History OldSoldier / RealLife

* General Winfield Scott first obtained a commission in the US Army in 1808, and remained in the Army for the next 53 years, serving through the War of 1812, was one of the main commanders in The Mexican-American War in the 1840s, and although elderly and in poor health, he was initially the overall commander for the Union in the American Civil War, along with various other conflicts. Despite his age, Scott was one of the most sober and realistic voices in the earliest stages of the Civil War, warning that contrary to the overwhelming public opinion and the demands of politicians, the war would probably not be over quickly (Scott predicted a minimum of two years of fighting), and that the Union would need a long-term strategic plan to subdue the Confederacy piece by piece at a time when most believed that a single battle and a quick march to Richmond could crush the rebels. His plan for a blockade and to cut the Confederacy in two along the Mississippi River would eventually become Union policy, and the blockade in particular would crush the Southern economy, because while small and quick blockade runners could get through, the large ships needed to take Southern exports (especially of cotton) overseas were forced to stay at home.

* The Old Guard of Napoleon's Imperial Guard. There were also a Young and a Middle Guard, but the Old one was the creme de la creme of the greater French empire. Composed entirely of veterans of Napoleon's earliest campaigns, with at least ten years of service, they were highly valued by Napoleon. Since they were the only soldiers who could dare complain about their conditions in front of the emperor, they were known as "Grognards" (grumblers). Militarily, they served as a reserve thrown into battle at a critical moment to tip the scales, though more usually were kept in the back to avoid taking losses. When the Old Guard broke and routed at the final stage of Waterloo, the rest of the French army followed soon upon hearing of it, such was their MemeticBadass status.

* There are a lot of (admittedly anecdotal) stories from people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where patrols would encounter jihadis of mixed ages. Most of them would be younger guys with [=AKs=] who fought like fanatics but employed HollywoodTactics and fell in droves, but occasionally there would be an older man among them with an old Enfield or Martini-Henry or even an older [[CoolGuns traditional, home-made Afghan jezail]]. These guys were the ''really'' dangerous ones.

* King Masinissa of Numidia was reportedly still leading armies at his death about 90, true insanity for his time, although presumably not as a FrontlineGeneral.

* UsefulNotes/FernandoAlvarezDeToledoYPimentel, Duke of Alba, fought (and won) his last war at 72. He used to be known as a FrontlineGeneral and there isn't an indication that he stopped doing it at any point.

* Field Marshall C.G.E. Mannerheim. He joined the Imperial Russian Cavalry in 1882[[note]]In context: out of the gallery of major power leaders in WWII, he got into military school before Hitler, F.D. Roosevelt, Tojo and De Gaulle were even born[[/note]], fighting in the UsefulNotes/RussoJapaneseWar, UsefulNotes/FirstWorldWar and UsefulNotes/RussianRevolution. After the collapse of Imperial Russia, he retired 1917 in the age of 50 as General, returning to his native Finland. Little did he know his great years were only ahead. He was immediately assigned as the commander-in-chief of the [[UsefulNotes/FinnsWithFearsomeForests Finnish White Army]], leading them in victory in the Finnish Independence War. He was again nominated as Supreme Commander as Field Marshall, leading the country through the entire Second World War. He was 78 when he retired 1945, taking the office of President of Finland. Sadly, his health broke down and he passed away 1951.

* UsefulNotes/FranciscoPizarro conquered the Inca at 50, with a long career as a Spanish soldier behind him. One of his underlings, Francisco de Carvajal, would become the ringleader of a national-scale rebellion at 80.

* The entire ''Heer'' (Army) leadership of [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons the Wehrmacht]] in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. The average ''Heer'' NCO (one per ten-to-twenty men) was forty-something or older. The average ''Heer'' general (one per 2k-4k men) was in his fifties. For contrast, while the average Soviet NCO was also in his forties or late 30s, Soviet Generals were all in their forties as well. This was thanks partly to the purges and prewar expansion of the Red Army, but largely to wartime promotions.
* The French Army senior officer corps before and during [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII the disastrous 1940 campaign]] was populated by old veterans. The commander in chief General Maurice Gamelin had been born in 1872, his successor General Maxime Weygand had been born in 1867 and lived to nearly 100, and Field Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain had been born in 1856, making him the oldest man to ever become head of state in French history. When Prime Minister Paul Reynaud asked their opinion of UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle (who was 50 back then), they called him "an unruly kid".

* Similarly, William Hiseland was the last survivor of the English Civil War, living to the ripe old age of 112. He fought in his last battle (during the War of Spanish Succession) at the age of ''89.''
* Samuel Whittlemore, the oldest man known to have participated in the American Revolutionary War. At the ripe old age of 78 he single-handedly ambushed a British brigade, shot and killed three redcoats, was shot in the face, bayoneted 13 times and {{left for dead}} in a pool of his own blood. He was found a short time later, still alive and trying to reload his musket. The doctors said he had zero chance of survival. Even so, ''he recovered and lived another 18 years.''
* Due to the nature of the job, some soldiers are affectionately known as "Old Man" or something similar despite being several years away from middle-aged.

* The silver shield pikemen, ''Argyraspides'', from the war of the successors. These men had followed Alexander the Great in his campaigns and continued fighting in the wars of his successors. Most were over sixty by the time of their last battle. They formed a unit that was undefeated in battle, the only reason they surrendered was when the rest of the army had been routed and their camp, which had their wives, children, and loot, were taken by an enemy army. Afterwards they were disbanded and sent two at a time on suicide missions that they never returned from.
* UsefulNotes/WarOfTheTripleAlliance featured DukeOfCaxias, supreme commander of the Triple Alliance in the later part of the war, who was nearly ''70'' and still leading his troops in the vanguard.

* At the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, the Knights of St. John were led by Grand Master La Valette, who was 71 at the time, while the Ottomans were led by Dragut Reis, who was 80, and their ground forces were led by Mustapha Pasha, who was 70. All led from the front, and La Valette and Dragut were both wounded in action.
* There are a lot of (admittedly anecdotal) stories from people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where patrols would encounter jihadis of mixed ages. Most of them would be younger guys with [=AKs=] who fought like fanatics but employed HollywoodTactics and fell in droves, but occasionally there would be an older man among them with an old Enfield or Martini-Henry or even an older [[CoolGuns traditional, home-made Afghan jezail]]. These guys were the ''really'' dangerous ones.
* The Argyraspides or Silver Shields of Alexander the Great continued existing as a unit for decades after his death, serving in both Wars of the Diadochi and remaining formidable soldiers well into their 60s.