WHEREAS, The USS Liberty was a United States Navy technical research ship, known colloquially as a “spy ship,” that was attacked by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats on June 8, 1967, in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula during the Six-Day War; and

WHEREAS, Despite the United States’ declaration of neutrality during the Six-Day War, the USS Liberty was subject to the attack as a result of Israeli armed forces’ error in designating the ship as an enemy vessel; and

WHEREAS, The attack resulted in 34 American casualties, 171 American injuries, and a heavily damaged ship. Personnel included naval officers, seamen, two Marines, and one civilian National Security Agency (NSA) employee; and

WHEREAS, In the days preceding the start of the Six-Day War, the USS Liberty was ordered to travel east across the Mediterranean Sea to perform a signals intelligence collection mission in international waters off the coast of Sinai, Egypt; and

WHEREAS, As the war unfolded, several instances of miscommunication, confusion, and misidentification among American and Israeli forces culminated in the mistaken attack on the USS Liberty; and

WHEREAS, The ship was severely damaged, but its remaining crew members were able to keep it afloat and, subsequently, maneuver it out of the area. It eventually made its way back to the United States before it was sold for scrap in 1973; and

WHEREAS, Although significant controversy and disputes continue to obscure the motives of the attack on the USS Liberty, the heroism and bravery of all those aboard the ship must not be forgotten; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate to take the time to honor and pay tribute to both the ship as a symbol of American perseverance and to its crew members who endured this tragedy, as their actions in the face of adversity still represent a patriotic commitment and service to this country; now, therefore, be it