--- title: "Photos of US military legends with their hands in their pockets" description: "There's one rule that every branch knows of: keep your hands out of your pockets. These legends must like breaking rules." date: "2021-10-30" modified: "2022-10-26" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/lists/21-photos-of-us-military-legends-with-their-hands-in-their-pockets/" categories: - "History" - "Join the Military" - "Military Culture" --- # Photos of US military legends with their hands in their pockets ![]() There's one rule that every branch knows of: [keep your hands out of your pockets]() while you're in uniform. And yet, here we are. Every branch of the military's historical leadership has been caught on camera casually chilling with their hands in their pockets. Makes one wonder when putting your hands in your pockets became unprofessional... ## Here are 21 photos of US military legends with their hands in their pockets ### 1. General Curtis LeMay ![curtis lemay]() *I don't think the guy who firebombed Tokyo cares much about rules like that.* ### 2. General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing ![jack pershing]() *Someone tell the General of the Armies he looks unprofessional.* ### 3. Major General Carl Spaatz ![carl spaatz]() *That guy down the street is just a taken aback by this as anyone else.* ### 4. Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower ![d-day hands in their pockets]() *It's D-Day, let him have this one.* ### 5. Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller ![north korea]() *It actually really was that cold in North Korea.* ### 6. Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Stewart ![jimmy stewart]() *Mr. Stewart went to Germany. And bombed it.* ### 7. Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower...again ![patton gloves]() *Patton just brought gloves. Like it says IN THE REGS, IKE. (Wikipedia)* ### 8. Chesty Puller again ### 9. And again ![chesty again]() *Welp. Chesty does what he wants.* ### 10. General Martin Dempsey ![dempsey hands in their pockets]() *Dempsey back on the block. Apparently.* ### 11. Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower needs hand warmers ![eisenhower hands in their pockets]() *If that were anyone else, Patton probably would be losing his mind.* ### 12. Sergeant Elvis Presley ![elvis hands in their pockets]() *King of Rock n' Roll outranks Army Sergeant. Sorry.* ### 13. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur ![MacArthur hands in their pockets]() *I think MacArthur earned this one.* ### 14. Brigadier General Chesty Puller ![chesty puller hands in their pockets]() *We get it, Chesty. You do what you want. Fine.* ### 15. Brigadier General Richard Clarke ![general clarke hands in their pockets]() *Good thing he's not a Marine, I guess.* ### 16. Rear Admiral John L. Hall ![patton]() *Patton is just trying not to look right at it.* ### 17. Lieutenant Audie Murphy ![audie murphy]() *Europe was pretty cold in 1944. Everyone else was fine, but Lt. Murphy is special.* ### 18. General Billy Mitchell ![father of the air force with hands in their pockets]() *The Father of the Air Force knows best.* ### 19. General Raymond Odierno ![odierno]() *Must be super cold there, sir.* ### 20. Chesty Puller does what he wants ![chesty puller with hands in their pockets]() *But we'd better see your hands, guy behind Chesty.* ### 21. Major General Smedley Butler ![smedley butler with hands in their pockets]() *Two Medals of Honor, two hands in his pockets, zero f\*cks.* ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() ## More - [Dumb military rules I absolutely hate]() - [What it looks like when one Army legend rates another]() - [Legends about the most decorated Marine in US history]() - [8 American military legends who were honored as foreign knights]() - [President Eisenhower painted a portrait of British general he called a ‘psychopath’]() - [The 7 biggest ‘Blue Falcons’ in US Military history]() - [The highest ranking US military officer in World War II isn’t who you think]() - [These are the 7 national military parades held by the US]()