The Liberty (AGTR-5) Division of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps took its name from the USS Liberty, which was attacked in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula causing loss of life and numerous injuries to the officers and crew. Along with the mayhem and confusion, there was heroism and brave sailors performing their duties under the worst conditions imaginable. This page is dedicated to the crew of the Liberty. The Commanding Officer of the Liberty (AGTR-5) Division (LCDR. Aimetti) was one of those crew members on that fateful day. We hope you find the information contained herein of interest. And please, remember the sacrifices the members of our Armed Forces have made over the centuries as this tradition carries on today and tomorrow!
Buy-the-way, in case you hadn't already figured it out--the signal flags above the navigation bars spell out U-S-S L-I-B-E-R-T-Y.
USS Liberty (AGTR-5)
The USS Liberty, was a Belmont class technical research ship weighing out
at 7725-tons. She was built in 1945 as the civilian cargo ship under the name
of Simmons Victory. She operated in commercial trade until 1958, when she
was "mothballed" in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Puget
Sound. The Navy acquired Simmons Victory in February 1963 for conversion.
The Simmons Victory was renamed Liberty and classified AG-168 in June of 1963.
She was reclassified AGTR-5 in April of 1964 and commissioned in December
of the same year. In February 1965, she was relocated from the west coast
to Norfolk, Virginia, where she was refitted as a technical research ship
for the National Security Agency (NSA). As part of her refitting and upgrading,
she was equipped with electronic equipment, which could pick up radio broadcasts
over a wide area. Her new mission was one of collecting and processing foreign
communications and other electronic emissions of possible National defense
interest
Liberty was not originally designed as a combat ship and as a consequently she had no armor. Liberty was 460 feet long, displaced 10,000 tons, with a crew of 290 men; she had a top speed of 16 knots (18 mph). Even at her immense size, Liberty's defensive weaponry was limited to just four 50-caliber machine guns, two forward and two aft.
Liberty was one of five such US intelligence ships operating throughout the world's seas at the time. One of her sister ships was the USS Pueblo that would be captured of the coast of North Korea eight months after the attack on the Liberty.
Liberty began her
first deployment in June of 1965, to waters off the west coast of Africa.
She carried out 
several
more operations during the next two years, deploying to the Mediterranean
in 1967. In May of 1967, Liberty was stationed off the Ivory Coast in West
Africa. As the Middle East crisis developed, Liberty was sent to Rota, Spain
to take NSA technical specialists on board before proceeding to a location
off the Gaza coast.
During the "Six-Day War" between Israel and several Arab nations, she was sent to collect electronic intelligence in the eastern Mediterranean. On the afternoon of 8 June 1967, while in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula, Israeli aircraft attacked Liberty, though clearly marked as a U.S. Navy ship. After suffering substantial damage and many personnel casualties from gunfire, rockets and bombs, she was further attacked by three Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats. One torpedo hit her on the starboard side, forward of the superstructure, opening a large hole in her hull. In all, thirty-four men were killed in the attacks and 172 wounded. Israel subsequently apologized for the incident, explaining that its air and naval forces had mistaken the Liberty for a much smaller Egyptian Navy ship the El Quesier.
Though severely damaged, Liberty's crew kept her afloat, and she was able to leave the area under her own power. She was escorted to Malta by units of the U.S. Sixth Fleet where she received interim repairs. After emergency repairs were completed, in July of 1967, Liberty returned to the United States. She was decommissioned in June 1968 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register two years later. USS Liberty was sold for scrapping in December 1970. The ship was later dismantled and sold for scrap for approximately $101,000. At the time of the attack she was valued at more than $40-million. In 1982, Israel paid $6-million in compensation for this damage.
Captain
William L. McGonagle, USN, (1925-1999)
William Loren McGonagle was born in Wichita, Kansas, on 19 November 1925 and attended secondary school and college in California. He was active in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and was commissioned in the rank of Ensign upon graduation from the University of Southern California in June 1947. After service in the destroyer Frank Knox and minesweeper Partridge during 1947-50, he served in the minesweeper Kite during the extensive Korean War minesweeping operations that earned her a Presidential Unit Citation. From 1951 to 1966, he was assigned to various positions ashore and afloat, including command of the fleet tug Mataco in 1957-58 and the salvage ship Reclaimer in 1961-63.
In April 1966, Commander McGonagle became Commanding Officer of the Liberty, taking her on a number of communications and electronic emissions monitoring missions during the next year. On that fateful day of 8 June 1967, while carrying out her important function off the Sinai Peninsula, Commander McGonagle was in command of Liberty when she was attacked and severely damaged by Israeli aircraft and motor torpedo boats. For his heroism on that occasion, Commander McGonagle was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His ship received the Combat Action Ribbon and Presidential Unit Citation. Many of the crew received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and numerous Purple Hearts.
After promotion to the rank of Captain in October 1967, CAPT McGonagle commanded the new ammunition ship Kilauea and led the NROTC Unit at the University of Oklahoma. He retired from active duty in 1974. Captain William L. McGonagle died at Palm Springs, California, on 3 March 1999.
*
Medal of Honor citation of Captain William L. McGonagle *
"For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty
as Commanding Officer, USS Liberty (AGTR-5) in the Eastern Mediterranean on
8-9 June 1967. Sailing in international waters, the Liberty was attacked without
warning by jet fighter aircraft and
motor
torpedo boats, which inflicted many casualties among the crew and caused extreme
damage to the ship. Although severely wounded during the first air attack,
Captain (then Commander) McGonagle remained at his battle station on the badly
damaged bridge and, with full knowledge of the seriousness of his wounds,
subordinated his own welfare to the safety and survival of his command. Steadfastly
refusing any treatment, which would take him away from his post, he calmly
continued to exercise firm command of his ship. Despite continuous exposure
to fire, he maneuvered his ship, directed its defense, supervised the control
of flooding and fire, and saw to the care of the casualties. Captain McGonagle's
extraordinary valor under these conditions inspired the surviving members
of the Liberty's crew, many of them seriously wounded, to heroic efforts to
overcome the battle damage and keep the ship afloat. Subsequent to the attack,
although in great pain and weak from the loss of blood, Captain McGonagle
remained at his battle station and continued to conn his ship for more than
seventeen hours. It was only after rendezvous with a United States destroyer
that he relinquished personal control of the Liberty and permitted himself
to be removed from the bridge. Even then, he refused much needed medical attention
until convinced that the seriously wounded among his crew had been treated.
Captain McGonagle's superb professionalism, courageous fighting spirit, and
valiant leadership saved his ship and many lives. His actions sustain and
enhance the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
CLICK ABOVE FOR THE
OFFICIAL USS LIBERTY WEB SITETRY THESE LINKS FOR MORE ABOUT THE USS LIBERTY ON THE WW WEB
http://home.cfl.rr.com/gidusko/liberty/ - A great site, full of information about the attack, the crew and numerous sources of information.
http://www.usslibertyinquiry.com/index.html - USS Liberty - Court of Inquiry - Another great site with loads of reference materials.
While you're visiting sites, pay a visit to the NSCC National Web site.
