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Tioga County Resolution"Monk" Delmotte can be reached delmotte@ynt.net. He deserves a word of gratitude. The resolution: Tioga County Commissioners Resolution R-12-04 Remember The USS LIBERTY Whereas the USS Liberty, AGTR5, a US Navy intelligence gathering ship, was operating in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula on 8 June 1967 and; Whereas the Israeli/Arab 6 day war was in progress and; Whereas the USS Liberty was clearly marked and flying the American flag and; Whereas Israeli military forces strafed, napalmed, and torpedoed the USS Liberty at will with only token resistance from the Liberty machine guns and; Whereas the commanding officer, Captain William McGonagle and the valiant crew attempted to save the ship from total destruction while awaiting US Navy assistance and; Whereas the fighter aircraft launched from the USS Enterprise to rescue the Liberty were recalled under orders from Washington and; Whereas 34 non combatant men, military and civilian, lost their lives in the performance of their duty as well as 172 wounded and; Whereas the Israeli government labeled this assault on a US Navy ship as an "accident" and "mistaken identity" even though the Liberty was clearly marked with hull markings and flying the American flag in a stiff breeze and; Whereas the US Navy and National Security Agency intelligence chiefs familiar with this unprovoked attack by an "allied government" have stated unequivocally that Israeli forces had clearly identified the Liberty; Therefore, be it resolved that the Tioga County Commissioners do hereby declare 8 June as "Remember the USS Liberty" day and order the flag at the Tioga County Courthouse and other County facilities to be flown at half mast in memory and support of the officers, crew, and their families.
Erick J.Coolidge This resolution was passed by the commissioners in 2004 and was reintroduced and passed at their 8 March 2005 meeting. |
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