Herald Tribune

Letters to the Editor 

 

With Death of Medal of Honor Recipient, USS
Liberty Survivors Ask Congress to Listen, Finally

On March 3, Captain William L. McGonagle, USN
(ret.), recipient of the Medal of Honor, our
country's highest award for valor, died at his
home in Palm Springs, CA from lung cancer at the
age of 73. Captain McGonagle commanded the USS
Liberty, an intelligence-gathering ship, which was
attacked by air and naval forces of the State of
Israel killing 34 Americans and seriously wounding
171 others on June 8, 1967. 

The March 8 edition of The Washington Post quoted
the following from the citation of the Medal of
Honor awarded to Captain McGonagle:
"'...subsequent to the attack, although in great
pain and weak from the loss of blood, Capt.
McGonagle remained at his battle station for more
than 17 hours.'" 

Captain McGonagle's death reminds us that Congress
has yet to investigate the USS Liberty tragedy in
order to pinpoint responsibility because of the
undue influence the Israeli lobby wields over it.
For the last 32 years survivors have been calling
upon Congress to hold an investigation which would
allow them to tell their story to the world and
why they believe the attack by Israel was
premeditated and deliberate. 

Isn't it time Congress listened to these men?
After all, the late George Ball, who served as
undersecretary of state during the Kennedy and
Johnson administrations, referred to the Israeli
attack as the "blatant murder" of American
citizens. Surely, they are entitled to learn why
no one has been held responsible for the "blatant
murder" of their comrades. 

Surely, the American people are entitled to learn
why Captain McGonagle and the men he commanded
were put through this living hell by the
government of the State of Israel. 

Robert E. Nordlander
Menasha, WI