Daniel Ellsberg, the renowned whistleblower whose courageous act of leaking the classified “Pentagon Papers” brought to light the U.S. government’s deceit surrounding the Vietnam War, passed away on Friday at the age of 92. His family confirmed his demise in a statement, revealing that Ellsberg had been battling inoperable pancreatic cancer since February and died at his residence in Kensington, California.
Long before figures like Edward Snowden and organizations like WikiLeaks gained prominence for their disclosures in the name of transparency, Ellsberg shook the nation’s conscience by exposing the government’s capacity for deception. His profound change of heart on the Vietnam War prompted him to clandestinely deliver the Pentagon Papers to the media in 1971, with the hope of expediting the end of the prolonged conflict. The ensuing battle over freedom of the press captivated the nation’s attention.
In later years, Ellsberg emerged as an advocate for whistleblowers and leakers, fighting for their protection and recognizing their vital role in safeguarding the truth. The 2017 film “The Post” depicted the monumental significance of his Pentagon Papers leak.
Before his pivotal role in exposing government secrets, Ellsberg had an impressive background. Having earned three degrees from Harvard and served in the Marine Corps, he worked at influential institutions such as the Pentagon and the RAND Corporation, a renowned policy research think tank, where he was deeply involved in Cold War strategy and held hawkish views on the Vietnam War.
However, it was during his tour of duty in Saigon in the mid-1960s that Ellsberg experienced a transformative realization. Within just one week, he recognized that the United States was entangled in an unwinnable war. Unbeknownst to him at the time, officials at the Pentagon, at the behest of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, had been covertly compiling a comprehensive 7,000-page report on U.S. involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. Ellsberg’s employer, the RAND Corporation, received two of the fifteen published copies of this classified report.
In his 2003 memoir, “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers,” Ellsberg chronicled his journey and the moral imperative that compelled him to leak the Pentagon Papers. The subsequent actions taken against him by the Nixon White House, including a smear campaign and attempts to silence him, further underscored the significance and danger of his revelations.
Daniel Ellsberg’s legacy as a whistleblower, truth-seeker, and advocate for transparency is indelible. His unwavering commitment to exposing government deception continues to inspire individuals around the world, reminding us of the critical role that courageous individuals play in holding those in power accountable.