Daniel Ellsberg, who died of pancreatic cancer on June 16th at the age of 92, was a patriot. He served in the Marines from 1954-1957 as a company commander and in 1961 went to Vietnam as part of a Pentagon fact-finding task force hoping the South Vietnamese government, with U.S. backing, was defeating the insurgency of the Viet Cong. Spoiler alert: they weren’t.
In 1971, while working in Santa Monica at the Rand Corporation as a strategic analyst, Ellsberg stumbled onto classified documents that totally changed his life. They revealed that American military leaders and presidents had been lying to the public about Vietnam for decades, falsifying casualties and hiding that the war was not “winnable.”
With over 500,000 American troops in Vietnam and so many tragically coming home in body bags, Ellsberg was compelled to unveil the truth. Over eight incredibly stressful months he covertly photocopied 3,000 pages of historical analysis and 4,000 pages of government documents all classified as “Top Secret.”
At enormous peril to himself and his family, in August, 1971, Ellsberg released the 47 volumes to the New York Times in what came to be known as the “Pentagon Papers.” It shocked the country and the world. Standing by what he’d done, Ellsberg knew he’d spend the rest of his life in prison. But he was willing to pay the price in hopes it would lead to the end of the war which cost the lives of an estimated 3,000,000 South Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers and civilians and 58,200 American GI’s. Yes, Ellsberg committed serious crimes but did so for a cause greater than himself.
All these years later even writing about Vietnam is painful, so let’s switch to former president, twice impeached and twice indicted (and counting) Donald Trump. He also stole classified documents, including nuclear secrets and mock U.S. war plans against Iran. He obviously didn’t do it for a cause greater than himself because for Trump there is no cause greater than himself.
Trump didn’t serve in the Viet Nam War because as he has reportedly said, “being a soldier is for suckers.” To escape the draft he claimed to have bone spurs. Though he played sports endlessly, apparently the one physical activity he couldn’t do was “marching.” His podiatrist, who rented office space from Trump’s real estate tycoon father, wrote a letter to the draft board that enabled devious Donnie to con his way out of military service.
In 2015, when Trump declared his candidacy for President reporters inquired about his bone spurs. As he described them as painful, many people could tell Trump was lying because his lips were moving. Also he couldn’t remember on which foot he had the condition. “It’s somewhere in the records” he said dismissively. Decades later, on the Howard Stern Radio Show, Trump joked, “Actually my Viet Nam was avoiding catching STD’s.”
Though Ellsberg anticipated a life sentence, his case was dismissed when the federal judge discovered Nixon’s “plumbers” had broken into Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office. Meanwhile, Trump’s 37 counts, including violations of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements to investigators, could yield maximum sentences of 536 years! (Not counting time off for good behavior.)
Ironically, Trump could have avoided all charges if he just gave the documents back as any normal person might have done, the key word being “normal.” Like a petulant child, Trump insisted “These are my boxes!”
In a recent interview on Fox News with Bret Baier, Trump was low energy and incoherent. When Baier asked, “Why didn’t you just return the boxes? Trump responded absurdly, “My golf shoes, shirts and pants were in those boxes!” He’s supposedly a billionaire, why not buy new golf shoes? It’s better than 536 years in the slammer.
Moments later Trump said in the weirdest tone, “The only way I would give the documents back was if the National Archives said please, please, please.” A week before he insisted “And they’d have to pay me damages!” (In his arrogant defense apparently Trump doesn’t realize he’s actually confessing.)
When Baier calmly listed former members of Trump’s administration now saying he’s unfit to be President, Trump boorishly called one a “gutless pig,” another “a born loser,” another “a man with a small brain” and another “dumber than a rock.” (So much for “I only hire the best people.”)
Daniel Ellsberg was a truth seeker who became a patriotic antiwar activist, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. To me he was a national hero and may he R.I.P. To me Donald Trump is a national nightmare and his name and the word “beloved” in the same sentence sounds oxymoronic. But I suppose he’s entitled to get his golf shoes back. (Then again, who knows how they’ll blend with an orange jump suit.)
Please Google “Bret Baier interviews Trump” and watch the video. Jack is at: jackdailypress@aol.com