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Not in words, but in (non)actions….

Following is a letter from Joe Meadors, Director of Operations, USS Liberty Veterans Association

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To: Everyone Who Honors All of Our Battle Dead — This Obviously Does Not Include The National Leaders of The Department of Defense, The Navy Department, The American Legion, The Navy League and Every Member of Congress

Subject: Annual USS Liberty Memorial Service

Suppose you gave a memorial service for Americans killed in action during an attack on a US Navy ship by an enemy of the United States and nobody came.

Suppose you gave a memorial service for Americans killed in action during an attack on a US Navy ship in which that ship was ordered to be abandoned while it was still under attack and calling for help and nobody came.

Suppose you gave a memorial service for Americans killed in action during an attack on a US Navy ship in which among the awards won by the officers and crew of that ship are the Medal of Honor, two Navy Crosses, eleven Silver Stars, twenty Bronze Stars, nine Navy Commendations, 208 Purple Hearts, 294 Combat Action Ribbons and the Presidential Unit Citation which makes it among the most decorated ships for a single action in US Navy history and nobody came.

Impossible you say? Not so. In fact it happens every year. On June 8th of every year — the anniversary of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty — USS Liberty survivors and our families gather to hold a memorial service in Washington DC. This year it was held in the Navy Memorial.

Members of Congress were invited to send an official representative to honor our fallen shipmates as were the Department of Defense and Navy Department, The American Legion, the Navy League and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

These are all organizations who never miss an opportunity to honor the American military especially those who have been Killed in Action during an attack by an enemy of the United States.

Well, almost never.

The Department of Defense was a no-show.

The Navy Department was a no-show.

The American Legion was a no-show.

The Navy League was a no-show.

Congress was a no-show.

This is nothing new. We’ve been holding an annual memorial service in Washington, DC for decades. They’re always invited but they NEVER attend a memorial service for USS Liberty KIA. At most a ten minute drive from their offices to honor American fallen sailors and none of those organizations could be bothered to send a single official representative.

Being selected for special treatment is nothing new to USS Liberty survivors. You’d think that by now we’d be used to it.

We are the first ship to be attacked by forces declared to be hostile to the United States then ordered to be abandoned by US Navy forces in the Mediterranean while we were still under attack and calling for help.

We are the first ship in US naval history since World War II to be torpedoed during an attack that has never been investigated by the US government.

This is special treatment we can do without and with your help can ensure comes to a halt.

Please help us by making a contribution to the USS Liberty Veterans Association by clicking here. Please forward this to anyone you feel may be interested — especially to those in The American Legion, the Navy League, DoD, Navy Department and Congress who may take issue with their organizations’ treatment of the USS Liberty KIA. If they are interested in being put onto this email list, ask them to visit here.

Respectfully,

Joe Meadors

Director of Operations

USS Liberty Veterans Association

http://www.usslibertyveterans.org