Watching The Godfather last night and listening to the line about “senator Corleone” and Michael’s war hero record it occured to me that I couldn’t think of any president who was a former marine. The navy has been well represented since WWII with Kennedy, Nixon, Carter & Bush the elder. No one from the air force yet and I don’t think Bush the younger’s service in the air guard counts.
Hmm. Quick check of 20th Century presidents
McKinley - Army
T. Roosevelt - Army
Taft - ???
Wilson - Didn’t serve
Harding - ???
Coolidge - Didn’t serve
F. Roosevelt - Didn’t serve
Truman - Army
Eisenhower - Hmmm, think it was the Army. 
Kennedy - Navy
Johnson - Army (?)
Nixon - Army
Ford - Something, but not the Marines
Carter - Navy
Reagan - Army
Bush the Elder - Navy
Clinton - Didn’t serve
Bush the Younger - National Guard
Both Roosevelts were Undersecretaries to the Department of Navy.
Johnson served in the Naval Reserve from 1942 until resigning in 1964 (!). He picked up a silver star during WW2.
This table lists the miltary service of all Presidents, 1789 - 2001. Of the ones who served, most did so in the Army. None are listed as Marines.
The corrections I’d make to Bob’s list are:
Taft - didn’t serve
Hoover (missing between Coolidge and FDR) - didn’t serve
Johnson - Navy
Nixon - Navy
Ford - Navy
Interestingly, Bush senior is the only one who served as a pilot.
No Vice President has been a Marine either. Local militia seems to be the most popular.
Carter served in the Navy for 11 years and never saw any combat which makes him unique among Presidents who had long careers in the military.
Thanks for the reply. FWIW Reagan never served as he was 4F because of his deaf ear. Being in army movies isn’t being in the army.
Reagan was not 4F. He did not develop his ear problem until after WWII.
He was a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, but an eye problem kept him from active combat duty.
He was discharged from the Army as a captain