Neil Sheehan facts for kids

Cornelius Mahoney Sheehan (born October 27, 1936 – died January 7, 2021) was an American journalist. He was known for his important work as a reporter.

In 1971, while working for The New York Times, Sheehan got a secret government report. This report was called the Pentagon Papers. It showed a hidden history of the Vietnam War by the United States Department of Defense.

The government tried to stop the Times from publishing these papers. But the U.S. Supreme Court said the newspaper could publish them. This was a big win for freedom of the press.

Sheehan also won a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. He received these for his 1988 book, A Bright Shining Lie. This book was about the life of Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann and America's part in the Vietnam War.

Early life and education

Neil Sheehan was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on October 27, 1936. He grew up on a dairy farm. His parents had moved to the United States from Ireland.

He went to Mount Hermon School and then to Harvard University. He earned a degree in history in 1958. After college, he served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1962. He was stationed in Korea and then in Tokyo. While in Tokyo, he also worked for United Press International (UPI).

Reporting on the Vietnam War

After leaving the Army, Sheehan spent two years in Vietnam. He was the UPI news chief in Saigon. He reported on the war there.

In 1963, a time known as the Buddhist crisis, Sheehan and another reporter, David Halberstam, uncovered important facts. The government claimed that regular army forces had attacked Buddhist temples. But Sheehan and Halberstam showed that special forces loyal to the president's brother were actually responsible.

In 1964, Sheehan joined The New York Times. He worked in Indonesia and then spent another year in Vietnam. He often got helpful information from Pham Xuan An. An was a reporter for Time Magazine and Reuters. Later, it was found out that An was also a spy for the Viet Cong.

The Pentagon Papers

In 1966, Sheehan became the reporter for the Pentagon. Two years later, he started reporting from the White House. He covered political, diplomatic, and military news.

In 1971, he got the Pentagon Papers for the Times. These were secret government documents. They showed how the U.S. government had made decisions about the Vietnam War. The government tried to stop the Times from printing them. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the newspaper could publish the papers. This was a very important decision for freedom of speech and the press. Because of this story, The New York Times won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

Sheehan also wrote articles about the conduct of the Vietnam War. He suggested that some actions during the war might be considered very serious crimes. He called for more detailed studies on these issues.

Writing A Bright Shining Lie

Sheehan published his first book, The Arnheiter Affair, in 1972. After that, he took time off from the Times. He wanted to write a book about John Paul Vann. Vann was an important American leader in the early part of the Vietnam War.

In 1974, Sheehan was badly hurt in a car accident. His recovery took a long time. This, along with some legal issues from his first book, delayed his work on the Vietnam book. He eventually left the Times in 1976 to focus completely on his book.

Sheehan worked on A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam for many years. He was known for being very thorough and wanting to find every fact. He finally finished the book in 1986. It was published in 1988. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the National Book Award for Nonfiction. In 1990, he also received the Golden Plate Award.

Later books and life

Sheehan released another book, After the War Was Over: Hanoi and Saigon, in 1992. This book was inspired by his visit to Vietnam a few years earlier.

His last book, A Fiery Peace in a Cold War, came out in 2009. It told the story of Bernard Schriever. Schriever was important in creating the U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile system.

Personal life

Neil Sheehan married Susan Margulies in 1965. She was also a writer for The New Yorker. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983 for her own book, Is There No Place on Earth for Me?. Neil and Susan had two daughters, Catherine and Maria.

Neil Sheehan passed away on January 7, 2021, at his home in Washington, D.C.. He was 84 years old. He had been dealing with health problems from Parkinson's disease.

Books

• The Pentagon Papers as published by the New York Times (1971)
• The Arnheiter Affair (1972)
• A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam (1988)
• After the War Was Over: Hanoi and Saigon (1992)
• A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon (2009)

See also

In Spanish: Neil Sheehan para niños