29 American presidents who served in the military

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George W. Bush

George W. Bush

Service: Texas Air National Guard

Rank: First Lieutenant

Conflict: Stateside during the Vietnam War

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George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush

Service: United States Naval Reserve

Rank: Lieutenant (junior grade)

Conflict: World War II

Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross

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Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Service: United States Army Reserve, United States Army Air Corps

Rank: Captain

Conflict: Stateside during World War II

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

Service: United States Navy

Rank: Lieutenant

Conflict: World War II and Korea

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Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford

Service: United States Naval Reserve

Rank: Lieutenant Commander

Conflict: World War II

Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Service: United States Naval Reserve

Rank: Commander

Conflict: World War II

Awards: Two Service Stars

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Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Service: United States Naval Reserve

Rank: Commander

Conflict: World War II

Awards: Silver Star

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

Service: United States Navy

Rank: Lieutenant

Conflict: World War II

Awards: Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart

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Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Service: United States Army

Rank: Army General during World War I, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II

Conflict: World War I and World War II

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Service: Army Officer Reserve Corps

Rank: Colonel

Conflict: World War I

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Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Service: United States Army

Rank: Colonel

Conflict: Spanish-American War

Awards: Medal of Honor (Roosevelt is the only US president to have received this award)

William McKinley

William McKinley

Service: United States Army

Rank: Brevet Major

Conflict: American Civil War

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Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison

Service: United States Army

Rank: Brigadier General

Conflict: American Civil War

Chester A. Arthur

Chester A. Arthur

Service: New York State Militia

Rank: Brigadier General

Conflict: American Civil War

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James Garfield

James Garfield

Service: United States Army

Rank: Major General

Conflict: American Civil War

Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes

Service: United States Army

Rank: Major General

Conflict: American Civil War

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Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Service: United States Army

Rank: General of the Army

Conflict: Mexican-American War and American Civil War

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson

Service: United States Army

Rank: Brigadier General

Conflict: American Civil War

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Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Service: Illinois State Militia

Rank: Captain

Conflict: Black Hawk War

James Buchanan

James Buchanan

Service: Pennsylvania State Militia

Rank: Private

Conflict: War of 1812

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Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce

Service: United States Army

Rank: Brigadier General

Conflict: Mexican-American War

Millard Fillmore

Millard Fillmore

Service: New York State Militia

Rank: Major

Conflict: American Civil War

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Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor

Service: United States Army

Rank: Major General

Conflict: War of 1812, Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War, Mexican–American War

James K. Polk

James K. Polk

Service: Tennessee State Militia

Rank: Colonel

Conflict: Did not see war service

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John Tyler

John Tyler

Service: Virginia Militia

Rank: Captain

Conflict: War of 1812

William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison

Service: United States Army

Rank: Major General

Conflict: Northwest Indian War and the War of 1812

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Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson

Service: United States Army

Rank: Major General

Conflict: American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Creek War, and the First Seminole War

James Monroe

James Monroe

Service: Continental Army

Rank: Major

Conflict: American Revolutionary War

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George Washington

George Washington

Service: Virginia militia, Continental Army, United States Army

Rank: General

Conflict: French and Indian War and American Revolutionary War