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One of the major turning points for the Vietnam war was the March 1971 leak of the so-called Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. The classified 7000 page document outlined a high-level government narrative of the war that exposed its immorality and ultimately helped to end the war. The name most closely associated with the Pentagon Papers is Daniel Ellsberg. But, Ellsberg may not have been able to do what he did if it weren’t for his best friend and companion at RAND Corporation, Anthony Russo, who encouraged him to use his influential position to leak the study and helped him copy it. Ellsberg and Russo were charged with violating conspiracy, theft and espionage laws. Tony Russo died in August 2008 at the age of 71 and this weekend in Los Angeles, friends and colleagues in the anti-war movement remember him at a memorial they have organized:

Saturday, November 15th, 3:00 PM,
Crescent Heights Methodist Church
1296 N. Fairfax Blvd., West Hollywood 90046

Daniel Ellsberg will be present at the memorial.

GUEST: Daniel Ellsberg, former American military analyst employed by the RAND Corporation who leaked the Pentagon Papers

Read Ellsberg’s Tribute to Tony Russo: http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/08/07/ellsberg-remembering-anthony-russo/