By Nancy C. Thomson

October 24, 2000

here has been extensive coverage of the terrorist attack on USS Cole while it was being refueled in Yemen. US investigators including the FBI immediately set their course for this country to start an investigation. On October 19, a funeral service was held for the 17 sailors who were killed on the USS Cole. In attendance on Pier 12 in Yemen were Clinton and Secretary of Defense Cohen, national security advisor Berger, Attorney General Reno, commanders from the Navy and Marines as well as Yemen’s ambassador to the US. Another 10,000 people across the concrete pier listened respectfully. Some of the wounded seamen were brought in on hospital gurneys to take part in the proceedings.

These very public and high level ceremonial events contrast greatly with an even greater loss of American sailors in 1967. This is relevant because the survivors from the 1967 USS Liberty have formed a group and established a web site to inform the nation about the cover-up of an unrecorded tragedy in US naval history.

On June 8, 1967, the intelligence gatherer USS Liberty was in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea. For more than 6 hours intense photo-reconnaissance low-level flying Israeli aircraft buzzed the US intelligence ship. Intercept operators heard the surveillance pilots telling Israeli headquarters that an American flag was visible and sailors were sunning on the deck.

Not long after the reconnaissance planes left, a carefully orchestrated attack on the Liberty began. The assault on the US ship was started by high –performance Israeli jets. Then more maneuverable planes carrying napalm struck. Later three torpedo boats closed in for the kill. Sailors on the Liberty deck were strafed and those trying to escape in lifeboats were likewise killed. One of the life rafts was loaded aboard a torpedo boat as a souvenir.

The battle lasted more than 2 hours while the Americans were pounded with bombs, rockets, napalm, and machine gun fire. Because it was an intelligence ship its only weapons were two 50-calibor machineguns. Admiral Martin, commander of the 6^th fleet had promised air support for the USS liberty within 10 minutes should any hostility arise.

Although the Israelis jammed the communications on the liberty the crew managed to get out a distress signal to members of the fleet. Captain Tully of the carrier USS Saratoga heard the distress signal while near Crete. He notified Admiral Geis, commander of the 6^th fleet carrier force that he was sending rescue planes unless instructed not to. Twelve fighter-bombers and four tanker planes were launched.

Word was sent from Washington to recall this US air rescue as it was headed toward the Liberty. The planes returned to base for 90 minutes on the pretext of weapons refitting. Again the planes took to the sky and for the second time recalled. Orders to twice recall the air rescue came on the direct orders of Defense Secretary McNamara.

Admiral Geis was disturbed by this refusal to aid a US ship in distress. He went over McNamara’s head to the top, President Lyndon Johnson. Yes, the President had ordered the recall of the US aircraft on the basis that "we didn’t want to embarrass an ally."

While the attack on the Liberty was taking place the Israeli government was busy assuring Washington that the attack on an American ship was accidental. They thought the vessel was Egyptian.

The Liberty’s commanding officer, Captain William McGonagle, refused to leave his post even though bleeding profusely from a leg cut open by shrapnel. By some miracle he managed to steer the crippled Liberty to the location of the Sixth fleet. The torpedo boats left before completely sinking the US ship in fear the American carrier planes might arrive and catch the Israelis attacking.

This one-sided battle cost the lives of 34 US sailors with an additional 171 seriously wounded. What was the cause for this onslaught? It is thought that Israel knew the Liberty could intercept messages from all parties involved in the Six Day War which was in its fourth day. Israel was preparing to take the Golan Heights from Syria despite President Johnson’s objections. Moshe Dayan decided he could keep Washington from advance knowledge of the Syrian seizure by destroying the only source of information---the USS Liberty. They wanted every seaman killed so none would escape with any eavesdropping information.

When the liberty returned with her wounded, a gag order was placed on the crew. Captain Tully was ordered to another region and the rescue pilots were dispersed around the globe.

Then began the propaganda campaign at home.

Clark Clifford was ordered by Johnson to prepare a report without benefit of inquiry accepting the Israeli explanation of mistaken identity. The White House arranged for a US Naval Court to convene in Malta, but the inquest could only focus on the Liberty’s performance under fire. A summary released on the Court’s findings minimized the duration and fierceness of the battle.

This downplaying of the combat action was to be the model for all future public discussions concerning the USS Liberty.

Survivor James Ennes who had been on the bridge during the bombing received a letter from Johnson’s Press Secretary George Christian. He stated that there was some disbelief in Congress that the attack on the Liberty was accidental. However, no investigation was authorized that would cast doubt on Israeli’s version of the "incident."

On June 9, the day after the attack members of the State Department went to Capitol Hill to tell all that the attack was accidental even though an investigation hadn’t even been started. Following suit, Senators Jacob Javits (R-New York) Robert Kennedy (D-New York) and Representative Roman Pucinski (D-Illinois) all gave speeches in congress declaring the Israeli assault was accidental. Although Secretary of State Dean Rusk was fuming in private, the report arriving from the Malta Court made objections by congressmen and others appear unsubstantiated. No survivors were ever allowed to testify before Congress.

Despite the propaganda by both the US and Israel some Americans felt betrayed and their questions kept surfacing. The Israelis were giving out different renditions, there was no flag on the ship, or too small a flag, and it looked like a ghost vessel with no one aboard. Then the statement that they thought the Liberty was the out-of -service Egyptian ship, EL QUSEIR that bared no resemblance whatsoever to the Liberty. Writers Randolph and Winston Churchill parroted the Israeli version for their readers.

Another Israeli account concerned an Egyptian military outpost called El Arish on the Sinai coast. Israel captured this Egyptian outpost on the sixth of June. In a false report the Israelis claimed that El Arish was under bombardment from the sea. They "surmised the bombs were coming from the Liberty."

Wishing to further stop cover-up discussions, publications referred to the survivors as anti-Semites. Requests for interviews on radio, TV and articles by survivor James Ennes were suddenly withdrawn.

Courageous Captain McGonagle who died in 1999, was given the highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Captain received the medal at a quiet ceremony in the Washington Navy Yard instead of a presentation in the White House by the President as is customary. This was done in order to avoid embarrassing Israel. Two Israeli pilots who refused to take part in the bombing of the Liberty were sentenced to 18 years in an Israeli prison.

There is still time, despite 30 years, to right the wrong done to this tragic event in American Naval history. Survivors Jim Ennes and Joe Meadors have created an organization, USS LIBERTY VETERANS ASSOCIATION. Let’s contact veteran’s groups and our congressman now while these men are still living and insist this story be told.

Their web site http://www.ussliberty.com