Seymour Hersh is an American investigative journalist and political writer. He gained fame in 1969 for uncovering the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. Therefore, he earned the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.
In the 1970s, Hersh reported on the Watergate scandal and revealed the secret U.S. bombing of Cambodia and the CIA’s domestic spying. Moreover, he exposed the U.S. military’s mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq.
Hersh, who won a remarkable five George Polk Awards and two National Magazine Awards, authored 11 books, including the award-winning “The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House.”
Early Life and Roots in Chicago
Seymour Myron “Sy” Hersh was born in Chicago on April 8, 1937. His parents, Isador and Dorothy Hersh, moved to the U.S. from Lithuania and Poland in the 1920s. Isador changed his name to Hersh in 1930. When Seymour was a teenager, he helped out at his family’s dry cleaning store on the South Side of Chicago. After finishing high school in 1954, he went to the University of Chicago and got a degree in history in 1958. Before trying law school in 1959, he briefly worked selling Xerox machines. Unfortunately, he had a tough time in law school and got kicked out in his first year.
Seymour Hersh: Early Journalism Career
Seymour Myron “Sy” Hersh started his journey into journalism after a short time working at Walgreens. In 1959, he began working at the City News Bureau of Chicago, first as a copyboy. Then, he became a crime reporter for seven months. In 1960, he joined the Army Reserves and went through three months of basic training at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
Returning to Chicago in 1961, Hersh started the Evergreen Dispatch. It is a short-lived weekly newspaper for Evergreen Park. Soon, he moved to Pierre, South Dakota, in 1962, working for United Press International (UPI) as a correspondent. Furthermore, he covered the state legislature and wrote about the Oglala Sioux.
In 1963, Hersh came back to Chicago to work for the Associated Press (AP). By 1965, he was reporting on the Pentagon from the AP’s Washington, D.C., bureau. During this time, Hersh developed his investigative style, often leaving scheduled press briefings to interview high-ranking officers during lunch. In 1966, he turned his attention to the increasing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, covering topics like draft reform, pilot shortages, and the U.S. bombing of civilian targets in North Vietnam, information revealed by New York Times correspondent Harrison Salisbury.
Hersh’s Revelations on U.S. Policies
Hersh became part of AP’s first special investigative unit. Unhappy with changes made to his article about secretive U.S. chemical and biological weapons programs, he left and became a freelancer.
Moreover, Hersh wrote six articles in national magazines detailing the government’s growing weapons stockpiles and collaboration with universities and corporations.
This research became the basis for his first book, “Chemical and Biological Warfare: America’s Hidden Arsenal” (1968). The Dugway sheep incident, caused by an aerial test of VX nerve agent, and Hersh’s reporting led to public hearings and international pressure, influencing the Nixon administration’s decision to end the U.S. biological weapons program in 1969.
Impactful Years at The New York Times
In the first months of 1968, Hersh worked as the press secretary for anti–Vietnam War candidate Senator Eugene McCarthy in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries. After resigning before the Wisconsin primary, he returned to journalism as a freelance reporter focusing on Vietnam.
In April 1972, Seymour Hersh joined The New York Times as an investigative journalist, becoming instrumental in the Watergate scandal’s coverage. Moreover, his pivotal article on January 14, 1973, revealed ongoing hush money payments to Watergate burglars shifting focus from the break-in to its cover-up. Also. Hersh wrote over 40 articles in 1973, exposing FBI negligence and revealing grand jury testimonies. So. it contributed significantly to Nixon’s impeachment discussions.
Seymour Hersh: Impactful Years at The New York Times
Furthermore, Hersh navigated a delicate situation with the CIA over “Project Jennifer,” postponing its revelation to avoid international tension. He exposed CIA interference in Chile and unveiled Operation CHAOS, a massive CIA domestic program. Moreover, Hersh’s reporting on Holystone revealed the U.S. Navy’s unauthorized spy program inside the Soviet Union.
Throughout the ’70s, Hersh continued investigative journalism, contributing to the exposure of Panama’s Manuel Noriega and shedding light on CIA domestic activities. Hersh’s career showcased a relentless pursuit of truth, impacting politics, journalism, and public awareness.
Seymour Hersh: The Controversial Ghouta Incident
Seymour Hersh covered Syria extensively, particularly focusing on chemical attacks during the Syrian Civil War. In December 2013, he published an article in the London Review of Books challenging the Obama administration’s claims about the August 21, 2013, sarin attack in Ghouta. Hersh argued that the intelligence was “cherry-picked” to blame the Assad government and justify military intervention. He suggested that al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda branch, was capable of producing sarin.
In a subsequent article in April 2014, Hersh alleged that the Ghouta attack was a false flag operation orchestrated by al-Nusra with support from the Turkish government. He claimed that the U.S. and the UK, with funding from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, facilitated a supply chain of weapons to Syrian rebels.
Hersh contended that Turkey’s intelligence aided al-Nusra in producing sarin. These claims were disputed, with critics pointing to evidence supporting the Syrian government’s responsibility for the attack.
Seymour Hersh’s Provocative Exposés in 2023
In February 2023, Seymour Hersh, in a Substack article, made a startling claim. He asserted that under President Joe Biden, the U.S. led the sabotage of Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. Therefore, it led to the disruption of Russian gas supply to Germany.
Allegedly carried out by U.S. Navy divers in collaboration with Norway, the attack aimed to curtail Russian economic influence in Europe. Also, Hersh’s report faced scrutiny, with open-source intelligence questioning details.
The responsible party was initially unknown, leading to investigations by Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Hersh’s revelations stirred controversy, drawing the attention of independent and European media. Moreover, subsequent claims by Hersh in April 2023 accused Ukrainian officials of embezzling $400 million in U.S. aid.
Life Lessons from Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh’s life teaches us the power of truth-seeking journalism. His courage in uncovering hidden facts, from My Lai to Watergate, shows the impact one person can have on shaping public awareness. Moreover, Hersh’s legacy inspires us to question authority and strive for transparency in the pursuit of a just society.
