Chelsea Manning was not involved in the "collateral murder" leak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_12,_2007,_Baghdad_airstri...
https://www.sparrowmedia.net/bradley-manning-providence-inqu...
True, he testified and said it was an unclassified video. You're right. However, the ire of the State was such that you'd think it had been, and that's the point. How can whistle-blowers like Manning or Snowden be treated in this manner when all they're doing is exposing the material that should be afforded to every citizen to scrutinize, and if I'm honest if we did we would stop calling the US anything but yet another Empire with all the Human Right's violations that they all commit. Moreover, he isn't alone: so many from Binney, Drake etc... This is systemic Imperial decree that is masked as Law when in reality we've been here before with the Pentagon papers and Daniel Ellsberg.
In short, I don't think there are 'good guys' in this narrative of Police vs Military and both need to be vastly reformed.
From the very inception of this country, its General who led the Revolution stated that Government is a necessary evil, and should be regarded as such with certain vanguards that protect the People from the eventual Tyranny (even his own) that they all succumb to. Jefferson then went on to enshrine into the Deceleration of Independence and his philosophy leading up to his presidency, which was underwhelming by his standards of radical, and fringe Idealism he had supported up until then.
I disagree entirely, and despite my preference with Ed as his involvement encompasses Bitcoin, general cryptonerd stuff and the fact that I really enjoyed the 1/2 of Permanent Record I read, I still think Manning has shown great conviction under horrible circumstances and continues to Freedom Fight under constant horrible duress and personal harm.
I don't have heroes, but if I did the two would hold equally high positions given the efforts to inform the public at personal sacrifice to their careers and Life.