By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
The Vietnamese American community of West Michigan will mark the 50th anniversary of Operation Babylift and President Ford’s legacy of giving new hope to thousands of refugees with a special program, 50 Years After Saigon: Vietnamese Stories of a New Home.
Hosted by The Gerald R. Ford Museum from 6:30-9 p.m. on May 9, the event will highlight Ford’s leadership during the Vietnamese refugee airlift, the largest aerial evacuation in history. The evacuation encompassed a series of overlapping operations which relocated thousands of Vietnamese children and families: Babylift, New Life, Frequent Wind and New Arrivals.
“This event marks 50 years since the Fall of Saigon, which led to the Refugee Act and the resettlement of Vietnamese families in West Michigan,” said Le Tran, art teacher and Asian Student Union Advisor at East Kentwood High School, and chair of the West Michigan Asian-American Association.
“It’s time to reflect on our journey, honor President Ford’s compassionate leadership, and celebrate the resilience and contributions of our community.”
During the program, President Ford’s youngest son, Steve Ford, will offer an inside look into the motivation behind his father’s call to action to save the Vietnamese orphans.
Additional program features are Vietnamese musical performances, reflections from an Operation Babylift adoptee, and a panel discussion offering insight into experiences of Vietnamese Americans and the impact of Ford’s refugee support.
A compassionate call to action
In a recent conversation with WKTV Managing Editor Deborah Reed, Steve Ford revealed that Operation Babylift was near and dear to his father’s heart.
“Dad found out that there were over 3,000 babies and orphans in Vietnam that had been fathered by American servicemen,” said Ford. “A lot of these babies had been put in orphanages or given up, and he felt a deep concern about that.”
Not only were thousands of babies abandoned, they were in danger of being killed by the Ho Chi Minh army as they took over Saigon.
President Ford’s empathy, his son said, stemmed from his own turbulent past as an infant.
Born to Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner, and originally named Leslie Lynch King Jr., President Ford was only weeks old when his physically abusive father threatened Gardner with a butcher knife. Gardner fled, eventually settling at the home of her parents in Grand Rapids.
Gardner divorced King and eventually married Grand Rapids businessman Gerald R. Ford.
“Gerald R. Ford Sr. is the one that took Dad under his wing, raised him, invested in his life – and gave him his name,” said Ford. “Dad’s history…very much played into his empathy for these young babies that had been fathered by U.S. servicemen and were being abandoned. So he made a great effort for these babies.”
In the National Geographic article titled “Resettling Vietnamese Refugees in the United States,” President Ford stated, “[T]o ignore the refugees in their hour of need would be to repudiate the values we cherish as a nation of immigrants, and I was not about to let Congress do that.”
A 50-year ripple effect
On April 3, 1975, President Ford launched Operation Babylift. Through private contractors and U.S. military planes, thousands of orphaned children were airlifted out of Saigon and brought to the United States for adoption.
In A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford (p. 252), President Ford stated:
“I ordered American officials in Saigon to cut through any red tape that might stand in the way of the children’s escape. Then I told our Air Force to begin those mercy flights as soon as possible. Everyone suffers in a war, but no one suffers more than the children, and the airlift was the least that we could do.“
President Ford and his wife Betty greeted the first plane at the San Francisco International Airport and helped carry babies off the plane.
Numerous foster and adoptive families were waiting to open their doors to the Vietnamese orphans, with several churches and organizations helping facilitate the adoption process.
Fifty years later, those babies are now lawyers, doctors, homemakers, teachers and nurses. Ford said he is often approached by those orphans at speaking engagements, where they thank his father for saving them.
“It’s amazing how something 50 years ago is still rippling today and causing such good.”
One of those orphans, Thuy Williams, has become a good friend of Ford and his wife.
Separated from her mother and slated to be on the first airlift flight that ended in tragedy, Williams will share her journey of heartache and healing during the commemoration event.
Recognizing the good and the bad
The local Vietnamese American panel discussion will give perspective regarding the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
“There’s good and bad,” said Ford. “It’s the reason we do these stories at the Museum. There were definitely both sides, and we always feel it’s important to show both sides because that’s what history looks like. It’s never one way.”
A country of immigrants
“If Dad were here today, he would want people to remember that we are a country of immigrants,” said Ford. “We’ve gone through periods all through our history of welcoming people here. We’ve always stepped forward when these crises have happened and been willing to welcome people in the country.”
Ford went on to say that his father tried to heal the nation in many ways.
“There were scars on this country, there were wounds that needed help,” said Ford. “Dad would tell you war is ugly, it’s tragic. But if you try to do your best, you can look deeper and find some of these stories where you have good coming out the other side.
“I think the story of these babies – Operation Babylift – is one that makes America look like a country with great empathy and humanity.”
Event and resource links
Ford Museum event registration and information can be found here.
More information about the Vietnamese refugee airlift evacuation and the Vietnamese American community can be found below:
