Liberty’s 51-Year Cover-Up

BY DELINDA HANLEY

The U.S.S. Liberty Veterans Association and the U.S. Navy Memorial co-hosted a memorial service to honor the thirty-four shipmates killed during the June 8, 1967, attack on their ship. Ray McGovern described how Israeli warplanes dropped napalm and fired 30mm cannon and rockets into the ship before sending torpedo boats to try to sink the vessel and machine-gun three of the Liberty’s life rafts. “Intercepted Israeli communications show beyond doubt it was no mistake,” he said.

With 171 men wounded, the crew waited for assistance from U.S. warplanes that never came. When Rear Adm. Lawrence Geis protested the order recalling those planes, Defense Secy. Robert McNamara told him, “President Johnson is not going to war or embarrass an American ally over a few sailors.”