It’s quite hard to put into words the full impact that WWII had on the world, and it definitely changed America forever. In fact, have you ever wondered what the presidents who served during World War II did and how their actions contributed to the outcome of the war, or, for that matter, to their capacity to lead the nation?
This list is about all the U.S. presidents who either served in the military or as presidents during the war. Their roles differed from combat to strategy, and even to motion picture production. Some of them were heroes and others were simply hated. Trust me, you’re going to enjoy this one.
George H.W. Bush had to parachute from his aircraft more than once during the war
George H.W. Bush was one of the many who felt inspired by the Pearl Harbor incident in 1941 to want to join the Navy when he was only 17 years old. He decided to enlist on his 18th birthday, which made him the youngest naval aviator in WWII.
Bush was fighting in Pacific air battles by 1944. Future President Bush was also involved in plenty of difficult and dangerous operations throughout the conflict. In one specific air raid, Bush’s plane was hit, which caused him to evacuate his plane and plummet into the ocean with a parachute.
His other 2 crewmates didn’t make it after the onslaught. He also waited on an inflatable life raft for four hours to be rescued via submarine, as other US aircraft circled on top as a form of protection for the stranded soldier. Soon enough, he returned to flying, participating in a series of airstrikes on the Philippines and training other pilots.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated the successful alliance between the US, Britain, and The Soviet Union
Franklin D. Roosevelt became the 32nd President of the United States in 1934, as he took on the presidency during the Great Depression right after Herbert Hoover. In his first term, his main focus revolved around recovering the nation after an economic crisis and depression.
As WWII began somewhere in the late 1930s during Roosevelt’s second term, he did everything that he could to keep the U.S. from conflict. However, everything changed in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombarded by the Japanese, and Roosevelt started to take a couple of measures to join the fight in the global conflict trying to gain peace.
FDR’s capacity to keep the hope of American citizens alive throughout this entire economic mess and global warfare definitely contributed to his record of 4 served terms. He dedicated a lot of time and focus to making the United Nations because he knew how important the relationship between the U.S. and Russia would play out to be.
In 1943, the “Big 3” met for the very first time- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, along with Joseph Stalin, the well-known leader of the Soviet Union. This was bound to be the start of a successful alliance that basically ended the Second World War and started the United Nations.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was in charge of planning D-Day
Dwight D. Eisenhower definitely had the highest rank out of all presidents who served during WWII. He successfully completed a boot camp at West Point in 1915 and started serving in WWII right away. His success and dedication helped him reach high ranks, and even become a five-star general during his time in the military.
He was well-known for his amazing skills in strategy, which eventually led the U.S. Army to success many times throughout his service. And since he managed to advance through the ranks in the previous war, when the second one emerged, the army looked to Eisenhower right away to assist with strategy.
He was also named Commanding General of the U.S. Army in Europe and was in charge of leading the troops and coordinating with the other Allied leaders. His missions in Italy were so successful, that he kept on being promoted until he became the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.
The next task we were assigned was to plan D-Day. As the attack didn’t go as planned, his strategy went down in history as the largest assault via land, air, and sea in modern warfare. Eisenhower kept pushing the Allied troops forward until the Germans decided to surrender in 1945.
JFK saved his entire crew when his boat sank
When JFK was only a young Harvard graduate pursuing his higher education at Stanford, the Second World War emerged. At only 24 years old, he enlisted in the Navy, inspired to be there and fight for his country after the atrocious Pearl Harbor attacks.
Back in 1943, Kennedy was appointed the commanding general of a naval torpedo ship in the Pacific. In the middle of the night in August 1943, the boat was hit by a Japanese warship and cut in half. He could have left the wreckage, but instead, he spent hours rescuing his fellow crew members.
He and his crew decided to swim over three miles to a smaller island, all while towing an injured crew member the entire way. The lost crew then spent 4 days searching for rescue to no avail until finally, Kennedy managed to find someone who was willing to send a message they carved on a…coconut. Native islander Eroni Kumana was the one to bring the coconut to the PT base on another island nearby.
And speaking of JFK, if there’s one thing I will advise anyone to see until the end of my days, it’s the JFK series with Kevin Costner. If you want to enjoy a beautiful weekend with your loved ones and watch something top-notch, here’s where you can find it.
Ronald Reagan was a part of the first motion picture unit
Ronald Reagan initiated his prosperous military journey in 1935, right after he successfully completed Army Extention courses through the home-study program. Then, in 1937, right after he moved to Los Angeles to start his career in acting, Reagan enlisted in the Army as a private and was quite soon promoted to Second Lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps of the Cavalry.
Like many reserve soldiers, Reagan was ordered to active duty in 1942 at the height of WWII. He was forbidden on the front lines because of (or thanks to) his bad eyesight so he was stationed at Fort Mason, CA, as a liaison officer.
The Army Air Forces (AAF) brought him on board in their Public Relations Team. Guess what? Soon enough, he was headed the first-ever Motion Picture Unit as the captain.
Jimmy Carter was the only president who actually graduated from The Naval Academy
Before Jimmy Carter became the 39th President of the United States in 1977, he had quite a notable career in the Navy. He also became the only future president who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1946, and he managed to do so with honors.
After only 2 years of ship duty, Carter decided to opt for submarine duty as the executive officer, engineering officer, and also electronics repair officer on the SSK-1. He was also one of the first to ever join a brand new program in charge of creating nuclear-powered submarines and soon after, was named Lieutenant in 1952. He later became the engineer on one of the first-ever submarines to operate with atomic power.
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