This documentary/docudrama is well worth watching if you're interested in American history in the second half of the 20th century. It covers the war time activities of US Presidents from Eisenhower through the first Bush, covering JFK, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Carter. They have home movies, re-enactments, interviews and a host of other ways of keeping you involved. I didn't care for the editing and I think the show hopped around too much. I'd also prefer if they set the stage better by telling us, for example, "when Eisenhower was planning to invade Italy, George Bush was flying in the Pacific in the battle of.. and only a few miles away JFK was fighting outside the Phillipines...." Apart from those critcisms it's well worth watching and I learned quite a bit.
FWIW - there was a time when just about anyone who was President saw military service - 1952 through 1992. Clinton, Obama and Trump did not, and quite frankly, neither did George W Bush. Reagan was in uniform safely in the U.S. making war films, but at least he enlisted. FDR had polio and even though he volunteered he didn't serve, but was Asst Sec of the Navy in WW1. Prior to FDR none of the Presidents saw service, from Hoover to Taft.
From William Henry Harrison (1841) through Chester A Arthur (1885) every President served.
In total 13 people served as President without having served in the military. 8 served during WW 2 (the subject of this show) . 7 served in the Civil War, 5 in the American Revolution and 3 in the War of 1812. The highest ranking Presidents were Washington, Eisenhower, and Grant
FWIW - there was a time when just about anyone who was President saw military service - 1952 through 1992. Clinton, Obama and Trump did not, and quite frankly, neither did George W Bush. Reagan was in uniform safely in the U.S. making war films, but at least he enlisted. FDR had polio and even though he volunteered he didn't serve, but was Asst Sec of the Navy in WW1. Prior to FDR none of the Presidents saw service, from Hoover to Taft.
From William Henry Harrison (1841) through Chester A Arthur (1885) every President served.
In total 13 people served as President without having served in the military. 8 served during WW 2 (the subject of this show) . 7 served in the Civil War, 5 in the American Revolution and 3 in the War of 1812. The highest ranking Presidents were Washington, Eisenhower, and Grant