One of the reasons I disliked Ford. He should have honored our commitment to South Vietnam. Then let the chips fall where they may.
If you want to get real angry talk to some South Vietnamese bomber pilots who were given just enough fuel to make it to the target. The North Vietnamese would learn the flight plans and move their camp 5 miles. A pilot told me he could see the target but knew he’d probably crash before he could make it back to base. Then he said they ran out of fuel all together and all but absolutely necessary flight ops were cancelled. Guess they saved enough for helicopters to make it to ships off shore.
You’re giving Ford a bad rap!
Congress cut off all the support to South Vietnam.
And Congress then was controlled by what party?
The Rats ! — both houses!
Ford couldn't do anything - the Dem Congress cut off all money. Doomed Viet Nam in particular and Southeast Asia in general to twenty years of civil war and genocide.