21/07/2026
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in honoring the men of the USS Liberty, urging the declassification of all records relating to the June 8, 1967, attack, and affirming that the lives and safety of United States citizens and servicemembers shall be paramount in the conduct of United States foreign policy.
Whereas, on June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty and her crew of 294 was operating in international waters;
Whereas, an unprovoked attack by Israeli warplanes and torpedo boats resulted in the death of 34 Americans and the wounding of 174 others;
Whereas, Israeli mirage jets conducted multiple sorties, attacking the USS Liberty with rockets, cannons, and na**lm, and following the air assault, three Israeli motor torpedo boats fired multiple torpedoes, one of which struck the Liberty on the starboard side;
Whereas, eyewitness accounts from crew members of the USS Liberty testified that three lifeboats that had been launched in an attempt by crew to save the most seriously wounded were machine-gunned by Israeli torpedo boats;
Whereas, upon receiving distress signals from the USS Liberty, the USS Saratoga and the USS America launched aircraft in response to the attack to defend the Liberty;
Whereas, all of the aircraft were recalled before they were able to assist the Liberty;
Whereas, under the command of the severely wounded Captain William L. McGonagle, the officers and crew of the USS Liberty fought alone for 17 hours to save their ship, care for their wounded shipmates, and overcome severe battle damage, often placing themselves in extremely hazardous situations with complete disregard for their own safety, until they finally rendezvoused with the USS Davis, USS Massey, and USS Little Rock;
Whereas, having suffered through the attack and subsequent recovery, the crew were informed that under penalty of arrest, fines, and imprisonment, they were forbidden to speak about the incident which further compounded the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress;
