From the Military to Commander in Chief

Many presidents have served in the military and their heroics certainly helped them in seeking the presidency.  Theodore Roosevelt was colonel of the Rough Riders in Cuba, JFK commanded a PT-Boat in the South Pacific during WWII, and George Bush was a naval aviator in WWII, but these were not key to their elections.  There are only a handful of presidents who moved from the military to the White House.

1. Lt. General George Washington was a soldier for most of his life.  Yes, he had a plantation that he maintained but, like Cincinnatus, he left his farm to fight for his country on numerous occasions.  He fought in the French & Indian War and became the leading general during the Revolutionary War.  Though he had served in the House of Burgesses of Virginia, it was his military record that earned him the unanimous vote of the electors to be the first president.

2. Major General Andrew Jackson rose to prominence during the various Indian Wars that erupted during the War of 1812 and most especially his successful defense of New Orleans.  He continued his fight against Indians, even if that meant making unsanctioned raids into Spanish Florida.  Though he was elected to the Senate before his first run at the presidency, Old Hickory was viewed as a general.

3. Major General William Henry Harrison was known for his military exploits from the War of 1812 and before.  His campaign slogan was "Tippacanoe and Tyler, Too" which referenced his famous battle from nearly 30 years before!  The Battle of Tippacanoe saw Harrison's thousand men defeat a smaller force of allied Indians on the Tippacanoe River.  Though he was elected as a war hero, he died only a month after his inauguration.

4. Major General Zachary Taylor had been a military man for most of his life, having joined during Jefferson's presidency.  During the Mexican-American War, he was the leading general for the early battles, which he won handily.  He was a national hero after two victories on the Rio Grande.  His capture of Monterrey led both Whigs and Democrats to consider him as a presidential candidate.  After his surprise victory at Buena Vista against a vastly larger force under command of Santa Anna himself, Taylor became a shoo-in for the presidency.  However, like Harrison, he died in office.

5. General Ulysses S. Grant graduated from West Point and served during the Mexican War under General Taylor, but left the military after the war.  He rejoined during the Civil War and rose to be the leading general.  He is the first on this list to outrank George Washington.

6. General of the Army Dwight D Eisenhower attended West Point and spent his career in the Army from 1915 to 1953.  He took part in the Pancho Villa Border Expedition, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.  He outranks Grant.

Clearly, it has been a long time since a military man has been elected president.  The last one who tried was General Wesley Clark (2004).  Before him, General Colin Powell flirted with a presidential run (2000); it would probably be better described as an effort to draft him into a run, which he declined.