Dear Gene-Thomas,

You made a point in a recent article that justice is often achieved when Congress becomes involved in wrongdoings that might otherwise be covered-up. Many of us who served on USS LIBERTY would argue that not only the Department of Defense, but even Congress can be compromised….

Name withheld by request

Dear LIBERTY survivor,

Prior to receiving your letter, I had very limited knowledge of the events surrounding the attack on USS LIBERTY (GTR-5) in which you lost 34 of your shipmates. Like most Americans, I was led to believe that the attack was a tragic accident. After reading everything I could possibly find about the attack, including contact with LIBERTY survivors, I believe this may be one of the most egregious cover-ups in the history of our country (similar to the Soviet cover-up of the Katyn Wood massacre of 4,500 Polish soldiers). Many of the LIBERTY survivors are far more upset with our government for the way it covered-up what happened than they are with the Israelis who undertook the attack.

For those unfamiliar with the attack, here are the facts: On June 8, 1967, the intelligence ship USS LIBERTY, operating in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula, was attacked by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats. In addition to being hit by several rockets and armor piercing rounds fired by Israeli aircraft, the ship was also set ablaze by napalm. When the ship was still afloat after the air attack that lasted some 25 minutes, three Israeli motor torpedo boats were ordered to sink the ship. Only one five torpedoes fired hit the ship that caused the deaths of 26 sailors in addition to 8 that were killed by the earlier air attacks. The wounded Captain’s orders to “Abandon Ship” were rescinded when it was learned that the Israelis were firing upon and sinking the life boats. In all, 34 men were killed and 171 were wounded. The remains of five sailors were never found.

When LIBERTY sent distress messages that were received by various listening stations and ships in the Mediterranean, ready aircraft were launched from USS SARATOGA to aid the besieged ship. Only minutes following their launch, RADM Lawrence Geis, the battle group commander, received a message from Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to have the aircraft recalled. When the planes were recalled, RADM Geis thought that McNamara was afraid some of the aircraft might be carrying nuclear weapons. He immediately reconfigured a flight with aircraft that could not carry nukes, relaunched from both USS SARATOGA and USS AMERICA, and again notified Washington. Again, McNamara ordered them recalled. When RADM Geis finally received a voice message from McNamara authorizing him to launch aircraft, it was already too late. By the time the aircraft arrived at the scene of the attack, the Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats were long gone. The first ship that arrived on the scene to offer assistance was the Russian guided missile destroyer 626/4.
 
At 0600 on the day of the attack, an Israeli maritime reconnaissance aircraft reported seeing “a US Navy cargo type ship…bearing the hull markings GTR-5.”  Even though witnesses on board LIBERTY testified that the attack was preceded by several very close over-flights of Israeli aircraft, the Israelis claimed that they misidentified USS LIBERTY for an Egyptian ship and the attack was completely accidental.

Within 24 hours of the attack, the Navy convened a formal Court of Inquiry into the attack. This particular inquiry was unusual in that the President and members appointed to the court were directed to complete their investigative proceedings within just one week. The hastily prepared Court record was classified Top Secret and withheld from public scrutiny for many years. When Captain Ward Boston, the JAG Officer appointed to serve as Counsel to the Navy Court of Inquiry examined a copy of the Court record released years later under the Freedom of Information Act, he declared it a fraud saying, “It is not the record I certified and submitted in 1967.” Lloyd Painter, USS LIBERTY Officer of the Deck and retired secret service agent of 24 years, testified that his statement mentioned in the report, “that the Israeli torpedo boat crews machine gunned the USS Liberty inflatable life boats” was removed from the final report that was submitted in 1967.
Congressional representatives were very quick to call for an investigation into the 1968 North Korean attack on USS PUEBLO that resulted in the death of one US sailor. Why is the attack on the LIBERTY that involved the deaths of 34 sailors the only incident involving serious damage to a major US ship that has not been investigated by Congress since the sinking of the MAINE in Havana harbor in 1898? Why is it that no US Senator or Congressman over the past 39 years has had the moral courage to call for a Congressional Investigation into this most tragic event?

Anyone interested in learning more about the attack on the LIBERTY and claims by survivors that the truth has been covered-up is encouraged to read Assault On the Liberty by James Ennes and Operation Cyanide by Peter Hounam. Ennes is a LIBERTY officer who survived the attack. Hounam is a BBC investigative reporter with 30 years’ experience. The survivors of the LIBERTY have a website (www.ussliberty.org) that also provides a plethora of information including a recent formal report filed with the Department of Defense entitled: “A Report: War Crimes Committed Against U.S. Military Personnel, June 8, 1967.”

Gene-Thomas Gomulka
Author of The Survival Guide for Marriage in the Military available at www.plaintec.net
Have a question? Write Gene-Thomas at letters@plaintec.net

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