LETTERS

The U.S.S. Liberty Massacre

Posted 6/6/13

To the Editor:

The U.S.S. Liberty sailed into the Gaza Strip in June of 1967. An intelligence gathering ship, she carried elaborate gear to locate both Israeli and Egyptian radio and radar …

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LETTERS

The U.S.S. Liberty Massacre

Posted

To the Editor:

The U.S.S. Liberty sailed into the Gaza Strip in June of 1967. An intelligence gathering ship, she carried elaborate gear to locate both Israeli and Egyptian radio and radar installations and to monitor and tap all military messages sent between command posts and the battlefield. The crew of the U.S.S. Liberty was a well-trained group of sailors, having received intensive experience in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

At 0720 on June 8, the U.S.S. Liberty was floating 13 miles off the coast of El Arish, Sinai, in international waters, flying the American flag. At 1403 hours, the U.S.S. Liberty was attacked by two Israeli jets firing rockets. Following the rocket barrage, the Israelis attacked with napalm. The entire superstructure of the ship was a sheet of flame.

Forty-six years have passed and the name of the U.S.S. Liberty is not very well known. What is known is that 34 American sailors died that day. One hundred and seventy-one were wounded. And yet our staunch allies, the Israelis, have never given any justification for the attack.

We have placated them and paid homage to them for years and yet this atrocity was swept under the rug by the United States for many, many years. Is it any wonder that the Arab World reviles us?

We fear the Israelis to such an extent as to allow them to kill our sailors and do nothing but sit back and praise them for their so-called courage.

John Cervone

North Providence 

Comments

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  • Ronk67

    I am one of the survivors of the deliberate attack on the USS Liberty. I happen to have been the petty officer in charge of the body recovery. There are no words to describe the carnage from this attack. They claim it was a mistake, and yet our own government awarded us all the Combat Action Ribbon. One does not get that ribbon form friendly fire. There have been books written about friendly fire and the IDF claims that is what we were subjected to. Well the USG must not agree must the Combat Action Ribbon is only given to those who are subjected to hostile actions. There are about thirty of so VIP's of that era who left statements saying this was no mistake. Those people include former Sec of State Dean Rusk, former Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Thomas Mooere, plus many others. We are giving a lot of money to a country that has murdered our own people. They had it all that day. They should have been able to put the Liberty to the bottom as they intended but instead their ineptness gave us an opening and we survived. All of but 34 made it through. Looking Satan in the eye and surviving.

    Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Report this

  • rtwhit55

    We have been doing their dirty work for years. They argue that a solution to the Palesinian problem can only be resolved through megotiations between the two,and not from the U.N. But how was Israel created? From the U.N.! Netenyahu does not,and never will,allow a legitimate and free Palestinian State as long as he is Prime Minister.

    Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Report this