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The U.S.S. Liberty
by: James Ennes
May - June
1992
The Link - Volume 25, Issue 2
Page 1
May-June 1984
The U.S.S. Liberty
James Ennes
Jim Ennes was the Officer of the Deck during Israel’s 1967 attack on the U.S.S. Liberty which left 34 U.S. servicemen dead and 171 injured. His account of that attack, Assault on the Liberty, has become a standard reference for subsequent books and documentaries. In 1981, he and other survivors formed the U.S.S. Liberty Veterans Association, whose purpose is to remember and honor their shipmates who were killed. Jim’s Link account of the attack proved to be one of our most requested issues ever.
Since I wrote for The Link , at least a dozen leaders in the Lyndon Johnson administration have stepped forward to say publicly that the attack was no accident and that the Israeli cover-up and refusal-to-cooperate prevented the U.S. from investigating properly. Dean Rusk, Clark Clifford and Joseph Califano have all written books in the last two years saying as much, and Califano went on to say that President Johnson said privately that he considered the attack to be deliberate.
Only former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara is clearly on record denying that the attack was deliberate, and his denial is widely circulated by the Israeli Embassy to people who inquire. However, when survivors ask Mr. McNamara the basis for his belief, he denies having any recollections of the U.S.S. Liberty attack at all. This, despite the fact that a photograph in my book actually depicts him giving an order to the fleet during the crisis.
We have heard from a number of insiders on the Israeli side, including an Israeli pilot who tells us he was court martialled for refusing to attack an American ship. His story is supported by that of a former Israeli major who saw the orders being issued, and by a retired career diplomat who actually heard the Israeli pilots reporting during the attack that ours was an American ship. A former Israeli official tells us that two men went to prison for refusing to attack.
Meanwhile, American public support remains strong. At least 22 public memorials have been created or are in production in memory of the men who died. These include four Navy barracks, two flagpoles, several memorial marker stones, two museum displays, the ship’s bell on display at Liberty High School in Washington State, the Navy’s new Aegis Weapons Training Building in San Diego named in memory of Liberty gunner Alexander Thompson, and a new million dollar public library named for the ship by the people of Grafton, Wisconsin. Almost 100 motion picture producers have inquired, and three documentary films have been completed. The best, by Sligo Productions in Los Angeles, is available on video. A commercial effort by Thames Television in London was seen in the U.S. on The Discovery Channel and on 20/20 with Barbara Walters. Another version was shown recently at prime time on NBC television. In both cases, survivors were persuaded to cooperate by promises to tell our story. Then, after filming was completed, both producers slanted the story to favor the Israeli version, ignoring evidence we provided to show that the Israeli version is untrue.
The governors of nine states, including California, Texas, New York, Washington and New Jersey, have recognized the Liberty by naming June 8, “U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Day.” Several cities did the same, including Omaha, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and the District of Columbia. Milwaukee and the District of Columbia, however, withdrew the honor after spokesmen for Israel complained.
Several members of Congress have written strong letters expressing support. Ted Kennedy, for instance, had his staff study the attack for over a year, then issued a statement declaring that “everything humanly possible must be done” to find the truth in the Liberty attack. That letter, however, represented the pinnacle of Kennedy’s willingness to help.
Survivors have waited 25 years for Congress to remove the scales from its eyes. We are still waiting. I know of no one who thinks we should stop trying.
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