This has been the topic for some talk I've had with friends... Mitt Romney is about to have a time for choosing. I spent the last hour checking every Presidential election in my lifetime and seeing the backgrounds of every major candidate for the Presidency and Vice Presidency in my lifetime and here is the list I have compiled-
1944
FDR- N/A
Truman- Army (WWI)
Dewey- N/A
Bricker- Army (WWI)
1948
Truman- Army (WWI)
Barkley- N/A
Dewey- N/A
Warren- Army (WWI)
1952
Eisenhower- Army (WWI/WWII)
Nixon- Navy (WWII)
Stevenson- N/A
Sparkman- Army(equivalent of ROTC) (WWI)
1956
Eisenhower- Army (WWI/WWII)
Nixon- Navy (WWII)
Stevenson- N/A
Kefauver- N/A
1960-
JFK- Navy (WWII)
LBJ- Navy (WWII)
Nixon- Navy (WWII)
Lodge- N/A
1964
LBJ- Navy (WWII)
Humphrey- N/A
Goldwater- Army/Air Force (WWII/Korea)
Miller- Army (WWII)
1968
Nixon- Navy (WWII)
Agnew- Army (WWII)
Humphrey- N/A
Muskie- Navy (WWII)
Wallace- Army (WWII)
LeMay- Army/Air Force (WWII)
1972
Nixon- Navy (WWII)
Agnew- ARmy (WWII)
McGovern- Army (WWII)
Shriver- Navy (WWII)
1976
Carter- Navy (Korea)
Mondale- Army (Korea)
Ford- Navy (WWII)
Dole- Army (WWII)
1980
Reagan- Army (WWII)
HW Bush- Navy (WWII)
Carter- Navy (Korea)
Mondale- Army (Korea)
1984
Reagan- Army (WWII)
HW Bush- Navy (WWII)
Mondale- Army (Korea)
Ferraro- N/A
1988
HW Bush- Navy (WWII)
Quayle- National Guard (Vietnam)
Dukakis- Army (Korea)
Bentsen- Army/Air Force (WWII)
1992
Clinton- N/A
Gore- Army (Vietnam)
HW Bush- Navy (WWII)
Quayle- National Guard (Vietnam)
Perot- Navy
Stockdale- Navy (Korea/Vietnam)*****SEE NOTE BELOW
1996
Clinton- N/A
Gore- Army (Vietnam)
Dole- Army (WWII)
Kemp- Army
2000
W Bush- National Guard (Vietnam)
Cheney- N/A
Gore- Army (Vietnam)
Lieberman- N/A
2004
W Bush- National Guard (Vietnam)
Cheney- N/A
Kerry- Navy (Vietnam)
Edwards- N/A
2008
Obama- N/A
Biden- N/A
McCain- Navy (Vietnam)
Palin- N/A
2012
Obama- N/A
Biden- N/A
Romney- N/A
-
*** First of all- I want every one to know something about James Stockdale. You probably know him as the old man who stumbled in the 92 VP debate... he is an American hero whose conduct as aPOW places him above even McCain. I urge you to read up
ANYWAY... to my point. In EVERY election in my life time, there has been a major candidate for Pres or VP with military experience. If I am the oldest member of this board- that means in YOUR lifetime, the same is true. This is the first time in my life that there may not be any major candidate for Pres or VP who has served our nation in the military
I urge Mitt Romney to select a veteran as his Vice Presidential running mate to not make history in this awful way...those of us who served will be watching
