From the Millard Fillmore Society Column
I assumed that Mayaguez referred to the Mayagüez Incident involving the Khmer Rouge.
In context though, that wouldn’t seem to be the case as Fillmore seems to have been successful while the U.S. Military was criticized for their handling of the incident and dozens of people died.
I’m guessing this isn’t a reference to Puerto Rico… so what is it a reference to?
It’s a reference to the Mayaguez Incident of the Ford Administration (the article is from 1976). I don’t recall clearly, since I was only 16 or so at the time, but I seem to remember that President Ford wasn’t seen that negatively at the time over the Mayaguez situation. He acted decisively, the crew were obtained, and the military mistakes weren’t played up that much in the press. So, in light of what was known when this column was written a year later, the comparison may have seemed more apt than we would think, looking back at it today.
Mr. Adams, may I suggest that you contact the Albuquerque Journal, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and get in touch with a columnist named Jim Belshaw. Every year or so, he writes a column extolling the virtues of President Fillmore, and touting the Society for the Preservation and Enhancement of the Reputation of Millard Fillmore, the Last Of the Whigs.
(Although I have a sneaking suspicion that he is just trying to trick the editors into printing the acronym.)
New Mexico owes a great dept of gratitude to Fillmore, for signing the Compromise of 1850. If not for that legislation, half of us would be a bunch of damn Texans.
I remember the Mayaguez incident, and Gary Trudeau’s take on it:
“Begin Operation Frequent Manhood!”
The Wiki article on the incident refers to Operation Frequent Wind. I somehow pictured the Army staging area as a scene from Blazing Saddles.