Top 6 U.S. Presidents

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Coxswain Oloff Smith (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1864, on board the U.S.S. Richmond. His citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Richmond during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864 Despite damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Smith performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the furious 2_hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.

Private Otis W. Smith (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 16, 1864, at Nashville, Tennessee. His citation reads:

Capture of flag of 6th Florida Infantry (C.S.A.).

Private Otto Smith (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions during 1868-1869, in Arizona. His citation reads:

Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians.


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The following list was pretty fun to come up with, but also kind of hard. I can tell you that the three Presidents I wish I could have found room for were (in no real order) Thomas Jefferson, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. Of the three, I feel Bush 41 and 43 are very underrated. Jefferson is probably correctly rated. I forget right now what I’m ranking on the 8th, but I’m starting to wish I had saved U.S. Presidents for that day. And, for what it’s worth, had I gone with a Top 9 Bill Clinton would have had a legit shot at the spot. I don’t know if he would have made it, but I would have taken a strong look.

I tried to keep any bias out of this list, but I’m sure I failed big time. As far as politicians go, Lyndon Johnson was probably one of the best to ever “play the game”… but MaMa hated him so there was never really any chance of him making the list. Also, I think Jimmy Carter was probably the worst President and I REALLY think he is the worst ex-President. So he had no chance of making the list either.

One thing to keep in mind, is that none of these men were perfect.  All had their faults... I just feel the good they did outweighed the bad.


The I'm just sayin… Countdown May List of the Day


Top 6 US Presidents of All-Time

6   Richard Nixon   In office: January 20, 1969 - August 9, 1974   Had it not been for Watergate, Nixon might be a little higher on the list (though there isn't much room to move up). Honestly, if this was a list ranking the Presidents once they left office Nixon would probably be #1. He is, in my opinion, the best ex-President the US has had. What can I say, I'm a fan. My Senior quote in my yearbook was a Richard Nixon quote. I think he was far better than most of the media will ever give him credit for. Of course, he wasn't without sin... and I'm sure Watergate would be enough to keep him out of the Top 6 for a lot of people, but I think his good outweighs his bad. Some of the good include the Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Clean Air Act of 1970, health insurance reform, large-scale integration of public schools, Equal Rights Amendment and opening diplomatic relations with China (who can forget the old Vulcan proverb that "only Nixon could go to China"?).

5   Harry S. Truman   In office: April 12, 1945 - January 20, 1953   The man in charge at the end of WWII and the start of the Cold War. The main reason Truman is on the list is "The Bomb". Many people have second guessed his decision to use the atomic bomb. I don't have a problem with that. Some say his decision to use them was "unnecessary and inherently immoral". My humble opinion is that's bullshit. WWII is a subject I've read a good bit on over the years. EVERYTHING says that the Japanese people were proud tenacious fighters who would never give up. Estimates are that an invasion of mainland Japan could take a year and result in 250,000 - 500,000 American casualties. My guess (based only on what I know about military/political guesses), is that it would have taken longer and cost far more American lives. I doubt it was an easy decision and it's not easy to be "pro" killing innocent civilians. I think it took guts to make that call and I think it ended up saving a lot of lives. I also give him credit for firing General Douglas MacArthur... As great of a General as MacArthur was, our country is set up with the President of the Commander in Chief. Truman had to fire MacArthur or the Office of the President would have taken a huge hit. And, he said "The buck stops here"... which is something other President's could learn...

4   Franklin D. Roosevelt   In office: March 4, 1933 - April 12, 1945   I wouldn't really consider myself a "fan" of FDR, but it's hard to not have him on this list based on his leadership during WWII. And I'm starting to have second thoughts on some of his domestic policies. On one hand, I don't really like the Works Progress Administration (WPA) because I'm not a fan of big government. On the other hand, if the government is going to give people money (and it does), I'd like for those people to work for it (honestly, I do believe a good many of them would like to work for it). I know some of the work might have been work that wasn't exactly "needed" (2,261 horseshoe pits were part of the projects), but at least it wasn't simply a hand-out.

3   Abraham Lincoln   In office: March 4, 1861 - April 15, 1865   I doubt I would have had Lincoln on here 10-20 years ago… After all, he was responsible for the north not letting the South leave peacefully. And, I'm pretty sure he broke some laws during the War of Northern Aggression… but all is fair in love in war, I guess. I believe Lincoln freed the slaves, but I don't think that's what he set out to do. I think he just wanted to keep the states united... but he was smart enough to figure out that freeing the slaves could be a big political win which could help be a military win. We will never know, of course, but I have read a good many books (pro-Southern and pro-northern) that believe things would have gone better for the South had Lincoln lived. And, he wanted Robert E. Lee to lead the Union forces... which shows he wasn't stupid.

2   Ronald Reagan   In office: January 20, 1981 - January 20, 1989   It's hard to really explain how bad things were in the USA in the late 1970s. I was there… I know. Things were bad, real bad, then a little ray of hope was born. And that ray of hope was named Greg. And THEN Ronald Reagan ran for President… and WON. The country at that time didn't just need a strong leader. The country needed Ronald Reagan. After Vietnam, Watergate, Jimmy Carter as President and the Iran hostage crisis, we needed Ronald Reagan. We needed the man who would call the Soviet Union the "evil empire". We needed the man who, after bombing Libya, would say "He counted on America to be passive... he counted wrong". We needed the man who once carried a six-shooter on a trip and told the Secret Service agent he had it "in case you boys need some help". And... we needed a President who told jokes in the ER after being shot. Not to take anything away from President George H. W. Bush (who, while not on this list, was a great President in my mind), who was in charge when the Soviet Union dissolved, Ronal Reagan is the man who won the Cold War. Well, him and Rocky (and the high school kids in Red Dawn).

1   George Washington   In office: April 30, 1789 - March 4, 1797   He was called "First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen". As the first President, Washington is the standard that all other Presidents have tried to live up to. He knew that everything he did set a precedent… perhaps the best precedent he set was that of a smooth transition of power to his successor.

Top 5 Admirals…

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Major John Lucian Smith (US Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions from August-September 1942, in the Solomon Islands area. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and heroic achievement in aerial combat above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 223 during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands area, August-September 1942. Repeatedly risking his life in aggressive and daring attacks, Maj. Smith led his squadron against a determined force, greatly superior in numbers, personally shooting down 16 Japanese planes between 21 August and 15 September 1942. In spite of the limited combat experience of many of the pilots of this squadron, they achieved the notable record of a total of 83 enemy aircraft destroyed in this period, mainly attributable to the thorough training under Maj. Smith and to his intrepid and inspiring leadership. His bold tactics and indomitable fighting spirit, and the valiant and zealous fortitude of the men of his command not only rendered the enemy's attacks ineffective and costly to Japan, but contributed to the security of our advance base. His loyal and courageous devotion to duty sustains and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

Lt. Colonel/Commissary of Subsistence Joseph S. Smith (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on October 27, 1864, at Hatchers Run, Virginia. His citation reads:

Led a part of a brigade, saved 2 pieces of artillery, captured a flag, and secured a number of prisoners.

Sergeant Maynard H. Smith (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 1, 1943, over Europe. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. The aircraft of which Sgt. Smith was a gunner was subjected to intense enemy antiaircraft fire and determined fighter airplane attacks while returning from a mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe on 1 May 1943. The airplane was hit several times by antiaircraft fire and cannon shells of the fighter airplanes, 2 of the crew were seriously wounded, the aircraft's oxygen system shot out, and several vital control cables severed when intense fires were ignited simultaneously in the radio compartment and waist sections. The situation became so acute that 3 of the crew bailed out into the comparative safety of the sea. Sgt. Smith, then on his first combat mission, elected to fight the fire by himself, administered first aid to the wounded tail gunner, manned the waist guns, and fought the intense flames alternately. The escaping oxygen fanned the fire to such intense heat that the ammunition in the radio compartment began to explode, the radio, gun mount, and camera were melted, and the compartment completely gutted. Sgt. Smith threw the exploding ammunition overboard, fought the fire until all the firefighting aids were exhausted, manned the workable guns until the enemy fighters were driven away, further administered first aid to his wounded comrade, and then by wrapping himself in protecting cloth, completely extinguished the fire by hand. This soldier's gallantry in action, undaunted bravery, and loyalty to his aircraft and fellow crewmembers, without regard for his own personal safety, is an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.


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Yesterday our countdown took us “across the pond”… today our countdown is going to take us on the pond. Growing up on an island like I did gave me a great appreciation of the Navy. That’s not really true at all… Reading books and watching classics like Midway gave me a great appreciation of the Navy. Growing up on an island gave me a great appreciation of the fact that the ocean is filled with things that want to eat me or kill me in some other way. You will notice, I’m sure, that the men on my list are all from around the same era… part of this is because I feel like that is when the Navy (and naval warfare) was at its height. Part of it might also be because most Navy books I’ve read have been from this era. Whatever the case, I’m sure it is possible that I missed a great Admiral, but all in all I think I’ve got a pretty solid Top 5 list here…


The I'm just sayin… Countdown May List of the Day


Top 5 American Admirals of All-Time

5   William D. Leahy   Years of Service: 1897-1939, 1942-1959; Battles/wars: Spanish-American War, Boxer Rebellion, WWI, Greco-Turkish War, WWII; Rank: 5 Star Fleet Admiral   After serving as the US Ambassador to France from 1940-1942, he was recalled to active duty and served as the personal Chief of Staff to President Roosevelt. As you can see if you click on that link, he chaired the Chiefs of Staff and was a major decision-maker during WWII. He was the highest-ranking member of the US military from 1942-1949 (when he retired).

4   Thomas C. Kinkaid   Years of Service: 1908-1950; Battles/wars: WWI, Dominican Republic (1916), Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), WWII (Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Aleutian Islands campaign, Admiralty Islands campaign, Western New Guinea campaign, Battle of Leyte Gulf, Philippines campaign (1944-1945), Chinese Civil War; Rank: 4 Star Admiral   Interesting little tidbit - His brother-in-law (not listed) was Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel (if you don't know who he was, look him up). Anyway, Admiral Kinkaid had a reputation as a "fighting admiral" and took part in just about every major naval battle of WWII. On a side note, his second command in 1937 was the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (if you want to know what later happened to that ship, watch Jaws).

3   William F. Halsey, Jr.   Years of Service: 1904-1959; Battles/wars: WWI (First Battle of the Atlantic), WWII (Pacific War); Rank: Fleet Admiral   "Bull" Halsey was a fullback on the Naval Academy football team. That's not the reason he's on here. He is on here in part because of the role he played as he took command of the South Pacific area and South Pacific forces right before the Battle for Guadalcanal. He played a huge role in the US Naval success during WWII. A very good book (which deals with a part of his command that probably isn't a highlight) is called "Halsey's Typhoon"... Everyone should read it. Unless you are about to go on a cruise... I'd wait to read it until after you get back.

2   Raymond A. Spruance   Years of Service: 1907-1948; Battles/wars: WWI, WWII (Battle of Midway, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Battle of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa); Rank: 4 Star Admiral   Spruance commanded US naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Based on the movie (and multiple books), the Battle of Midway was a turning point of the Pacific war.

1   Chester W. Nimitz   Years of Service: 1905-1966; Battles/wars: WWI, WWII (Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Solomon Islands campaign, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Battle of Leyte Gulf, Battle of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa); Rank: 5 Star Fleet Admiral   He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CinCPac), for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CinCPOA), for U.S. and Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II. He also oversaw the conversion of these vessels' propulsion from gasoline to diesel, and then later was key to acquiring approval to build the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, whose propulsion system later completely superseded diesel-powered submarines in the U.S. He was the United States' last surviving officer who served in the rank of fleet admiral. And, honestly, he has a pretty cool name.