As a magazine reporter early in the Vietnam War, Tony Plattner wrote a highly acclaimed fourteen-part series for Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine. It was noted for its accuracy and forecasts of a long-term involvement if the Johnson administration did not change its inept strategy. With his integrity at risk, he fought back tenaciously against the Defense Department's attempt to convict him first as a criminal under the Espionage Act and later to cashier him prematurely from the Marine Reserve. The resulting decade-long battle was met with ingenuity, grit, determination and support from many sources and resulted in ultimate resolution in his favor.
