Which future US president fought in the French and Indian War?

Which future US president fought in the French and Indian War? George Washington fought in the French and Indian War as a Virginia provincial officer. His military service began before the United States existed and helped establish the reputation that later supported his selection as commander in chief of the Continental Army.

In 1753, Virginia's lieutenant governor sent Washington, then a young major, to deliver a warning to French officials occupying forts in the Ohio Country. In 1754, Washington led an expedition toward the disputed region and participated in the attack on a French scouting party at Jumonville Glen. The French retaliated at Fort Necessity, where Washington surrendered and was released on parole.

Washington returned to military service in 1755 as a volunteer aide to General Edward Braddock. During the British defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela, Washington became known for his courage and ability to organize a retreat, despite having two horses shot under him and suffering bullet holes through his clothing. From 1755 to 1758, he commanded the Virginia Regiment and defended the colony's frontier.

His final wartime campaign helped drive the French from Fort Duquesne in 1758. Washington resigned from the militia soon afterward, married Martha Custis in 1759, and returned to plantation and political life. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were not the future president who served in this war.