Click for American Eagle

Torpedo hole as seen from drydock in Malta
click picture for larger image

This web site is dedicated to the memory of thirty-four fine young men
who gave their lives on June 8, 1967, defending the USS Liberty
against a sustained air and sea attack by the armed forces of the State of Israel

During the Six Day War between Israel and the Arab States, the American intelligence ship
USS Liberty was attacked for 75 minutes in international waters by Israeli aircraft and
motor torpedo boats. Thirty-four men died and 172 were wounded.

The attack has been a matter of controversy ever since. Survivors and many key government officials
including Secretary of State Dean Rusk and former JCS Chairman Admiral Thomas Moorer say it was
no accident. Israel and its supporters insist it was a "tragic case of misidentification" and charge that the
survivors are either lying or too emotionally involved to see the truth.

Israel claims they mistook our ship for the out-of-service Egyptian horse carrier El Quseir
and that we brought the attack upon ourselves by operating in a war zone without displaying a flag. Not so.
We were in international waters, far from any fighting, and flew a bright, clean, new American flag.
The flag we flew is on display at the National Cryptologic Museum,
Fort Meade, Maryland and can be seen there, or in the USS Liberty Images Archive.

Our commanding officer, Captain William Loren McGonagle, received the Congressional Medal of Honor
for conspicuous gallantry and intrepedity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty during the attack.
The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest award our country can bestow.
To avoid embarrassing our attackers, Captain McGonagle's Medal of Honor was presented in a quiet ceremony
in the Washington Navy Yard instead of in the White House by the President as is customary.

The USS Liberty Web Page presents part of the story
along with some historical information and links to other sources.


More about the USS Liberty.

The USS Liberty Memorial Web Site is a creation of Jim Ennes and Joe Meadors, survivors of the attack,
with support and encouragement from the USS Liberty Veterans Association
and special help from John Gidusko and Gary Harvey

Joe was a signalman on the bridge during the attack
and is a former chairman and president of the USS Liberty Veterans Association

Jim was an officer on the bridge when the attack started
and is author of Assault on the Liberty (Random House 1980; Ballantine 1986) which tells the story

The University of Kansas Military History Department has named this
The Top Military History Web Site in the United States
Check that and other awards we have received.

TRY OUR NEW SEARCH TOOL

Search this site or the web powered by FreeFind Site search Web search

NEW AND SPECIAL

Assault on the Liberty is back in print

We have friends in Istanbul!

And in Moscow

Navy Times reports on Liberty

BBC FOUR reports on Liberty film

The Washington Report
on Middle East Affairs
is now a daily online journal

The Washington Report
now offers more than 100
articles about the USS Liberty

New USS Liberty web site by Dr. John Borne

Washington Report and Navy Times articles

Letter to President Bush

WEBMASTERS:
Add a USS Liberty link to your site.

Please sign our petition calling for a Congressional Investigation
The attack on our ship is the only major maritime incident in American history not investigated by Congress.
Your signature could help change that.
Ethnic slurs are inappropriate and unwelcome. They will be removed.

Statement in Congressional Record
by Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
June 6, 2002

Body of Secrets
provides new Liberty revelations

Listen to complete sound clips from several Liberty radio and national television appearances


A courageous legislator describes the political cost of supporting the USS Liberty

Four Liberty survivors discussed the attack and cover-up live online on
Victor Ostrovsky's Spy Talk radio show Sunday, December 23.
The one hour show is now archived at http://www.spytalk.net
where it can be heard online at any time without commercial interruption.

Why did Israel attack?
A report based on eyewitness accounts from the Israeli press

Our most severe critic, one A. Jay Cristol,
is widely cited as an authority for the position that the attack was a tragic
accident and that we survivors are motivated by politics, money and anti-Semitism.
Read a review of his work by another expert on the subject.

"Coverup: The Attack on the USS Liberty"
is available from http://www2.PulseTV.com for $20 plus $4 shipping.
or from The History Channel's AE TV outlet (1 800 708-1776)
for $20 plus $5 shipping.

Francis Brown died in the attack

New CD by Jim Makris honors USS Liberty

Captain William McGonagle died March 3, 1999

Statement by JCS Chairman Admiral Thomas H. Moorer

June 13 Tribute by columnist Jerry Jonas

Liberty web sites by other USS Liberty crewmen

An open letter to Senator John Warner from a Liberty widow

Intelligence or submarine professionals:
Can you help us gather more information?

Captain McGonagle's letter to President Clinton
Your comments are invited

The Retired Officer, August 1998, honors our skipper & discusses the attack

Neo-Nazis embarrass Liberty Survivors

There was a witness!

Important new report by historian John Borne, Ph.D.,
with introductory remarks by John Mahoney
and supporting expert opinion by Admiral Thomas Moorer

Is this site fair and balanced?
Charley Reese reviews new book about USS Liberty
Published feedback from Reese's review
Author Tom Clancy about the USS Liberty
Hear the story in their own words with Real Audio Player
Naval Institute Proceedings article by historian Richard K. Smith
San Antonio Express-News interviews US Marine Survivor
Orlando Sentinel on Israeli policies and USS Liberty
Why was Liberty abandoned under fire?
Japanese magazine highlights USS Liberty Home Page
Morrisville, Pennsylvania, remembers USS Liberty
The Phoenix Gazette compares Israeli excuses for carnage

THE SHIP THE CREW THE ATTACK THE COVER-UP

BOOKS	FILES	PICTURES	MEMORIALS and AWARDS	WE SAY	THEY SAY
Charley Reese reviews Borne's book	File list	photo gallery is back	Memorials to our lost shipmates	Ask Survivors and others	Apologist Hank Roth attacks survivors
Books about the attack	Israel's official excuse	Our ship looked like this	Governor Clinton honors our ship	Survivor Sturman remarks	IDF Historian supports the excuse
More books and articles about the attack	Legal advisor rejects Israel's excuse	and this	President Clinton honors our ship	Survivor Hrankowski remarks	Yitzhak Rabin supports the excuse
Sample chapter from Jim's book	Dean Rusk rejects the excuse	They say they mistook us for this	Cities & States honor our ship	Survivor Lentini remarks	Chaim Herzog supports the excuse
How to order Jim's book	Clark Clifford rejects the excuse	The result was this	American Legion honors our ship	Jim Ennes remarks	Hirsch Goodman supports the excuse
Naval Institute reviews Jim's book	Lyndon Johnson rejects the excuse	and this	Grafton, Wisconsin honors the ship	George Ball rejects the excuse	Abba Eban supports the excuse
Washington Post reviews Jim's book	JCS Chairman rejects the excuse	and this	The US Navy honors the ship	James Bamford rejects the excuse	Robert McNamara accepts the excuse
Ennes reviews Borne's book	Navy Under Secretary rejects the excuse	and this	Awards and Medals	Adlai Stevenson rejects the excuse	Stewart Steven supports the excuse
The Aegean Park Press book	Intelligence Professionals reject the excuse	and this	Annual Ceremony by No Greater Love	Jim's 1981 Defense Electronics article	Dan Raviv supports the excuse
San Antonio Express reviews Borne's book	US Navy Court of Inquiry testimony	Pictures from the Navy Historical Center	.....	The story of the attack in a few words	Israeli "torpedoman" tells his story
.....	.....	More pictures from the Navy Historical Center	.....	.....	An Israeli speaks out
.....	.....	.....	.....	.....	Michael Oren in Azure
.....	.....	.....	.....	.....	More Michael Oren

MORE ABOUT USS LIBERTY

ARTICLES	ARTICLES	* * * * *	* * * * *	* * * * *	* * * * *
.....	.....	How to order memorabilia	Other pages with Liberty Links	.....	Roster of the crew
.....	.....	How to order the video	Download all these files	LBJ Library Liberty archives	List of Casualties
.....	.....	What people are saying	Who is Joe Meadors?	What was USS Liberty	Memorials
.....	.....	Navy Historical Center on USS Liberty	Who is Jim Ennes?	.....	Arlington Cemetery list of casualties
.....	.....	Navy Historical Center on Captain McGonagle	.....	.....	.....
.....	.....	.....	.....	.....	.....