I am writing in response to Ronald Bancroft’s column May 1 (“Maine Voices: Betrayal marked the last days of the United States in Vietnam”), in which he contends that the U.S. “abandoned” South Vietnam.

I served as an Army infantryman with the 1st Cavalry Division from 1969 to 1970. To maintain that the loss of 57,000 young men, thousands more wounded and maimed and billions of dollars expended constituted “abandonment” is tragically mistaken. South Vietnam, despite our enormous sacrifice, simply could not stand on its own.

William Elgee

Portland


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