THIS IS THE USS LIBERTY DATABASE AND HISTORICAL WEB SITE
This historical address remains available by popular demand because it is widely linked
CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR NEW PRIMARY WEB SITE

This is the USS Liberty Memorial Web Site
honoring the memory of thirty four Americans
who were brutally killed by the Armed Forces of Israel
on June 8, 1967.

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 174 were wounded.

The attack, which was a war crime, has been a matter of controversy ever since. Survivors and many key government officials including Secretary of State Dean Rusk, former JCS Chairman Admiral Thomas Moorer, and nearly every senior American intelligence professional 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 when the torpedo boats approached is on display at the National Cryptologic Museum, Fort Meade, Maryland and can be seen there, or in the USS Liberty Images Archive. The flag we flew during most of the air attack is on permanent display at Michigan's Own Military and Space Museum Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Our commanding officer, Captain William Loren McGonagle, received the Congressional Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity 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

Rescue efforts the next day
click for larger image

The USS Liberty Memorial Web Site is a creation of Jim Ennes and Joe Meadors, survivors of the attack, with support and encouragement from other USS Liberty survivors.

Joe was a signalman on the bridge during the attack and is president and a long-time board member 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; Reintree Press 2003, 2004, 2007) 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.