Summary

That spring, Ellsberg flew over the war-torn nation, taking photos of the terrain below. He saw the results of the forest that had been sprayed with deadly Agent Orange. The pilot told him that only Viet Cong were in this area called the Plain of Reeds. Ellsberg later learned that there were 2,000 villagers who lived there, too. Ellsberg thought it was the villagers that the U.S. had come to save yet they’re being killed in the bombing raids.

By 1966, McNamara knew that the U.S. could not win the war. He never shared his conclusion with Johnson and publicly continued to support the war. The CIA issued a report that the U.S. effort was not weakening the enemy enough to defeat them. Johnson ordered that the report be kept secret. Patricia came for a visit and to...