Morrie Landsberg; Longtime Journalist

Morrie Landsberg, a journalist who covered such historic events as the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II and Richard Nixon’s “Checkers” speech, has died at the age of 80.

Landsberg, a reporter and news executive for the Associated Press and other organizations for more than 40 years, died Tuesday. He had suffered from leukemia.

As an AP war correspondent, Landsberg covered the recapture of Guam and the bloody battle for Iwo Jima. He was aboard the battleship Missouri to witness Japan’s surrender.

He also covered eight national political conventions and the 1952 “Checkers” speech, in which Nixon, running for vice president, made his case to remain on the Republican ticket.

Born in San Francisco, Landsberg graduated from Sacramento City College and UC Berkeley.

He was a war correspondent from 1943 to 1945 and remained in Japan to cover the occupation.

After several years based in Sacramento covering political assignments, Landsberg retired from the AP in 1964 to become editor of McClatchy Broadcasting and was in charge of the news operations of two TV stations and six radio stations. In 1969, he conducted the only TV interview with Earl Warren while Warren was chief justice of the United States.

From 1972 until his retirement six years later, he was an associate editor of McClatchy Newspapers.