Thanks for an observation front the front lines.
I,for one,realize the public may never know the whole truth about the strength or weakness of statesmen,or so-called-statesmen.
You were there AND you're a REAL gentleman, so I'll take your word for that and quit putting President Ford in the same basket as "Peanuts" and "Slick."
I think maybe my favorite of all the Presidents was Harry Truman...who was first and foremost and up front and primarily (That even outdoes Henry B. Gonzales!)a REAL person!
...but as Reagan related, Bess never did manage to teach Ol' Harry to say "fertilizer," rather than "S-H-I-T"!
That kind of stuff actually makes a man "real," rather than "nasty" --- my daddy said it ANYtime he was really angry...EVEN TO HIS BOSS --- and I don't give a FERTILIZER what ANY uptight would-be Ersatz Taliban says!
Harry Truman has my vote also...For the things you mention plus saving me and a lot of guys on Luzon, other staging areas plus many ships and planes from having to invade Japan..where the Japanese had already prepared to fight to the last for the emperor..
I always liked the letter he wrote to Washington Post critic who beat up on Harry's daughter's singing...it is probably on the internet somewhere...it is a masterpiece. It is the center piece of every book ever writte by or about him.