How the times change. After years of being kept classified, the ‘Pentagon Papers’ can now be viewed at the United States National Archive in their entirety for the first time in history. In their original paper form, the papers filled 48 boxes. The electronically scanned versions of these historical data treasures comprise little more than six gigabytes — enough to fill a tiny USB stick that is smaller than a finger.

The documents, however, make fascinating reading, at least for history fans. Leslie Gelb, the head of the secret working group responsible for the report and later head of the Council on Foreign Relations, assured then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in a Jan. 15, 1969 letter that his team had ‘checked and rechecked with ant-like diligence’ the documents in the report.

The more than 7,000 pages in the file are stamped ‘Top Secret – Sensitive.’

Four decades later, the US government is airing one of its most explosive secrets — the ‘Pentagon Papers,’ the legendary top secret report on the Vietnam War. Anyone interested can read the papers that led to deep changes in US policy at the National Archive or in the libraries of the three presidents who were involved in the […]