Studying the Pentagon Papers remains relevant today, as there are ongoing concerns about transparency and honesty from the current administration in the U.S. Pundits and analysts have shown Joe Biden and members of his administration of not being forthright and honest with Congress and the American public on critical policy decisions and issues adversely affecting domestic security and public safety, drawing comparisons to the lack of transparency revealed by the Pentagon Papers about the Johnson administration's handling of the Vietnam War. While the contexts differ, the underlying issues of government accountability, truthfulness, and the public's right to know are pertinent in both cases.

The Pentagon Papers, one of history's most pivotal leaks, underscores a haunting reality: the often chasmic disconnect between government rhetoric and reality, particularly in times of war. The transparency brought forth by the unprecedented release of the Pentagon Papers reshaped public discourse on the Vietnam War and government accountability. Beyond the immediate effects during the Nixon era, the implications of this watershed moment continue to resonate in debates over press freedom and public access to government information.

Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's initiative to compile an "encyclopedic history of the Vietnam War" resulted in a comprehensive analysis that would later become known as the Pentagon Papers. Tasked under the Vietnam Study Task Force, the effort was spearheaded by McNamara with the ostensible goal of providing future historians with a detailed record to avert policy blunders. However, the underlying motives seem to be more complex and varied. McNamara's failure to inform key figures, including President Lyndon Johnson and Secretary of State Dean Rusk, about the study, underscores the clandestine nature of the project. The recruitment of 36 analysts, a mix of military officers, academics, and civilian federal employees, to answer a broad range of questions signals the ambitious scope of the study. Despite the tragic early loss of John McNaughton, the project pressed on under Les Gelb's direction, culminating in a massive compilation of documents and analyses that remained top-secret and largely unknown to key governmental figures until its leak. This effort reflects a moment of immense ambition and profound secrecy, setting the stage for one of the most significant disclosures in American political history.

In 1971, the New York Times stunned the world by publishing a 7,000-page top-secret government report that laid out a series of unsettling truths. These papers chronicled the US government's military engagement in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1967 and unmasked the systematic deceit exercised by successive administrations concerning the Vietnam War. The publication of the Pentagon Papers was not only a journalistic feat but it also ignited a fierce battle for the soul of the free press that reached the highest court of the land.

Daniel Ellsberg's act of surrendering and the ensuing legal drama underscore the complex interplay between personal conviction and national security. His admission to the press, coupled with his willingness to face the consequences, highlights a pivotal moment in the struggle for governmental transparency. The legal proceedings that followed, marred by governmental misconduct and judicial rebukes, further expose the lengths to which the Nixon administration would go to silence dissent and manage public perception. The dismissal of charges against Ellsberg and Russo not only served as a significant legal and moral victory for the freedom of the press but also underscored the critical importance of whistleblowers in a democratic society. The subsequent jailing of Samuel L. Popkin, for his refusal to compromise his scholarly research, further emphasizes the tensions between academic freedom and governmental authority, a theme that resonates deeply in the realms of both journalism and higher education. The incomplete dissemination of the Pentagon Papers, through various publications and the eventual release of previously undisclosed portions, reveals the ongoing struggle to achieve full transparency and accountability in government. This saga serves as a reminder of the enduring power of the press and the essential role it plays in safeguarding democracy.

Top Photo: Boston, 28 June 1971. Daniel Ellsberg, surrenders at the U.S. Courthouse accompanied by his wife, Patricia. Source: The New York Times and The Vietnam Project.

Middle Photo: (L) 2nd Lieutenant Daniel Ellsberg, USMC circa 1954. (R) Neil Sheehan, circa 1972 with the New York Times. Source: The New York Times and The Vietnam Project.

Bottom Photo: Front page of the New York Times on 11 May 1973. The New York Times and The Vietnam Project.

Daniel Ellsberg was far more than a mere 1960’s whistleblower. He was a highly accomplished nuclear analyst with the RAND Corporation following his service as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps with the First Marine Division from 1954 to 1957. His academic achievements were equally impressive, earning both a BA and PhD from Harvard. As an undergraduate, Ellsberg excelled at Harvard College, which he attended on scholarship. He graduated summa cum laude in 1952 with an BA in economics. Ellsberg's academic journey then took him abroad to King's College, Cambridge, funded by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.

With the passing of Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Neil Sheehan and his posthumously released interview, we gain profound insight into the saga behind the Pentagon Papers. The narrative of how these documents, initially exposed by Daniel Ellsberg, were eventually disseminated, reflects the complexity and moral dilemmas faced by reporters who shoulder the weight of public interest.

Sheehan's act of duplicating the classified documents without Ellsberg's permission starkly illustrates the lengths to which journalists have gone to ensure that critical information reaches the public sphere. His intrepid commitment to highlighting governmental deception, and the subsequent wide-reaching impact of his reporting, underscore the essential role of investigative journalism in democratic societies. Sheehan's strategic maneuvers – from checking into hotels under aliases to concealing copies in bus terminals and airports – were cinematic in nature, yet they were driven by an earnest conviction that the public deserved the unvarnished truth about the Vietnam War.

The release of the Pentagon Papers sent shockwaves beyond immediate controversy; it provoked a national reevaluation of executive power and public trust. The damning revelations within the Pentagon Papers shattered the image of Presidential infallibility and highlighted the necessity of rigorous checks and balances in governance. This episode catalyzed an important legal milestone, with the Supreme Court's decision in New York Times Co. v. The United States affirming the principle of prior restraint and bolstering the freedom of the press against governmental censorship. This case reverberates as a foundational defense of a free and independent press capable of holding the powerful to account without undue obstruction.

Historically, the Pentagon Papers illustrated not only a policy failure but also the fraught complexity of leaking classified information. Where does one draw the line between treason and truth-telling? Is theft justifiable in the quest for transparency? These are questions that the Pentagon Papers compel us to continue grappling with. Sheehan and Ellsberg's actions ultimately remind us that while the state may claim ownership of sensitive information, the public interest sometimes necessitates bold action to bring the truth to light. As Sheehan himself rightly noted, the fundamental ownership of such information lies not with any individual or government but with the people whose sacrifices sustain a nation.

The Pentagon Papers affirmed the power of the press in democratic oversight and injected a potent wave of skepticism into public consciousness regarding governments' presentation of truth. This spirit of inquiry and doubt remains critical in a world where access to information has become increasingly mediated by technology and political agendas. More than a historical recount, the Pentagon Papers represent an ongoing challenge to advocate for transparency, hold authority to account, and encourage a well-informed citizenry prepared to critically question the information that paints their realities.

Moreover, The Pentagon Papers, released during a time of declining support for U.S. involvement in Vietnam, validated many Americans' concerns about the government's active role in escalating the conflict. Although the study did not cover President Richard M. Nixon's policies, the revelations within were damaging, especially as Nixon sought reelection in 1972.

In his opinion supporting the First Amendment's guarantee of press freedom, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart emphasized the importance of an informed citizenry in the absence of governmental checks and balances in areas of national defense and international affairs. He argued that only an enlightened and critical public opinion could protect democratic values in these domains.

Following the Supreme Court's decision on June 30, the Nixon administration indicted Ellsberg and an alleged collaborator, Anthony Russo, on criminal charges including conspiracy, espionage, and theft of government property. The trial commenced in 1973 but was ultimately dismissed after prosecutors discovered that a covert White House team had broken into Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office in September 1971, seeking information to discredit him. Interestingly, two of the individuals involved in this break-in, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, were later implicated in the 1972 Watergate break-in, which eventually led to Nixon's resignation in 1974.

Bibliography

"51st Anniversary of the Release of the Pentagon Papers." Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum | Richard Nixon Museum and Library. Accessed April 14, 2024. https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/news/51st-anniversary-release-pentagon-papers.

"After 50 Years, the Pentagon Papers Give Up Their Final Secrets." The Guardian. Last modified January 10, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/10/after-50-years-the-pentagon-papers-give-up-their-final-secrets.

"The Columbia Guide to the Pentagon Papers Case." Columbia Magazine. Accessed April 13, 2024. https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/columbia-guide-pentagon-papers-case.

Ellsberg, Daniel. Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers. London: Penguin, 2003.

"Pentagon Papers." National Archives. Accessed April 13, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/research/pentagon-papers.

"The Pentagon Papers Case Today." Harvard Law School. Last modified August 13, 2022. https://hls.harvard.edu/today/the-pentagon-papers-case-today/.

Sheehan, Neil, Hedrick Smith, E. W. Kenworthy, and Fox Butterfield. The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2017.