USS Liberty Veterans Seek Transparency and Accountability Following H.Res. 1406 by Congressman Thomas Massie

The USS Liberty Veterans Association announces a renewed effort to obtain accountability and full disclosure of the June 8, 1967 attack on the USS Liberty.

PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC, UNITED STATES, July 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- USS Liberty Veterans Association Launches Advocacy and Transparency Initiative Following Introduction of H.Res. 1406. Congressional resolution honors USS Liberty crew, calls for full declassification of attack records, and renews focus on accountability for the June 8, 1967 attack. The USS Liberty Veterans Association (LVA) today announced a renewed national advocacy campaign to support government transparency and historical accountability related to the June 8, 1967 attack on the USS Liberty, following the June 30 introduction of H.Res. 1406 by Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY). The congressional resolution honors the 34 Americans killed and 174 wounded during the attack, urges the President to fully declassify all remaining government records, and recognizes longstanding concerns raised by survivors and former senior U.S. officials regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"The USS Liberty survivors have waited nearly six decades for the full truth," said the USS Liberty Veterans Association. "H.Res. 1406 represents an important step toward transparency, accountability, and honoring the Americans who sacrificed so much in service to their country." H.Res. 1406 Renews Congressional AttentionThe resolution cites statements from former Secretary of State Dean Rusk, former CIA Director Richard Helms, former NSA Director Bobby Ray Inman, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Thomas Moorer, each of whom questioned Israel's longstanding explanation that the attack resulted from mistaken identity. The measure also references the sworn affidavit of Captain Ward Boston Jr., senior legal counsel to the Navy's 1967 Court of Inquiry, who stated that he and Admiral Isaac Kidd believed the attack was deliberate but were directed to reach a different public conclusion. Congressman Massie's resolution calls upon the President to declassify all remaining records related to the attack and affirms that the lives of American servicemembers must remain paramount in United States foreign policy.

The June 8, 1967 AttackOn June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, the USS Liberty was operating in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean when it came under a sustained air and sea attack. According to H.Res. 1406 and eyewitness testimony:Israeli Mirage fighter aircraft attacked the ship with rockets, cannon fire, and napalm. Israeli torpedo boats fired multiple torpedoes, one of which tore a massive hole into the ship's starboard side, killing 25 Americans instantly. Crew members reported that lifeboats launched to rescue the wounded were machine-gunned. Rescue aircraft launched from the USS Saratoga and USS America were recalled before reaching the Liberty. Under the leadership of the severely wounded Captain William L. McGonagle, the crew fought for approximately 17 hours to save the ship and its surviving sailors. The attack claimed the lives of 34 Americans and wounded 174 others, representing one of the highest casualty rates ever suffered by a U.S. Navy vessel that remained afloat. Pursuing AccountabilityThe USS Liberty Veterans Association believes that H.Res. 1406 marks a significant step toward renewed public awareness and governmental transparency. Building on that momentum, the Association is expanding its educational outreach and public advocacy avenues to ensure that the historical record is fully examined and preserved. The Association maintains that complete declassification of all remaining U.S. government records, together with an independent review of the available evidence, is essential to achieving a full historical accounting of the events of June 8, 1967. "Our mission has never changed," the Association said. "We seek truth, transparency, and accountability. Most importantly, we seek to ensure that the sacrifice of the 34 Americans who lost their lives, and the courage of those who survived, are never forgotten."

About the USS Liberty Veterans AssociationThe USS Liberty Veterans Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the USS Liberty and its crew, educating the public about the events of June 8, 1967, supporting surviving crew members and their families, and advocating for the complete declassification of all remaining government records related to the attack.

Larry Bowen Sr.
USS Liberty Veterans Association
+1 410-627-0927
info@usslva.org
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