Column: Thoughts from Dr. Joe: ‘The Post’ evokes memories of former N.Y. Times publisher
Sitting at Starbucks, working on my sequel to “Girl with the Purple Ribbon,” I was enjoying a cup of black tea when a buddy of mine, who is 20 years my junior, asked, “Did you see the movie about the publishing of the Pentagon Papers?” He said that although he was familiar with the name of the historically significant Defense Department study of U.S.-Vietnam relations, he was unaware of its actual contents.
“You mean the movie ‘The Post,’” I replied. I told him that I didn’t think I could sit through the movie and once again be reminded of what went down in Vietnam.
Unbeknownst to me, my daughter Sabine purchased four theater tickets to the movie for our last family outing before the girls returned to college.
“The Post” is a political drama that depicts what unfolded in 1971 when the Pentagon Papers were surreptitiously released by Daniel Ellsberg and eventually published in both the New York Times and the Washington Post. The Pentagon Papers, commissioned by then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, chronicled our country’s political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The administrations of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson were duplicitous in engineering America’s involvement in Vietnam. However, it was President Johnson who purposely lied to the American public and Congress about the prospectus of the conflict. I could continue about Johnson’s systemic lies, but for me, it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie.
I found “The Post” nostalgic, especially the scenes depicting the New York Times building, the engravers setting type, and the rolling presses. During the summer of 1964, I worked for the “Gray Lady,” and because I won a citywide essay contest on “Why I Root for the New York Mets,” I was given the job as the personal messenger boy for Arthur Sulzberger, the Times’ publisher.
Mr. Sulzberger was a remarkable man, a mogul of the political, literary and academic elite. The most noted celebrities and political power brokers would come to pay homage to this man. I thought he was a god. I think because he knew I was joining the Marine Corps, Mr. Sulzberger took me under his wing. During World War II he joined the Marines and fought in the Pacific. During the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty and served in the conflict. Because of his history with the Marines, I found it strange that he was vehemently opposed to the Vietnam War. During numerous talks, he attempted to steer me away from the Marine Corps and said I could have a career as a Times’ foreign correspondent.
On June 13, 1971, Mr. Sulzberger made the call to accept the risks rather than to remain silent and published in the Times the first seven articles of the Pentagon Papers. “The Post” gives a historical account of the time, highlighting the government’s attempt at sanctioning the press. A week later, the Washington Post published its own series of articles based upon the Pentagon Papers. The Nixon Administration issued a federal injunction attempting to stop publication. However, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the press. Justice Hugo Black stated, “Security of the nation lies in the value of our free institutions. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell.”
The movie, “The Post,” is a vindication of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution.
The Vietnam War continued for another 22 months. Nixon continued the war because he wanted “peace with honor.” What he really wanted was not to have his administration marred by a Vietnam debacle.
See “The Post.” It’s a great movie. Especially in our current political climate, I hope history does not repeat itself.
JOE PUGLIA is a practicing counselor, a retired professor of education and a former officer in the Marines. Reach him at doctorjoe@ymail.com. Visit his website at doctorjoe.us.
