Military leaders are the legends of courage and selflessness in any sovereign country’s history. The stories of their lives truly inspire us to become better patriots and also offer a new perspective on how to look at our lives.
Today, our quiz is all about these iconic military figures and here we’ll test your knowledge of American military history. You’re likely familiar with many of them, so let’s see how well you do on the quiz. Well, let’s get started, everyone!
Quiz 1. Which volunteer military group did Theodore Roosevelt form to fight in the Spanish-American War?
A. Harlem Hellfighters
B. Big Red One
C. Minutemen
D. Rough Riders
Answer 1. D) Rough Riders
Insight: Theodore Roosevelt had to resign from his position as assistant secretary of the Navy to form the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry unit. Recruiting miners, cowboys, law enforcement officers, and college students, they gained prominence after their brave uphill charge at the Battle of San Juan Heights.
Quiz 2. Legend says “Molly Pitcher” got her nickname during the Revolutionary War by doing:
A. cooling revolutionaries’ cannons with water
B. dumping hot tar on British regulars
C. supplying revolutionary troops with beer
D. lobbing grenades at British regulars
Answer 2. A) cooling revolutionaries’ cannons with water
Insight: “Molly Pitcher” is thought to have been Mary Hays, wife of revolutionary artilleryman William Hays. She is reputed to bravely take up the duty of carrying water to soldiers on the battlefield and cooling revolutionaries’ cannons.
Quiz 3. Who died during the battle at the Alamo among these legends?
A. Francis Scott Key
B. Theodore Roosevelt
C. Davy Crockett
D. Daniel Boone
Answer 3. C) Davy Crockett
Insight: Davy Crockett, a legendary frontiersman and politician was elected to the United States House of Representatives three times. He traveled to Texas to help rebels in their fight for independence from Mexico where he died.
Quiz 4. Which commando unit executed the killing of Islamist leader Osama Bin Laden?
A. Marine Raiders
B. Delta Force
C. SEAL Team 6
D. Green Berets
Answer 4. C) SEAL Team 6
Insight: The United States Navy’s SEAL Team 6 was established in 1980 in reaction to an unsuccessful American military rescue attempt during the Iran hostage crisis. One interesting fact is that it was basically the third SEAL team, but it was allegedly misnamed on purpose to give foreign intelligence agencies the impression that there were more SEAL teams than there actually were.
Quiz 5. Which U.S. president led his crew to safety after their patrol boat sank in World War II?
A. Gerald Ford
B. Richard Nixon
C. John Kennedy
D. Dwight Eisenhower
Answer 5. C) John Kennedy
Insight: During World War II, John F. Kennedy, who later became the 35th President of the United States, displayed remarkable leadership when his patrol boat, PT-109, was sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Despite self-injuries, Kennedy heroically helped his crew members, helping them to safety.
Quiz 6. Who led the “Green Mountain Boys” to victory at the Battle of Ticonderoga in the Revolutionary War?
A. Paul Revere
B. Ethan Allen
C. Alexander Hamilton
D. George Washington
Answer 6. B) Ethan Allen
Insight: Ethan Allen led the “Green Mountain Boys” to a decisive victory at the Battle of Ticonderoga. His leadership played a significant role in securing this crucial win for American forces.
Quiz 7. During World War II, which American commander announced, “I have returned,” when his forces recaptured the Philippines?
A. Dwight Eisenhower
B. Douglas MacArthur
C. George Marshall
D. George Patton
Answer 7. B) Douglas MacArthur
Insight: American soldiers in the Philippines suffered terrible losses at the hands of Japanese forces after they launched an unexpected attack on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. General MacArthur was then ordered to leave. Reluctantly, he said, “I shall return” as he did so. And he delivered on that pledge two years later.
Quiz 8. Which Black leader served as a spy and scout for the Union during the Civil War while also working as an Underground Railroad conductor?
A. Frederick Douglass
B. Booker T. Washington
C. Harriet Tubman
D. W.E.B. Du Bois
Answer 8. C) Harriet Tubman
Insight: While Harriet Tubman is widely known for guiding enslaved people to freedom in the North, her lesser-known role involved establishing a spy network in the South to gather military intelligence for the Union. Following her passing in 1913, she was laid to rest with military honors.
Quiz 9. Which actor actively participated in 20 combat missions?
A. Jimmy Stewart
B. John Wayne
C. Brad Pitt
D. Clint Eastwood
Answer 9. A) Jimmy Stewart
Insight: Jimmy Stewart joined the American Army Air Force in 1941 and flew 20 combat flights by the end of World War II. During one outing, antiaircraft fire blasted a hole through the floor of his cockpit.
Quiz 10. Abner Doubleday, often wrongly associated with creating baseball, fired the first shots in which war?
A. American Civil War
B. Revolutionary War
C. World War II
D. World War I
Answer 10. A) American Civil War
Insight: When Confederate artillery began firing on the U.S. Army garrison at Fort Sumter, Abner Doubleday was second in command. During the Civil War, he commanded the gun crews that fired the Union’s opening attacks.
Quiz 11. In what present-day country is Tripoli located, as mentioned in the opening line of “The Marines’ Hymn”?
A. Cuba
B. Libya
C. Italy
D. Mexico
Answer 11. B) Libya
Insight: During the 1800s, the pirate leaders of the Mediterranean coast of North Africa sought tribute for safe passage from the United States and other European nations. Conflict broke out when the United States refused to pay. The United States Marines fought their first combat and the American flag was flown over foreign territory at the Battle of Derna, Tripoli.
Quiz 12. Which airport is named after a fighter pilot who died on duty during World War II?
A. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
B. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
C. Washington Dulles International Airport
D. Boston Logan International Airport
Answer 12. B) Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Insight: O’Hare International Airport in Chicago carries the name of pilot Edward O’Hare, who was the first American Navy Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. A year after destroying five enemy aircraft, O’Hare was killed in an aerial combat.
Quiz 13. During World War I, when Sergeant Major Daniel Daly found himself outnumbered and under heavy fire, what famous line did he use to rally his men?
A. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
B. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.”
C. “Come on, you sons of *******, do you want to live forever?”
D. “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
Answer 13. C) “Come on, you sons of *******, do you want to live forever?”
Insight: Daniel Daly, often hailed as “the outstanding Marine of all time,” didn’t live forever like his famous words, but he did survive World War I.
Quiz 14. What feat made Alvin York achieve national fame in 1918?
A. accepting Robert E. Lee’s surrender
B. quashing the Boxer Rebellion
C. capturing more than a hundred German soldiers at once
D. being the first man to land on Normandy Beach
Answer 14. C) capturing more than a hundred German soldiers at once
Insight: When the United States entered World War I, Alvin York was a seasoned hunter, and using his hunting skills, he slipped up on a German machine gun nest and easily destroyed it. The German leader surrendered, allowing York’s battalion to capture 132 German men.
Quiz 15. Frank Thompson fought in the American Civil War despite having this usually disqualifying characteristic:
A. being 10 years old
B. having no arms
C. being legally blind
D. being a woman
Answer 15. D) being a woman
Insight: Sarah Edmonds joined the Union army under the guise of “Frank Thompson,” and she participated in engagements such as the First Battle of Bull Run. She “disguised” herself as a woman at least twice while conducting espionage operations inside the Confederacy.
Quiz 16. How did Jeremiah Denton convey a message to U.S. intelligence after being shot down while flying over North Vietnam?
A. hiding a map in a sketch he made of his captors
B. placing rocks in an arrow formation that could be seen from aircraft
C. blinking in Morse code during a filmed interview
D. writing messages on tortoise shells
Answer 16. C) blinking in Morse code during a filmed interview
Insight: The Viet Cong arranged for Jeremiah Denton to speak with Japanese journalists. During the conversation, Denton blinked “T-O-R-T-U-R-E” in Morse code, informing US intelligence that he and the other US captives were being tortured.
