The USS Liberty Story by Ernie Gallo

 THE USS LIBERTY STORY

 

The USS Liberty – the most decorated Navy ship (single action)

PURPOSE -- The USS Liberty Veterans Association (LVA) has tried for over 53 years to expose the true story of the deliberate Israeli attack on the USS Liberty to the American people through books, news media, movies, and letters to the President of the United States and congressmen.  The mission of the LVA is to pursue the publication of the true story.  While we have encountered politicians and news media personnel who were willing to help, they have been unable to interest their superiors or others in supporting our cause.  Due to political correctness, many people believe it is just too risky to say anything negative about Israel.    FYI:  The USS Liberty is the most decorated US Navy ship in the history of the Navy for a single action.

THE ISSUE -- The Israelis and the US Government do not want the truth to be told.  It is obvious that they fear that America may be less of a supportive ally if the truth were known.  The truth of their deeds and the Johnson Administration require an objective and complete investigation.  Congress has never officially investigated the attack and so the attack continues to be a cover-up of the worst magnitude.  The House has a constitutional mandate to “define and punish Pirates and Felonies committed on the high seas and offenses against the Law of Nations (Article 1, section 8)”.  Regarding the Arab/Israeli ’67 War, we believe the operational plan was Operation Cyanide.  We have discovered that the USS Liberty was part of this plan.  This document should be declassified immediately and released to the American public for analytical historic purposes.  The complicity of the Israelis and the Johnson Administration in starting the Six Day War alarmed the Soviet Union.  When the Soviets suspected that the U.S. was planning to enter the war militarily, they challenged President Johnson with a military confrontation and President Johnson wisely backed down from any further military activities leaving Israel to fend for themselves.  On June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty was now a perceived threat to Israel’s war agenda and they were not entertaining peace until the Golan Heights were taken a few days later.  It is obvious that an American/Soviet confrontation did not matter to them -- just so long as the Soviets stayed out of their way.

SYNOPSIS OF OUR STORY -- On June 8, 1967, the Israeli Defense Forces murdered 34 Americans on the high seas (31 sailors, 2 marines, and a NSA civilian).  Out of a total compliment of 294 men, 70% of the crew became casualties as 174 were wounded in addition to the 34 killed.  Israel’s use of a torpedo attack was the willful attempted murder of 294 Americans on the high seas.

For 6 hours the morning of the attack, the ship was subjected to intense scrutiny by Israeli photo-reconnaissance aircraft, 12 over flights, flying as low as 200 feet.  The USS Liberty had traditional American markings on her bow (GTR-5) and stern (USS LIBERTY) and flying a large American Flag standing out in the breeze.  She was sailing in international waters off the Egyptian coast on a clear and sunny day.  The ship was a WWII victory hull cargo ship, lightly armed with four 50 caliber machine guns for repel boarder purposes.  Her military mission was to monitor, intercept, and record all radio transmissions in the ambient ether.  The attack occurred in three coordinated phases (Israeli Air Force, Navy, and Marines)

(Phase 1) Following aircraft observations, the Israelis began the attack with 3 fighter jets which strafed, rocketed, and bombed the Liberty.  (Phase 2) This was followed with 3 torpedo boats that fired 40mm canons and torpedoes.  Since the Liberty was a virtually unarmed vessel and not a military threat, at no time did the torpedo boats request the Liberty surrender as did the North Koreans regarding the USS Pueblo in 1968.  The Israeli choice that day was live target practice as the USS Liberty could not fight back.  The motor torpedo boats leisurely circled the ship shooting at anything that moved and whatever target suited their whim.  It defies logic as to why they expended so many munitions on a defenseless ship unless they were trying to send the United States a message.  When they were finished, the Liberty was riddled with 821 holes, sustained 2 napalm bombs, and a torpedo blowing a 24 by 39 foot hole in her starboard side.  Miraculously, the Liberty refused to sink and was able to get underway under her own power.  It was obvious to the Liberty crew that survivors were not to be taken as the Israelis were observed machine gunning life rafts and fire fighters.  

At the beginning of the attack, the Liberty Radiomen and Electronic Technicians attempted to send a May Day.  Responding to our SOS about 15 minutes into the Israeli attack, the USS Saratoga launched conventionally armed fighter aircraft to assist the USS Liberty.  Our SOS did not identify the attacker at the time as the identity of the attacker was unknown.  Within minutes after the launch, the White House recalled all aircraft abandoning the USS Liberty subjecting her to an additional 1 hour of an Israeli turkey shoot.  In disbelief, RADM Raymond Geis, Sixth Fleet Carrier Division Commander, challenged the order (as was his right and responsibility in this situation).  Unbelievably, the White House again reaffirmed the order to recall all aircraft despite her plea for help.  Without an investigation, it cannot be determined if Sixth fleet aircraft would have prevented the Israeli torpedo boat attack and ended all hostility thus preventing the torpedo attack murdering 25 of the 34 crew.

(Phase 3) When hostilities ceased, helicopters were observed overhead with Israeli commandos at the ready to finish us off.  Fortuitously, the Israelis intercepted an invalid message that U.S. help was on the way (the Israelis had no way of knowing that the aircraft were recalled).  Israel was reluctantly forced to terminate its ongoing attack.  Ironically help did not arrive until 18 hours after the attack when the Liberty was only 15 air minutes away from USS Saratoga and USS America fighter jets.  In addition to the loss of American lives, Israelis destroyed one of the most advanced intelligence ships.  

Proof that Israel positively knew that she was attacking an American ship:  Three Air Force intelligence personnel at different locations and unaware of each others responsibilities (Ronald Gotcher, Steve Forslund, and Richard Block), observed real time U.S. Air Force Security Group aircraft translations (Hebrew to English) of intercept discussions between the attacking Israel fighter pilots and their ground controllers.  The ground control station asked the pilots to confirm the target was American and they replied “yes”.  Ground control then ordered the aircraft to attack and sink the target and ensure no survivors.

In conjunction with the above, another confirmation that the attack was deliberate comes from the Israeli State Archives (Ha’aretz, Israel’s leading newspaper).  That is, U.S. Ambassador (Amb.) to the UN, Arthur Goldberg revealed to Israeli Amb. Abraham Harman that the Americans managed to record the Israeli pilots during the attack and the recordings proved they knew their target was an American vessel.  Goldberg told Harman there was only one way out of the crisis:  Israel had to put someone on trial which never happened.

The subsequent US Naval Court of inquiry was a sham.  It sorely lacked naval judicial standards (as cited by Rear Admiral Merlin Staring, former Judge Advocate General of the Navy) and was deliberately falsified to compliment the Israeli story (as observed by retired Navy Lawyer, Captain Ward Boston in a sworn affidavit).  Details acquired were either changed or dropped so that the Israeli version indicated that the attack was a tragic mistake.  The orders to falsify came directly from President Johnson.   This is obstruction of justice at the highest levels.  The rights of 291 military personnel were violated.

The survivors of the USS Liberty were told never to talk about the incident under penalty of fine and/or imprisonment.  Military orders that followed were in line with the White House which was not to indicate on any documents, monuments, and the like that Israel was the attacker.  As an example, the USS Liberty skipper, Captain William McGonagle was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions to keep the ship afloat and operational, saving countless lives.  His award was given to him not by President Johnson at the White House which was the custom.  The Captain’s medal was presented to him by the Secretary of the Navy at a low level Washington Navy Yard ceremony and his citation lacked any mention of an Israeli attack.

Note:  Everything written heretofore and the remaining details are accurate and can be proven by corroborated individual witness testimony, logical deduction, and documentation.  

CONCLUSION -- What a crime it would be for historical reasons if the US Government continues to lie about details of the Six Day War.  In the end, truth always wins out.  What a shame for elected officials who will not stand up to be counted.  For the sake of our fallen 34 shipmates, we will not give up. They deserve justice!  On June 8, 2005, the LVA filed a War Crimes Report against Israel in compliance with a Department of Defense Directive.  The Pentagon has indicated that no investigation will take place.  The LVA only asks for a complete and honest investigation.    

The crew of the USS Liberty did everything possible not to give up our ship and fight the only way we could by maintaining our vital engineering propulsion machinery, water tight integrity, and most of all help keep our wounded alive.  With the decorations mentioned, we have been dishonored and chastised by the lies of Israel and our Government.  The United States Government does not understand that by joining the Israeli lie (that the attack was a case of mistaken identity), they:  make the LVA appear as Jewish bigots; frustrate our efforts to distance ourselves from Neo-Nazi organization that use us thereby aiding the bigot label; ignore the fact that since Israel used a torpedo, this was the attempted murder of 294 Americans; and, never pressed Israel for the perpetrators of the attack.  They:  do not realize the embarrassment to the crew as we are considered the “bad guys” for speaking up; put the Israeli relationship over and above the crew of the USS Liberty; and, dishonors the crew and our lost shipmates by making us a politically correct item of the day.   Time after time, the eye witnesses of the attack, the Liberty crew, are called conspiracy theorist.  Because the event involved Israel and compounded by a state lie, we are automatically labeled – a bunch of whiners.  I guess we are supposed to keep our mouths shut – after all, Israel is our ally.  I suppose if no one was killed or wounded, we could possibly do that.  However, the fact that 34 were murdered, 174 wounded, and they attempted to murder 294 Americans, we would be remiss as Americans if we did not speak out as our 34 shipmates would have died for nothing.   

WE NEED YOU

After reading this article, if your American spirit is challenged, please write to the President of the United States and your congressmen requesting an official investigation.  If enough citizens demand to know the truth, the pressure may be too great for our distracters to stop us.  Make no mistake, our society will be the winners when the complete truth of the attack on the USS Liberty and the Six Day War (June 67) are fully understood.  The US Government can then stop living this lie and history can then be recorded accurately.  Your Tax deductible contributions are also gladly accepted.  Please help!  Become an Associate member of the USS Liberty Veteran Association for $20.00 and receive our periodic newsletter.   Since we are 501c3 tax exempt, all desperately  needed donations are tax deductible.

God bless America and may God give our officials the grace and courage to do the right thing and initiate a proper and honest investigation.    

Ernest A. Gallo Former CTM-2, USS Liberty Survivor, President, USS Liberty Veterans Association, ernie7900@aol.com

REFERENCES

Books:  Liberty Injustices – A Survivor’s Account of American  Bigotry: author, Ernest A. Gallo

            Beyond Treason – author Robert J. Allen, JD

             Enemies Within – author Clint Burnette

Blood in the Water – author Joan Mellen

             Remember the Liberty, author Phillip Nelson

              Eagles Are Gathering, author, Merlin Miller

              Erasing the Liberty , author, Phil Tourney

Assault on The Liberty; author, James Ennes, Jr.

              Guilt By Association, author, Jeff Gates

              The Attack on the Liberty, author, James Scott

              Body of Secrets; author, James Bamford

Films:  Sacrificing Liberty

Justice for the Liberty

Dead in the Water; BBC Films

Web Sites: www/usslibertydcoumentcenter.org

 www.usslibertyveterans.org

List:  Over 30 prominent US Officials, Admirals, and authors who believe the attack was deliberate.  Among them are: Admiral Thomas Moorer (former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), Richard Helms (former CIA Director), and Dean Rusk (former Secretary of State).  A complete list provided upon request.  Other documents can also be provided upon request.  Email “ernie7900@aol.com”.  

You can also contact us at the following address

USS Liberty Veterans Association

PO Box 680275

Marietta, GA 30068

770-363-3986

          

Captain William McGonagle, USN (ret.)

Medal of Honor Recipient