Massie Led Resolution to Declassify USS Liberty Files, Honor Crew

Congressman Thomas Massie with USS Liberty survivors and family members on the Capitol steps after his speech honoring the men. Massie invited Liberty crew members and Liberty wives, widows, and sons to attend the speech. He met with them beforehand and then took them all out to lunch afterwards. (Alison Weir)

By Representative Thomas Massie, reposted from Massie’s Official Website, June 30, 2026

Washington, D.C.– Today, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced legislation to honor the men of the USS Liberty. The Massie resolution recognizes the fallen members of the USS Liberty’s crew by name and urges the President to declassify and publicly release all records related to Israel’s unprovoked attack on the ship.

“59 years ago, on June 8, 1967, Israel attacked the USS Liberty in international waters,” said Rep. Thomas Massie.“34 Americans were killed, and 174 were wounded by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during this unprovoked attack. It is long overdue for the House of Representatives to pass legislation recognizing the sacrifices made by the USS Liberty crew. I am asking the House to urge the President to declassify and publicly release all records related to Israel’s attack on the USS Liberty.”

Rep. Massie’s resolution reads as follows:

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 napalm, 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.

Whereas, Captain Ward Boston, Jr., Senior legal counsel to the Navy Court of Inquiry reviewing the USS Liberty incident, in a signed sworn affidavit, attested that he and Admiral Isaac Kidd believed the attack was a “deliberate effort to sink an American ship and murder its entire crew… that the Israeli attack was planned and deliberate, and could not possibly have been an accident”, but were pressured politically to conclude otherwise.

Whereas, Admiral Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a 1997 letter that he, “never believed the attack on the USS Liberty was a case of mistaken identity. That is ridiculous…Israel knew the Liberty could intercept radio messages from all parties… to the ongoing war… and that Israel was preparing to seize the Golan Heights from Syria despite President Johnson’s known opposition”, that Israel wanted to prevent Washington from interfering in that campaign, and “the result was a wanton sneak attack”.

Whereas, Admiral Thomas Moorer wrote, “What is so chilling and cold-blooded, of course, is that [Israel] could kill as many Americans as they did in confidence that Washington would cooperate in quelling any public outcry”.

Whereas, Dean Rusk, former Secretary of State, wrote, “there is every reason to believe that the U.S.S Liberty was identified, or at least her nationality determined, by Israeli aircraft approximately one hour before the attack. In these circumstances, the later military attack by Israeli aircraft on the U.S.S Liberty is quite literally incomprehensible,” Richard Helms, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said he did not think there could be “any doubt that the Israelis knew exactly what they were doing,” and Bobby Ray Inman, former Director of the National Security Agency, “flatly rejected” the Israeli explanation that the attack on the USS Liberty was a case of misidentification, stating, “it is just exceedingly difficult to believe that [the Liberty] was not correctly identified”.

Whereas, during the attack, the USS Liberty flew a 5×8 and a 7×13 foot American flag, with the English letters L-I-B-E-R-T-Y on the ship’s stern, making it distinguishable from Egyptian vessels.

Whereas, despite the valor displayed by the crew of the USS Liberty and the decorations awarded for their actions, many aspects of the attack and its aftermath remain shrouded in secrecy and controversy; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) recognizes the gallant service and sacrifice of the crew of the USS Liberty in defense of their ship and fellow sailors during the attack of June 8, 1967.

(2) honors the lives, service, and memories of William B. Allenbaugh of Baltimore, Maryland; Philip McCutcheon Armstrong, Jr. of Detroit, Michigan; Gary R. Blanchard of Wichita, Kansas; Allen M. Blue of Yakima, Washington; Francis Brown of Albany, New York; Ronnie J. Campbell of Sevierville, Tennessee; Jerry L. Converse of Puyallup, Washington; Robert B. Eisenberg of St. Paul, Minnesota; Jerry L. Goss of North Vernon, Indiana; Curtis A. Graves of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan; Lawrence P. Hayden of Houston, Texas; Warren E. Hersey of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Alan Higgins of Weymouth, Massachusetts; Carl L. Hoar of Mount Vernon, Ohio; Richard W. Keene, Jr. of Batavia, New York; James L. Lenau of Washington, Missouri; Raymond E. Linn of Adamsville, Ohio; James M. Lupton of Shreveport, Louisiana; Duane R. Marggraf of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; David W. Marlborough of Waterville, Maine; Anthony P. Mendle of Waterbury, Connecticut; Carl C. Nygren of Williamsport, Pennsylvania; James C. Pierce of Clinton, North Carolina; Jack L. Raper of Cedartown, Georgia; Edward E. Rehmeyer III of York, Pennsylvania; David Skolak of Gary, Indiana; John C. Smith, Jr. of Ithaca, New York; Melvin D. Smith of Alamance, North Carolina; John C. Spicher of Tarentum, Pennsylvania; Alexander N. Thompson, Jr. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Thomas R. Thornton of Springfield, Ohio; Philippe C. Tiedtke of Santa Cruz, California; Stephen S. Toth of San Diego, California; Frederick J. Walton of Niagara Falls, New York who died as a result of the attack.

(3) urges the President to declassify and make publicly available all records, documents, reports, memoranda, communications, photographs, recordings, transcripts, intelligence assessments, operational records, after-action reports, investigative files, briefing materials, diplomatic communications, and internal communications of the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and any other department or agency of the United States Government relating to the June 8, 1967, attack on the USS Liberty. and

(4) affirms that the lives and safety of United States citizens and servicemembers shall be held paramount in the conduct of the foreign policy of the United States and shall not be subordinated to the interests of any foreign nation.

A copy of the resolution is available at this link.

Rep. Massie has previously delivered remarks on the House floor to honor the fallen members of the USS Liberty’s crew and to recognize survivors of the attack who were present in the House gallery. Video of Rep. Massie’s remarks is available at this link.

*Track the resolution here.*

As per the tracker, this is the latest action on it: House – 06/30/2026 Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

Thomas Harold Massie is an American politician and engineer. A member of the Republican Party, Massie has been the United States representative for Kentucky’s 4th congressional district since 2012.

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