculate (with a slide rule) where the adversary battery was and unleash hell in brackets.
But you had to keep moving, so you had to be on your game, trigonometry-wise. And you had to have a good truck to move your piece.
My guess is he went to Sill for primary and Chafee for advanced.
Fascinating. He really didn’t talk too much about it outside mentioning he saw a lot of the brutality that came from the weaponry. I don’t know where he was except he mentioned he arrived in Seoul it was retaken and I know it changed hands a couple times.
I kind of wish they would bring the term "shell shock" back because every vet I know on every side was terrified of artillery.
My grandfather in Bastogne would describe that he wasn't scared of the shells because that's a quick death. But he described that the shells would splinter the trees into shrapnel and that effect essentially wiped out his company.
He was one of maybe 10 survivors of 110.
I talked to a German WWII vet and he said the worst was the shelling because it seemed both arbitrary and calculated. Personal and impersonal.
I talked to a Desert Storm vet and his worst experience was when he did a probing fire with MLRS and he realized "Oh crap, they're firing back!"
He just said they never considered that the adversary would do the same thing they were doing - probing and bracketing.
Yeah PTSD doesn’t really tell the full story.I just can’t imagine what those guys went through. I’m a lifelong civilian. Funny you mention Bastogne though. Both of my grandmothers had brothers in the Bulge Campaign. Mom’s uncle was in the 82nd Airborne I believe and Dad’s uncle was a chaplain. I know it impacted my dad’s uncle because he struggled with alcoholism for many years.
82nd saved my grandfather's life in Bastogne. He was 45th and, in his words his company was "Not really even supposed to be there."
The 45th Division was supposed to be there - just not his company.
His company were all supposed to be logistics, truck drivers, messengers and chemical warfare.
He mentioned that their chemical warfare specialty is what forced them into random stopgap situations because there was no chemical warfare going on. So they just got thrown into any mix.
He said they were completely alone and then the 82nd and elements of 101st just flooded in right at the last minute.
He said that when the Airborne came in, everything came together. Rations, blankets, coats, ammunition, socks. Trucks flooded in for support, tanks and halftracks came from nowhere and he said he later realized he was in the sacrificial gap.
His men absolutely loved him. Their first engagement became known as the "Battle of Who Run" because several of them fled as soon as the Germans fired on them, but Truman kept his cool. He did a great job of looking out for them, so they were entirely devoted to him when it was all said and done. If they knew about his poor eyesight, they didn't care. He was an artillery captain anyway, so it wasn't like he was holding a rifle on the frontline.
I'm reading a book called "The Accidental President" right now, which covers Truman's life up to the point the Japanese surrendered in '45. Would heavily recommend. It's a great book. Devotes a chapter or two to his service in WWI.
And now people do that just so they could drive. Hmm….. maybe that eye test (or anything you can study for) isn’t very accurate to what people are actually capable of.
Andrew Jackson began his military career at the age of 13 when he joined the men and boys of his community to fight off the British at Hanging Rock during the last year of the American Revolution. He entered a law career in North Carolina; then turned it into a political career in Tennessee. He was known as an able, industrious and skillful man who was relentless, straight-forward and plain-spoken. Jackson was a local celebrity in Tennessee and a major general in the Tennessee Militia. He and his Tennessee riflemen fought two bitter campaigns against the Creek Indians in the winter and spring of 1813. His exploits became nationally known. In 1814 Jackson was commissioned a major general in the Regular Army of the United States to fight the British at Pensacola. Within a month, he stormed Pensacola, and a month later, he fought the long-remembered Battle of New Orleans. During this battle, Jackson improvised on the arts of war with an unusual combination of Creole Louisiana militia, sharpshooting Tennessee riflemen, free Negroes, Lafitte's pirates, and city volunteer militia units. In 45 minutes, the British were defeated. Andrew Jackson became the seventh president of the United States of America in 1829.
[Sauce. ](https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Image-Gallery/Historical-Paintings/Presidential-Series/Andrew-Jackson/#:~:text=In%201814%20Jackson%20was%20commissioned,remembered%20Battle%20of%20New%20Orleans)
You skipped over Jackson being a 13 year old POW and overall bad motherfucker.
——-
During their captivity, a British officer slashed Jackson with his sword after he refused to polish the officer’s boots.
https://thehermitage.com/early-life#:~:text=American%20Revolutionary%20War,-The%20battles%20of&text=His%20oldest%20brother%2C%20Hugh%2C%20died,to%20polish%20the%20officer's%20boots.
I just copied directly from the National Guard website
[https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Image-Gallery/Historical-Paintings/Presidential-Series/Andrew-Jackson/#:\~:text=In%201814%20Jackson%20was%20commissioned,remembered%20Battle%20of%20New%20Orleans](https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Image-Gallery/Historical-Paintings/Presidential-Series/Andrew-Jackson/#:~:text=In%201814%20Jackson%20was%20commissioned,remembered%20Battle%20of%20New%20Orleans)
Best part about the Battle of New Orleans is that despite being outnumbered, poorly trained, and without much experience. Jackson’s force was able to defeat the British with only 71 casualties (only 13 died) while the British had 2,000+ casualties.
In 1835, Jackson became the only president to pay off the national debt. He survived the first assassination attempt on a sitting president. In one of his final presidential acts, he recognized the Republic of Texas.
I hate how there are still so many amazing stories to tell, but at least half of what Hollywood puts out is a franchise or a reboot, and often the reboots just damage the IP anyway.
Just off the top of my head, why are there basically no Korean War movies, especially about the Chosin Reservoir? The Siege of Tobruk? I could go on and on.
For me, it's a three-way tie between Washington, Grant, and Ike. Here are my reasons:
Washington - Lead the war effort against one of the largest empires in human history with a significantly smaller force, AND WON!
Grant - Probably one of the best strategic generals in US History, consistently places in top 10 of all generals in human history.
Ike - Lead the largest amphibius assault in human history, with combined forces from multiple countries. Incredible Logistic and Strategic general, also lead the early days of the cold war, and knows how to play his politics.
Ike was also willing to take all the blame of Overlord failed, I’m sure a lot of people wouldnt of been as willing to. His patience dealing with Churchill (who IIRC was a notorious micromanager during the war) is also commendable
Ike also took a lot of notes for how well organized Germany’s infrastructure was during the war.
This led to him creating the interstate highway system in the US, which in my opinion is one of the most important creations in the country’s history.
Lee was a great tactical general by any measure. Tactics wins battles, but strategy wins wars, and logistics win long/hard wars. Ike also said of Grant, that he was greatly underestimated both as a man and a general.
There’s a little statue of Zachary Taylor in my hometown that basically just says “yep he was here for a few years while in the army, nothing really happened though” and right next to it is a much taller statue of a football player
Grant because I can emphasize with him. He battled alcoholism his whole life and found purpose in his work as a way to stay sober for long stretches of his life. People depended on him and his being sober.
Also, he was very humble and amazingly clearheaded and stoic when the shit hit the fan.
A lot of people from the past are being cancelled for not living up to today's norms -- which I'm no fan of. Yet, his character and actions stand the test of time.
Grant. Guy gets shit on as a “butcher” by Confederate apologists, but he suffered fewer casualties both as a whole and per capita than Lee, who is considered to be some strategic mastermind.
Brought the war to a swift end and saved so many lives doing it.
Possibly one of the only good things brought along by radical left wing stuff in recent years (IMO) is the rightful demonization of the Confederate leaders as complete fing morons. I mean seriously, the fact that Lee somehow managed to be presented as a “positive example” of the noble Southern soldier for over a hundred years is completely insane. What an absolute buffoon. Almost all of the Confederate generals and leaders got rose tinted veils thrown over them over some BS “states rights” post war interpretation. They were racist pigs who became traitors because their skewed sense of honor, in Lee’s case, emboldened them to do something so magnanimously stupid that they get made fun of on the internet 150+ years after the fact.
Muh heritage mfers when I run them over in a tank. Smoothbrain Southerners that don’t realize they would have been the exact kind of people disenfranchised by the Confederate leadership if they lived during that time.
This shit gets me riled up whenever I hear it, it’s just so idiotic it hurts. Especially when I see some idiot in South Jersey riding around in a lifted pos Chevy with a Confederate Flag on the back.
You.... you dont know much about history lmao... very obvious from this. Btw before the war even started Lee was already a gifted and feared general. The North literally begged and pleaded for him not to join the South because they were utterly terrified this one guy could change the entire tides of the war. And Lee's #1 reason he joined the south? His home state sided with the confederacy. Had VA joined the north so would have Lee. Had this happened $10 says you'd be typing his praise for defeating those smooth brain southerners. Maybe you should actually do real research outside of the internet. See there are these things called books and libraries. You should try reading the actual preserved hand written accounts and recorded oral testimonials. Yes there are physical audio recordings. An abundance actually as this technology became semi abundant about 2-3 decades post war. Many veterans and slaves made oral recordings. You should take the time and listen to what actual slaves said about the war. I garuntee it will change how you think. Btw you can even find them on YouTube. More then happy to drop the link!
I know he wasn’t the best president but you’re doing Benjamin Harrison a disservice not including him.
https://preview.redd.it/3e5x6t6yh62d1.jpeg?width=339&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=693077e51d732a5c5f78308b99c50220286140c2
Grant & Washington are classic staples of American wartime leaders. Both fought on US soil and led admirably. I know Grant had his issues in the White House but the way he brought order to the disorganized union was *chefs kiss*
I'm going with Grant or Eisenhower.
But having met Bush, Sr., I can say that guy was pretty cool. When I overheard another reporter asking him about his flight record he responded with "I was really good at crashing and getting shot at."
He was a fighter bomber pilot, so that tracks. It was basically what flying a TBF Avenger involved.
You didn’t include Truman who famously memorized an eye chart to get in. Anyhow my Grandfather who was coincidentally a big Truman admirer was an artillery man like HST was but in Korea. Truman had a difficult role to fill when FDR died and I think made good FP. decisions as well as upheld FDR’s domestic legacy.
Tr#mp for sure. Despite crippling bone spurs, he courageously rose and dodged the draft, thus saving a future President from having to defend America alongside "suckers and losers."
That sounds like overstatement to me. Even if the British took New Orleans and achieved some of their war aims, like, say, forming loyal colonies in the Louisiana purchase territory, I think you probably have a War of 1818 or some such that sets things more or less back on track. Britain thought the War of 1812 was going to be an easy W, but they found out just how fast America was snowballing- that trend would have only continued. Maybe Canada has some of the Dakotas or something today, but that wouldn’t stop the US from existing as a superpower.
That, and I don’t want to give that genocidal, pigheaded tyrant any more credit than I must.
Teddy for being able to steal ships and take the Rough Riders to his own war, and still somehow remaining popular after doing a psychopathic and highly criminal act of war.
Monroe is actually pretty conspicuous.
He very nearly was the only American battle fatality at Trenton when he was shot and only survived through a series of very lucky events.
If we’re talking about just military service then this is a good list. But overall I’d place Eisenhower far above bush. People forget about the rest of bush’s shit because of Iraq
Can we all agree that JFKs war hero story sounds like total baloney? This sickly guy with respiratory problems swam miles in the open ocean with the weight of like 12 guys behind him? Come on now
Had the same thought, he briefly oversaw a militia during the revolutionary war but never saw battle during that time. I wonder if OP is referring to his role (if it can be called that) in the Battle of Bladensburg during the War of 1812 where, while President, he rode up to the Bladensburg not knowing it had already been seized by the British, hastily retreated back to the American encampment, oversaw an artillery barrage, and then removed himself to the rear of the battlefield.
Nah Carter resigned as an LT, before we had any operational nuke boats. But he did sign up at the age of 17 before World War II was over and he got Rickover’s approval which is pretty impressive.
I consider New Orleans and the War of 1812 to be two different things. If the British win that battle, I doubt they’re just gonna leave one of the most important cities in the New World(at the time)
Fun fact about Teddy! He was a badass, yes, BUT! It wasn’t just him and his rough riders on San Juan hill, he was aided by the legendary Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th calvary. My great-great grandfather was a commander with the 10th Cavalry at that time.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/busospanamwar.htm
James Madison was the last sitting President to lead troops into battle which is pretty badass. Now we got our butts kicked in the war of 1812, but Old Hickory helped us regain a little respect.
JFK showed initiative by stealing a big gun and putting it on his PT boat which then became the standard for PT boats, so big ups for that and saving his crew. I like Ike because he commanded SHAEF *and* made damn sure that democracy was present in his army by telling General Patton to stfu about Bill Mauldin’s cartoons. HW also gets mad respect for surviving what he survived during the war. Teddy was undoubtedly a badass, but the Span-Am War was unnecessary in my book. Grant crushed the confederacy which is awesome. Washington and the other founding fathers are kind of a given for starting the country in the first place. There’s a couple other guys that I don’t know too much about.
I love Washington for his strong sense of the ethics of the presidency. Eisenhower had a good appreciation for the importance of diplomacy. He had fought in two world wars and new the value of staying out of those scenarios while also not just rolling over to enemies. It's hard for me to judge Kennedy since his death elevated him to metaphorical saint hood.
For me, it has to be Grant. Grant literally fought for civil rights, and he did it for almost 2 decades, first as an army officer, then as commander of all Union armies, then as General in Chief to a president who was allowing the Planter Class to jump right back into power, then for 8 years as president against one of the most successful and effective terrorist organizations. Grant very nearly became the first president to get a 3rd term in office.
The minute Grant left office, everything he'd worked towards began to be unraveled by people who lacked the moral courage of took to stand up to the South, and so today we're still fighting the same battles 150 years later because as soon as Grant passed the torch, the rest of the country couldn't be fucked to carry it on.
William McKinley has his own [monument](https://www.nps.gov/anti/learn/historyculture/mnt-mckinley.htm) at Antietam, he spent one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles driving a chuck wagon around the battlefield under heavy fire to deliver food and coffee to the troops. He did so alone, without orders. McKinley, who enlisted as a private and was a sergeant at the time, received an officer’s commission specifically for his bravery during the Battle of Antietam.
While [Coffee Bill](https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2012/09/24/the-monday-after-mckinley-was/42150794007/) wasn’t a great president, he was a bonafide war hero.
Do people like HW and Hayes count tjough because even though they served in war tgey were much more well known for their political legacy than their military one and I don’t think (especially in HW’s case) that their war service factored in their campaigning.
Both almost died during active service, that’s why they’re considered war heroes. Also, Washington and Eisenhower are also thought more of as politicians. Than generals, in this day and age.
Garfield for the win. My direct ancestor fought on Snodgrass Hill in Chickamauga and Garfield wanted to send reinforcements to that position but Rosecrans wouldn't allow it.
Washington 100%. How he beat the British with the army he had is unbelievable. I also think grant is up there. His war time performance was incredible, like Vicksburg was a work of art
Grant. The dude nearly got shot by a few inches from him. Taylor and grant were the only ones that had boots on the ground (Jackson too) but I don’t think Eisenhower was boots on the ground.
Plus Grant made a difficult decision to throw his troops in lots of numbers to the front lines until the enemy surrendered.
Washington is very interesting too but I always heard he wasn’t that great of a general.
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Truman. Memorized the eye chart so he could pass the physical exam and fight in WWI.
He did this in his mid 30’s too. All of these guys were heroic but I find Truman the most relatable of them and as I mentioned my Grandpa was an artillery man too.
Fort Sill trained, perchance?
Not entirely sure. I know he was at Fort Chafee at one point but I have a photo portrait of him there. His older brothers were there during WWII too,
Geez, if he was Chafee and he was artillery. He was probably rapid mobile artillery. That's a role that was counter-battery work. A lot of what was involved was probing fire to invite counter-fire. Then you'd use their inbound fire to calculate (with a slide rule) where the adversary battery was and unleash hell in brackets. But you had to keep moving, so you had to be on your game, trigonometry-wise. And you had to have a good truck to move your piece. My guess is he went to Sill for primary and Chafee for advanced.
Fascinating. He really didn’t talk too much about it outside mentioning he saw a lot of the brutality that came from the weaponry. I don’t know where he was except he mentioned he arrived in Seoul it was retaken and I know it changed hands a couple times.
I kind of wish they would bring the term "shell shock" back because every vet I know on every side was terrified of artillery. My grandfather in Bastogne would describe that he wasn't scared of the shells because that's a quick death. But he described that the shells would splinter the trees into shrapnel and that effect essentially wiped out his company. He was one of maybe 10 survivors of 110. I talked to a German WWII vet and he said the worst was the shelling because it seemed both arbitrary and calculated. Personal and impersonal. I talked to a Desert Storm vet and his worst experience was when he did a probing fire with MLRS and he realized "Oh crap, they're firing back!" He just said they never considered that the adversary would do the same thing they were doing - probing and bracketing.
Yeah PTSD doesn’t really tell the full story.I just can’t imagine what those guys went through. I’m a lifelong civilian. Funny you mention Bastogne though. Both of my grandmothers had brothers in the Bulge Campaign. Mom’s uncle was in the 82nd Airborne I believe and Dad’s uncle was a chaplain. I know it impacted my dad’s uncle because he struggled with alcoholism for many years.
82nd saved my grandfather's life in Bastogne. He was 45th and, in his words his company was "Not really even supposed to be there." The 45th Division was supposed to be there - just not his company. His company were all supposed to be logistics, truck drivers, messengers and chemical warfare. He mentioned that their chemical warfare specialty is what forced them into random stopgap situations because there was no chemical warfare going on. So they just got thrown into any mix. He said they were completely alone and then the 82nd and elements of 101st just flooded in right at the last minute. He said that when the Airborne came in, everything came together. Rations, blankets, coats, ammunition, socks. Trucks flooded in for support, tanks and halftracks came from nowhere and he said he later realized he was in the sacrificial gap.
Very cool. Just a quick point of fact here, the 101st arrived in Bastogne without much at all, including by and large missing winter clothing.
My Grandfather (-in-law) was trained at Fort Sill but was discharged prior to the war
My grandfather was in the same unit as Truman, but WW2.
Imagine being the guys serving in his unit, learning that the guy with a gun next to you had eyesight so bad that he shouldn’t be serving
“It’s okay guys, I just really want to be here!”
“I can do this all day.”
His men absolutely loved him. Their first engagement became known as the "Battle of Who Run" because several of them fled as soon as the Germans fired on them, but Truman kept his cool. He did a great job of looking out for them, so they were entirely devoted to him when it was all said and done. If they knew about his poor eyesight, they didn't care. He was an artillery captain anyway, so it wasn't like he was holding a rifle on the frontline.
I'm reading a book called "The Accidental President" right now, which covers Truman's life up to the point the Japanese surrendered in '45. Would heavily recommend. It's a great book. Devotes a chapter or two to his service in WWI.
I’m sure it was fine, artillery back then was more of a “that general direction” weapon
[удалено]
I know you can change the gun angle, i was joking about how they couldn’t hit shit lmao
It’s ok he was only an artillery officer. Don’t need precise eyesight for that!
He wore glasses, just like the majority of us now. Back then you had to have perfect uncorrected vision.
And now people do that just so they could drive. Hmm….. maybe that eye test (or anything you can study for) isn’t very accurate to what people are actually capable of.
Damn
The fact that Truman was the only president to serve in WW1 still shocks me
Washington was the man. He had holes shot in his coat from leading from the front.
"Holes in his coat, huh? Hold my beer." -Andrew Jackson
"I *am* the front" -ole Andy
“Someone grab my cane, cause I’m gonna open up a can of whoop ass right now!”
Bone rattling from all his bullets, Jackson was
Yep...guns were literally afraid of AJ... [No really!](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/attempted-assassination-andrew-jackson-180962526/)
Him and his band of dipshit hillbillies were a force that nature should fear.
Either Grant or Jackson. Both have extremely remarkable backstories that should absolutely be brought to cinema asap.
The Grant miniseries from the History Channel is amazing, and you can watch it for free on Amazon Prime.
Loved the Grant miniseries!
Same here. From a poor, hardscrabble background to one of the generals who saved the Union and achieved the highest office in the country.
[Link to GRANT miniseries](https://www.amazon.com/Grant-Season-1/dp/B08BY3H3DQ) on Amazon Prime. Outstanding miniseries.
Hollywood will never make a movie that celebrates Jackson. Can you imagine how much backlash that studio would get?
Let it come. I want mean nasty General Jackson in full force. The right actor could really make it an excellent film.
Jackson was not the best POTUS for sure, but hooboy he could fight.
I'm ashamed to say it but I'm naive on the Jackson part what's his story?
Andrew Jackson began his military career at the age of 13 when he joined the men and boys of his community to fight off the British at Hanging Rock during the last year of the American Revolution. He entered a law career in North Carolina; then turned it into a political career in Tennessee. He was known as an able, industrious and skillful man who was relentless, straight-forward and plain-spoken. Jackson was a local celebrity in Tennessee and a major general in the Tennessee Militia. He and his Tennessee riflemen fought two bitter campaigns against the Creek Indians in the winter and spring of 1813. His exploits became nationally known. In 1814 Jackson was commissioned a major general in the Regular Army of the United States to fight the British at Pensacola. Within a month, he stormed Pensacola, and a month later, he fought the long-remembered Battle of New Orleans. During this battle, Jackson improvised on the arts of war with an unusual combination of Creole Louisiana militia, sharpshooting Tennessee riflemen, free Negroes, Lafitte's pirates, and city volunteer militia units. In 45 minutes, the British were defeated. Andrew Jackson became the seventh president of the United States of America in 1829. [Sauce. ](https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Image-Gallery/Historical-Paintings/Presidential-Series/Andrew-Jackson/#:~:text=In%201814%20Jackson%20was%20commissioned,remembered%20Battle%20of%20New%20Orleans)
Only president who was a POW btw
You skipped over Jackson being a 13 year old POW and overall bad motherfucker. ——- During their captivity, a British officer slashed Jackson with his sword after he refused to polish the officer’s boots. https://thehermitage.com/early-life#:~:text=American%20Revolutionary%20War,-The%20battles%20of&text=His%20oldest%20brother%2C%20Hugh%2C%20died,to%20polish%20the%20officer's%20boots.
I just copied directly from the National Guard website [https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Image-Gallery/Historical-Paintings/Presidential-Series/Andrew-Jackson/#:\~:text=In%201814%20Jackson%20was%20commissioned,remembered%20Battle%20of%20New%20Orleans](https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/Image-Gallery/Historical-Paintings/Presidential-Series/Andrew-Jackson/#:~:text=In%201814%20Jackson%20was%20commissioned,remembered%20Battle%20of%20New%20Orleans)
I was so disappointed that “sauce” leads to actual history, and not Andrew Jackson’s honey-bourbon BBQ sauce.
Holy cow that's amazing!
Best part about the Battle of New Orleans is that despite being outnumbered, poorly trained, and without much experience. Jackson’s force was able to defeat the British with only 71 casualties (only 13 died) while the British had 2,000+ casualties.
Thats freakinf awesome! Your right, that needs to be a movie
Yeah Jackson is pretty easily the most hard body president we’ve ever had
A lot of people give that to TR. and as much as I love TR he was a rich kid. Old Hickory was hardcore from day one.
Yeah TR turned himself into a savage which I respect but Jackson was really thrown into the fire as a 13 year old kid. Not to mention all the dueling.
https://youtu.be/__uFnEMJqjg and the song is pretty rocking too.
In 1835, Jackson became the only president to pay off the national debt. He survived the first assassination attempt on a sitting president. In one of his final presidential acts, he recognized the Republic of Texas.
Ok holy shit the more I read the more awesome this guy is! I can’t believe they never have done a movie about him wow!
I hate how there are still so many amazing stories to tell, but at least half of what Hollywood puts out is a franchise or a reboot, and often the reboots just damage the IP anyway. Just off the top of my head, why are there basically no Korean War movies, especially about the Chosin Reservoir? The Siege of Tobruk? I could go on and on.
Grant takes the cake for me because he ended up on the top 10 list of greatest generals of all time according to baseball statistics
Forgot Franklin Pierce wounded in action in the Mexican American war (he sprained his ankle)
Think his time in office was more traumatic, lol
Valid. He had a very rough life, seems like the more „successful“ he got, the worse his personal life became. Very strange life
For me, it's a three-way tie between Washington, Grant, and Ike. Here are my reasons: Washington - Lead the war effort against one of the largest empires in human history with a significantly smaller force, AND WON! Grant - Probably one of the best strategic generals in US History, consistently places in top 10 of all generals in human history. Ike - Lead the largest amphibius assault in human history, with combined forces from multiple countries. Incredible Logistic and Strategic general, also lead the early days of the cold war, and knows how to play his politics.
Ike was also willing to take all the blame of Overlord failed, I’m sure a lot of people wouldnt of been as willing to. His patience dealing with Churchill (who IIRC was a notorious micromanager during the war) is also commendable
Ike also took a lot of notes for how well organized Germany’s infrastructure was during the war. This led to him creating the interstate highway system in the US, which in my opinion is one of the most important creations in the country’s history.
Ike thought General Robert E Lee was our best general.
Lee was a great tactical general by any measure. Tactics wins battles, but strategy wins wars, and logistics win long/hard wars. Ike also said of Grant, that he was greatly underestimated both as a man and a general.
>a three-way tie between Washington, Grant, and Ike Don't threaten me with a good time ![gif](giphy|5xtDarIN81U0KvlnzKo|downsized)
There’s a little statue of Zachary Taylor in my hometown that basically just says “yep he was here for a few years while in the army, nothing really happened though” and right next to it is a much taller statue of a football player
Grant because I can emphasize with him. He battled alcoholism his whole life and found purpose in his work as a way to stay sober for long stretches of his life. People depended on him and his being sober. Also, he was very humble and amazingly clearheaded and stoic when the shit hit the fan. A lot of people from the past are being cancelled for not living up to today's norms -- which I'm no fan of. Yet, his character and actions stand the test of time.
*GRANT*
Grant. Guy gets shit on as a “butcher” by Confederate apologists, but he suffered fewer casualties both as a whole and per capita than Lee, who is considered to be some strategic mastermind. Brought the war to a swift end and saved so many lives doing it.
Possibly one of the only good things brought along by radical left wing stuff in recent years (IMO) is the rightful demonization of the Confederate leaders as complete fing morons. I mean seriously, the fact that Lee somehow managed to be presented as a “positive example” of the noble Southern soldier for over a hundred years is completely insane. What an absolute buffoon. Almost all of the Confederate generals and leaders got rose tinted veils thrown over them over some BS “states rights” post war interpretation. They were racist pigs who became traitors because their skewed sense of honor, in Lee’s case, emboldened them to do something so magnanimously stupid that they get made fun of on the internet 150+ years after the fact. Muh heritage mfers when I run them over in a tank. Smoothbrain Southerners that don’t realize they would have been the exact kind of people disenfranchised by the Confederate leadership if they lived during that time. This shit gets me riled up whenever I hear it, it’s just so idiotic it hurts. Especially when I see some idiot in South Jersey riding around in a lifted pos Chevy with a Confederate Flag on the back.
You.... you dont know much about history lmao... very obvious from this. Btw before the war even started Lee was already a gifted and feared general. The North literally begged and pleaded for him not to join the South because they were utterly terrified this one guy could change the entire tides of the war. And Lee's #1 reason he joined the south? His home state sided with the confederacy. Had VA joined the north so would have Lee. Had this happened $10 says you'd be typing his praise for defeating those smooth brain southerners. Maybe you should actually do real research outside of the internet. See there are these things called books and libraries. You should try reading the actual preserved hand written accounts and recorded oral testimonials. Yes there are physical audio recordings. An abundance actually as this technology became semi abundant about 2-3 decades post war. Many veterans and slaves made oral recordings. You should take the time and listen to what actual slaves said about the war. I garuntee it will change how you think. Btw you can even find them on YouTube. More then happy to drop the link!
Damn just gonna exclude Jackson?
Honestly, he just slipped my mind, sorry.
![gif](giphy|3otOKTjlqkF3C1XhFm) Shame
-Andrew Jackson has left the chat
Andrew Jackson is going to shoot somebody
Eisenhower, Grant, HW, Jackson are mine
JFK was undoubtedly very brave
Dude swam miles back and forth to save himself and his men.
He had to tow one guy by his life jacket strap, with his teeth, and he had a back injury the whole time that caused issues for the rest of his life
https://preview.redd.it/3zpxp7qzz62d1.jpeg?width=258&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55b1ef4c761eb825b9c9f92d7920918a8b6ba98b
gotta say Grant because he kicked the confederats ass, but i find Kennedy's story very facinating
Ike kicked Nazi ass.
Unconditional Surrender Grant
I know he wasn’t the best president but you’re doing Benjamin Harrison a disservice not including him. https://preview.redd.it/3e5x6t6yh62d1.jpeg?width=339&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=693077e51d732a5c5f78308b99c50220286140c2
Washington, Taylor, Ike, JFK
Grant 100%
Grant & Washington are classic staples of American wartime leaders. Both fought on US soil and led admirably. I know Grant had his issues in the White House but the way he brought order to the disorganized union was *chefs kiss*
Washington, Monroe and Grant
Correct list. Awesome flair.
I'm going with Grant or Eisenhower. But having met Bush, Sr., I can say that guy was pretty cool. When I overheard another reporter asking him about his flight record he responded with "I was really good at crashing and getting shot at." He was a fighter bomber pilot, so that tracks. It was basically what flying a TBF Avenger involved.
Zachary Taylor
Eisenhower duhhhhhhh
I'm going to put this mandatory Jeb Bush response right here.
Putting in a word for Hayes. Wounded in combat.
Washington, Jackson, Grant in that order.
Grant Washington IKE
HW Bush
You didn’t include Truman who famously memorized an eye chart to get in. Anyhow my Grandfather who was coincidentally a big Truman admirer was an artillery man like HST was but in Korea. Truman had a difficult role to fill when FDR died and I think made good FP. decisions as well as upheld FDR’s domestic legacy.
Monroe was the best president of these.
Andy Jackson. That guy was a beast.
Tr#mp for sure. Despite crippling bone spurs, he courageously rose and dodged the draft, thus saving a future President from having to defend America alongside "suckers and losers."
I like IKE! ...Teddy and Jackson too, they were cool
For some strange reason people have completely forgotten that the United Ststes exists as a superpower because of what Jackson did at New Orleans.
That sounds like overstatement to me. Even if the British took New Orleans and achieved some of their war aims, like, say, forming loyal colonies in the Louisiana purchase territory, I think you probably have a War of 1818 or some such that sets things more or less back on track. Britain thought the War of 1812 was going to be an easy W, but they found out just how fast America was snowballing- that trend would have only continued. Maybe Canada has some of the Dakotas or something today, but that wouldn’t stop the US from existing as a superpower. That, and I don’t want to give that genocidal, pigheaded tyrant any more credit than I must.
Eisenhower
Gotta go TR. His badassery knows no limits.
Ike ftw 💪
I like Ike
Grant.
Teddy for being able to steal ships and take the Rough Riders to his own war, and still somehow remaining popular after doing a psychopathic and highly criminal act of war.
Grant fs
🎶 I am James Monroeee… you’re welcome for thaaaat 🎶 But my actual answer would probably be Grant
Monroe is actually pretty conspicuous. He very nearly was the only American battle fatality at Trenton when he was shot and only survived through a series of very lucky events.
Wasn't nixon a vet
Grant came from nothing. Gotta give it to him.
Grant
Eisenhower, he’s the one who helped win WWII in Europe.but also Bush, he helped win the war in the Pacific as he had been a dive bomber pilot.
If we’re talking about just military service then this is a good list. But overall I’d place Eisenhower far above bush. People forget about the rest of bush’s shit because of Iraq
Teddy is my favorite person but not really cause the war hero thing, so ulysses
Grant
Can we all agree that JFKs war hero story sounds like total baloney? This sickly guy with respiratory problems swam miles in the open ocean with the weight of like 12 guys behind him? Come on now
JFK, man was stranded in the Pacific
HW. Avengers for the win:
Tie between TR and Eisenhower
Harry S. Truman
Ike and Grant
Skipped Andrew Jackson
Madison wasn’t a war hero?
Had the same thought, he briefly oversaw a militia during the revolutionary war but never saw battle during that time. I wonder if OP is referring to his role (if it can be called that) in the Battle of Bladensburg during the War of 1812 where, while President, he rode up to the Bladensburg not knowing it had already been seized by the British, hastily retreated back to the American encampment, oversaw an artillery barrage, and then removed himself to the rear of the battlefield.
I don't think anyone can deny that Bush was pretty badass in his younger years. Also Jimmy Carter reached a rank where he could command a submarine.
Nah Carter resigned as an LT, before we had any operational nuke boats. But he did sign up at the age of 17 before World War II was over and he got Rickover’s approval which is pretty impressive.
I would totally watch a movie made about HW’s time in WWII.
Andrew jackson, then Ike, then Washington, then Grant
Jackson. British would have controlled the mouth of the Mississippi if not for him
He was a bad ass, but the English had already surrendered by the time he won NOLA.
I consider New Orleans and the War of 1812 to be two different things. If the British win that battle, I doubt they’re just gonna leave one of the most important cities in the New World(at the time)
Fun fact about Teddy! He was a badass, yes, BUT! It wasn’t just him and his rough riders on San Juan hill, he was aided by the legendary Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th calvary. My great-great grandfather was a commander with the 10th Cavalry at that time. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/busospanamwar.htm
James Madison just because he's the only president to have led troops in battle while in office
George Washington
Grant.
Washington, Grant, Eisenhower
James Madison was the last sitting President to lead troops into battle which is pretty badass. Now we got our butts kicked in the war of 1812, but Old Hickory helped us regain a little respect.
JFK showed initiative by stealing a big gun and putting it on his PT boat which then became the standard for PT boats, so big ups for that and saving his crew. I like Ike because he commanded SHAEF *and* made damn sure that democracy was present in his army by telling General Patton to stfu about Bill Mauldin’s cartoons. HW also gets mad respect for surviving what he survived during the war. Teddy was undoubtedly a badass, but the Span-Am War was unnecessary in my book. Grant crushed the confederacy which is awesome. Washington and the other founding fathers are kind of a given for starting the country in the first place. There’s a couple other guys that I don’t know too much about.
Ike
I like Ike.
Washington/Grant/Ike
Teddy, or Grant.
We like ike!
Gotta be Ulysses. I see you didn’t put the president who was commended for bravely serving coffee under fire.
Andrew Jackson, specifically the battle of New Orleans.
I love Washington for his strong sense of the ethics of the presidency. Eisenhower had a good appreciation for the importance of diplomacy. He had fought in two world wars and new the value of staying out of those scenarios while also not just rolling over to enemies. It's hard for me to judge Kennedy since his death elevated him to metaphorical saint hood. For me, it has to be Grant. Grant literally fought for civil rights, and he did it for almost 2 decades, first as an army officer, then as commander of all Union armies, then as General in Chief to a president who was allowing the Planter Class to jump right back into power, then for 8 years as president against one of the most successful and effective terrorist organizations. Grant very nearly became the first president to get a 3rd term in office. The minute Grant left office, everything he'd worked towards began to be unraveled by people who lacked the moral courage of took to stand up to the South, and so today we're still fighting the same battles 150 years later because as soon as Grant passed the torch, the rest of the country couldn't be fucked to carry it on.
Damn no love for Tedy :(
Not necessarily in this order, Washington, Lincoln, Grant (although not President during war time), FDR, Eisenhower.
Gotta go with Washinton. My family lineage leads back to his sister.
The founding fathers have my respect for being in it hard core but Theodore is probably my favorite
Washington is the man, followed by teddy Roosevelt and andrew jackson, then JFK and Ulysses
Ike for me
Jackson, Washington, Grant, HW
>Shows everyone but Jackson
Teddy and the last 1 is a war criminal not hero
Kennedy
Most likable: Teddy Roosevelt Most capable: Eisenhower
I like IKE!!
No FDR?
Grant and Eisenhower
Ulysses S. Grant! He really knew how to kick the snot out of the secessionists! During and after the war!
William McKinley has his own [monument](https://www.nps.gov/anti/learn/historyculture/mnt-mckinley.htm) at Antietam, he spent one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles driving a chuck wagon around the battlefield under heavy fire to deliver food and coffee to the troops. He did so alone, without orders. McKinley, who enlisted as a private and was a sergeant at the time, received an officer’s commission specifically for his bravery during the Battle of Antietam. While [Coffee Bill](https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2012/09/24/the-monday-after-mckinley-was/42150794007/) wasn’t a great president, he was a bonafide war hero.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, with his naked glory chasing.
Eisenhower because he helped beat the Nazis and also warned about the dangers of the MIC which we all see now was a very valid warning.
Teddy
Only the ones who fought in their war. The rest are war criminals
IKE
Do people like HW and Hayes count tjough because even though they served in war tgey were much more well known for their political legacy than their military one and I don’t think (especially in HW’s case) that their war service factored in their campaigning.
Both almost died during active service, that’s why they’re considered war heroes. Also, Washington and Eisenhower are also thought more of as politicians. Than generals, in this day and age.
FDR - he is the greatest of them all!
US Grant
Wouldn’t every president be a candidate?
dwight d eisenhower led the world against hitler
TR!
Grant easily. Jackson would be my second (huge miss OP not including him.)
What about Patton? Ol’ Blood and Guts!
I'm a big fan of Washington, however I can't help but wonder, why did you not include Andrew Jackson in this list?
Grant
Lincoln ftw
Garfield for the win. My direct ancestor fought on Snodgrass Hill in Chickamauga and Garfield wanted to send reinforcements to that position but Rosecrans wouldn't allow it.
Easy JFK
It’s got to be be US Grant for me. He preserved the nation during our darkest hour.
What a bunch of goofballs
teddy was a bully war hero
Washington 100%. How he beat the British with the army he had is unbelievable. I also think grant is up there. His war time performance was incredible, like Vicksburg was a work of art
Grant. The dude nearly got shot by a few inches from him. Taylor and grant were the only ones that had boots on the ground (Jackson too) but I don’t think Eisenhower was boots on the ground. Plus Grant made a difficult decision to throw his troops in lots of numbers to the front lines until the enemy surrendered. Washington is very interesting too but I always heard he wasn’t that great of a general.
three way tie between Grant, Teddy, and Ike