What do you think?
Rate this book
Remember the Liberty!: Almost Sunk by Treason on the High Seas
In the annals of US military history, there are no doubt many unsolved and perplexing mysteries, but few could compare to the fate of the US Navy spy ship that was mercilessly attacked by one of its closest allies intentionally and without warning. One of the reasons it is still a mystery is because it is also the only peacetime attack on a US naval vessel that, to this day, has never been investigated by the Congress of the United States.
The USS Liberty was a 455-foot, 10,150-ton electronic intercept spy ship, originally a standard-design Victory Ship--a more evolved version of the World War II Liberty Ships--which were built as supply ships, not intended for direct fighting. The Liberty had been converted to an Auxiliary Technical Research Ship (AGTR), known colloquially as a "spy ship," first deployed in 1965; its top speed was only 18 knots.
Yet the Liberty's fate, one of the most enigmatic, unresolved military mysteries of all time, is, paradoxically at its core, quite clear-cut and undisputed. The basic facts generally accepted by all are that, on the fourth day of the Six Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors (Egypt, Syria and Jordan), the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) savagely attacked the U.S. spy ship, the USS Liberty.
On the warm, sunny-bright day of June 8, 1967, starting at about 6:00 a.m., at least twelve, possibly thirteen Israeli aircraft of different types began surveilling the Liberty, some of which were only 1,000 feet or less in altitude, apparently to photograph and "map" her for later targeting purposes. The precision of the later attack could only have been accomplished through such pre-planning, specifically identifying the priority targets, starting with the gun mounts to render the ship defenseless, followed by all of the forty-five different radio antennae and related transmitting equipment. . Beginning just before 2:00 p.m., three unmarked French-built Mirage III-C swept-wing fighter jets, without warning, settled into a triangular formation, aimed straight at the Liberty and proceeded to bore down on the ship in a fast low-level attack that began with rockets targeted at the four gun mounts and heat-seeking missiles aimed at the communications gear, with their warmed transmitters. . When the attack was over, thirty-four men were dead and one hundred seventy-four were injured to varying degrees, some near death.
Unlike all other books ever written about the tragic attack - none of which provide a satisfactory explanation of what really caused it - Remember the Liberty! examines it in complete context of how it was positioned there by Johnson himself, for the very purpose of being attacked, and sunk, with every one of the 294 men on board going to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. His purpose was to use that event - while blaming Egyptian President Gamal Nasser for the attack - as a pretext for joining Israel in the war, even at the risk of igniting World War III with the Soviet Union. This book provides the only realistic explanation for why Lyndon Johnson did what he did, and why, in the heat of battle, he intervened with his Navy officers who were determined to rescue the Liberty and ordered them to recall the squadrons of fighter jets they had already dispatched - twice, 90 minutes apart - for that purpose.
When the heroic crew saved the ship from sinking, it stopped Johnson's plan to join Israel in the war and thereby saved the world from certain nuclear conflagration. It also prevented his strategy of entering what he felt would be a "popular war" (unlike his other one in Vietnam) in order to give him a better chance to be reelected president the following year. When that failed to materialize, so did his reelection campaign; ten months later he was forced to announce his decision to not re-run for the office that he had always considered his destiny.
The USS Liberty was a 455-foot, 10,150-ton electronic intercept spy ship, originally a standard-design Victory Ship--a more evolved version of the World War II Liberty Ships--which were built as supply ships, not intended for direct fighting. The Liberty had been converted to an Auxiliary Technical Research Ship (AGTR), known colloquially as a "spy ship," first deployed in 1965; its top speed was only 18 knots.
Yet the Liberty's fate, one of the most enigmatic, unresolved military mysteries of all time, is, paradoxically at its core, quite clear-cut and undisputed. The basic facts generally accepted by all are that, on the fourth day of the Six Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors (Egypt, Syria and Jordan), the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) savagely attacked the U.S. spy ship, the USS Liberty.
On the warm, sunny-bright day of June 8, 1967, starting at about 6:00 a.m., at least twelve, possibly thirteen Israeli aircraft of different types began surveilling the Liberty, some of which were only 1,000 feet or less in altitude, apparently to photograph and "map" her for later targeting purposes. The precision of the later attack could only have been accomplished through such pre-planning, specifically identifying the priority targets, starting with the gun mounts to render the ship defenseless, followed by all of the forty-five different radio antennae and related transmitting equipment. . Beginning just before 2:00 p.m., three unmarked French-built Mirage III-C swept-wing fighter jets, without warning, settled into a triangular formation, aimed straight at the Liberty and proceeded to bore down on the ship in a fast low-level attack that began with rockets targeted at the four gun mounts and heat-seeking missiles aimed at the communications gear, with their warmed transmitters. . When the attack was over, thirty-four men were dead and one hundred seventy-four were injured to varying degrees, some near death.
Unlike all other books ever written about the tragic attack - none of which provide a satisfactory explanation of what really caused it - Remember the Liberty! examines it in complete context of how it was positioned there by Johnson himself, for the very purpose of being attacked, and sunk, with every one of the 294 men on board going to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. His purpose was to use that event - while blaming Egyptian President Gamal Nasser for the attack - as a pretext for joining Israel in the war, even at the risk of igniting World War III with the Soviet Union. This book provides the only realistic explanation for why Lyndon Johnson did what he did, and why, in the heat of battle, he intervened with his Navy officers who were determined to rescue the Liberty and ordered them to recall the squadrons of fighter jets they had already dispatched - twice, 90 minutes apart - for that purpose.
When the heroic crew saved the ship from sinking, it stopped Johnson's plan to join Israel in the war and thereby saved the world from certain nuclear conflagration. It also prevented his strategy of entering what he felt would be a "popular war" (unlike his other one in Vietnam) in order to give him a better chance to be reelected president the following year. When that failed to materialize, so did his reelection campaign; ten months later he was forced to announce his decision to not re-run for the office that he had always considered his destiny.
302 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2017
About the author
Phillip F. Nelson
7 books9 followersPhillip Nelson grew up in Indiana and studied at the University of Wisconsin (Whitewater Campus), and served in the Peace Corps in Brazil during 1969-70. He began researching the JFK assassination intensely in 2003, and published his first book, "LBJ: The Mastermind of the JFK Assassination" in 2010. This was followed by "LBJ: From Mastermind to Colossus" in 2014.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 29, 2017
On June 8, 1967. the USS Liberty was attacked by Israeli planes and motor torpedo boats. Israeli helicopters were filled with commandos ready to repel down and finish off the rest of the crew. At the last minute they were waved off. Why? the records are still sealed. Nearly 3 dozen sailors were killed and over one hundred and seventy were wounded. Nelson makes a compelling argument that are demented 36th President LBJ orchestrated the USS Liberty to be sank by the Israeli's so that he could have America join the Six Day War and have possible nuclear conflict with Russia.
The USS Liberty was clearly marked with an United States flag. An Israeli pilot that recognized that it was American refused to bomb the ship and was promptly arrested upon landing. LBJ called off rescue jet fighters minutes away and thus caused 25 more deaths. The USS Liberty was an intelligence ship only armed with 4 50 caliber machine funds. The cover story was that it was a mistake. The ship was clearly marked and 5 times larger than an Egyptian boat that it was mistaken for.
Nelson has survivors recount their experience and you can feel their frustration and anger. As survivors they did not feel heroic but criminals because they did not sink as their Commander in Chief wanted. I highly recommend that you read this book. The cover up still exist but Nelson's work truly opens up a scab that needs to be lifted and give the survivors the truth that they deserve.
The USS Liberty was clearly marked with an United States flag. An Israeli pilot that recognized that it was American refused to bomb the ship and was promptly arrested upon landing. LBJ called off rescue jet fighters minutes away and thus caused 25 more deaths. The USS Liberty was an intelligence ship only armed with 4 50 caliber machine funds. The cover story was that it was a mistake. The ship was clearly marked and 5 times larger than an Egyptian boat that it was mistaken for.
Nelson has survivors recount their experience and you can feel their frustration and anger. As survivors they did not feel heroic but criminals because they did not sink as their Commander in Chief wanted. I highly recommend that you read this book. The cover up still exist but Nelson's work truly opens up a scab that needs to be lifted and give the survivors the truth that they deserve.
April 13, 2024
DID LBJ ORDER THE LIBERTY SUNK SO THAT HE COULD ENTER THE 1967 WAR?
Author Phillip F. Nelson wrote in the Prologue to this 2017 book, “Regrettably, any discussion of Israel, for some people, automatically produces a knee-jerk reaction in a way that does not apply to any other nation on earth… Much of the confusion caused by the controversies that are addressed in this book area direct result of the mistaken presumptions made by those who wish to dismiss the entire matter… When deadly mistakes are made, if we as citizens cannot learn of them because of protocols put in place by the government to protect its true national security secrets, are misused---to protect, instead, ‘High Crimes, Misdemeanors, and Treasons’… then the mistakes made by the leaders of previous generations will be swept up into the dustbin of history.”
He suggests, “It is pertinent to examine the issue of the mental condition of the president [Lyndon Johnson] in the context of … the fate of the USS Liberty… Johnson’s mental condition … is arguably the ‘proximate cause’ of this deed… The reason that this piece of the Liberty puzzle has never been explored is undoubtedly due to the fact that, while he was still alive, his condition was never exposed, much less acknowledged, by anyone; it was just one of the numerous ‘cover-ups’ that followed him throughout his entire career… These dramatic, troubling instances of Lyndon Johnson’s maniacal psychotic episodes were never publicized at the time, and were hidden by those who witnessed them for their own protection..” (Pg. 23-25)
He argues, “someone in either the White House, the Executive Office Building or the Pentagon---or perhaps all three of those locations---was already up and hard at work preparing for a surprise attack… the fact that the Sixth Fleet had stationed itself on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, conducting a drill… was still another unlikely coincidence. In the meantime, the Liberty suddenly, and strangely, began to experience a series of missed messages to move away from the coast … to get it out of harm’s way… the Joint Chiefs of Staff had become concerned about Liberty’s vulnerability to attack.” (Pg. 51)
He asserts, “This sustained assault lasted nearly two hours… the only conclusion possible was that the attack had been well planned, clearly intentional, with an original objective of not merely attacking the ship, but to put it at the bottom of the sea, leaving no survivors. Had it been merely to stop its mission of data collection, that was accomplished within the first five minutes.” (Pg. 63)
He states that “Admiral Geis… explained that he had a duty to send the squadron of fighter jets to defend the Liberty from the attackers. [Chief Petty Officer J.Q.] Hart said that [Defense Secretary Robert] McNamara responded that ‘President Johnson is not going to go to war or embarrass an American ally over a few sailors.’” (Pg. 79)
He continues, “the alleged messages to warn the Liberty to stay away from the danger zone were ‘deliberately blocked’… This point… should be taken as a sign that perhaps the assertion is true; it certainly conforms with many other indications that the Liberty was purposefully put into harm’s way and deliberately left there during and after the attack.” (Pg. 91)
He speculates, “In order to reach a broader understanding of what really happened to the USS Liberty, the hypothesis would have been to provoke a war between Israel and Egypt, and set it up so that the blame would be put on Egypt, while portraying Israel as the ‘innocent’ party. That would enable Israel to keep the ‘spoils of war’---the expanded borders and enhanced military strength for them, while simultaneously weakening their Arab neighbors.” (Pg. 83)
He acknowledges, “For about twenty-four hours after the attack, President Johnson, apparently only for appearances, acted as if he was upset with Israel because the attack on the U.S. ship was deliberate. This reaction was recorded in the minutes of a Whtie House meeting of the National Security Council the following day.” (Pg. 100)
He reports, “The [U.S.] letter to Israel’s ambassador did state a number of reasons that their explanation was less than satisfactory and that the attacks ‘must be condemned as an act of military recklessness reflecting wanton disregard for human life.’ … [The] response by the Israeli ambassador … stated that ‘…as soon as this tragic error occurred it immediately informed the Government of the United States what had taken place [and]… assumed responsibility for this error…’ The letter went on to admonish the Unted States about the fact that ‘it was not given prior information… about the presence of a United States vessel in an area which the United Arab Republic had warned neutral vessels to avoid.’” (Pg. 136-137)
Nelson not infrequently says of some of his reports things such as, “Though there is no direct corroboration for this account, the unnamed survivor has stated that he has spoken with two men who were on board that submarine, both of whom acknowledged to him that it happened… Again, it cannot be stressed enough, this story is not being reported as ‘fact.’” (Pg. 181)
He summarizes, “it can be stated beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the attack on the USS Liberty was not a case of ‘mistaken identity’… The only logical explanation … is that the person responsible for it was an irrational, embittered, sociopathic, narcissistic, paranoid, and psychotic individual in the middle of a major manic-depressive meltdown. The only man who was known to have suffered from this amalgamation of psychic disorders was the man … at the pinnacle of power … of the most powerful nation in the world… The best, and only realistically possible candidate for the question, ‘Who ordered the attack on the Liberty?’ was President Lyndon B. Johnson himself.” (Pg. 192) He continues, “Had the Liberty sunk, and taken every man aboard to the bottom of the Mediterranean, Lyndon Johnson cold have immediately entered the war in the Middle East… Johnson probably expected this confrontation to have given him the collateral benefit of distracting the students who were protesting the Vietnam War.” (Pg.194)
He adds, “The reason that Israel, alone, got the blame, through the presumption by those who were unaware of Johnson’s deceit---which Israeli leadership reflexively denied because they were only carrying out orders given them by President Johnson… was because of the secretive but transparently deceitful cover-up that was immediately invoked…” (Pg. 206)
Nelson DOES refer to a very wide variety of sources in this book; but I found his conclusions completely unpersuasive.
Author Phillip F. Nelson wrote in the Prologue to this 2017 book, “Regrettably, any discussion of Israel, for some people, automatically produces a knee-jerk reaction in a way that does not apply to any other nation on earth… Much of the confusion caused by the controversies that are addressed in this book area direct result of the mistaken presumptions made by those who wish to dismiss the entire matter… When deadly mistakes are made, if we as citizens cannot learn of them because of protocols put in place by the government to protect its true national security secrets, are misused---to protect, instead, ‘High Crimes, Misdemeanors, and Treasons’… then the mistakes made by the leaders of previous generations will be swept up into the dustbin of history.”
He suggests, “It is pertinent to examine the issue of the mental condition of the president [Lyndon Johnson] in the context of … the fate of the USS Liberty… Johnson’s mental condition … is arguably the ‘proximate cause’ of this deed… The reason that this piece of the Liberty puzzle has never been explored is undoubtedly due to the fact that, while he was still alive, his condition was never exposed, much less acknowledged, by anyone; it was just one of the numerous ‘cover-ups’ that followed him throughout his entire career… These dramatic, troubling instances of Lyndon Johnson’s maniacal psychotic episodes were never publicized at the time, and were hidden by those who witnessed them for their own protection..” (Pg. 23-25)
He argues, “someone in either the White House, the Executive Office Building or the Pentagon---or perhaps all three of those locations---was already up and hard at work preparing for a surprise attack… the fact that the Sixth Fleet had stationed itself on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, conducting a drill… was still another unlikely coincidence. In the meantime, the Liberty suddenly, and strangely, began to experience a series of missed messages to move away from the coast … to get it out of harm’s way… the Joint Chiefs of Staff had become concerned about Liberty’s vulnerability to attack.” (Pg. 51)
He asserts, “This sustained assault lasted nearly two hours… the only conclusion possible was that the attack had been well planned, clearly intentional, with an original objective of not merely attacking the ship, but to put it at the bottom of the sea, leaving no survivors. Had it been merely to stop its mission of data collection, that was accomplished within the first five minutes.” (Pg. 63)
He states that “Admiral Geis… explained that he had a duty to send the squadron of fighter jets to defend the Liberty from the attackers. [Chief Petty Officer J.Q.] Hart said that [Defense Secretary Robert] McNamara responded that ‘President Johnson is not going to go to war or embarrass an American ally over a few sailors.’” (Pg. 79)
He continues, “the alleged messages to warn the Liberty to stay away from the danger zone were ‘deliberately blocked’… This point… should be taken as a sign that perhaps the assertion is true; it certainly conforms with many other indications that the Liberty was purposefully put into harm’s way and deliberately left there during and after the attack.” (Pg. 91)
He speculates, “In order to reach a broader understanding of what really happened to the USS Liberty, the hypothesis would have been to provoke a war between Israel and Egypt, and set it up so that the blame would be put on Egypt, while portraying Israel as the ‘innocent’ party. That would enable Israel to keep the ‘spoils of war’---the expanded borders and enhanced military strength for them, while simultaneously weakening their Arab neighbors.” (Pg. 83)
He acknowledges, “For about twenty-four hours after the attack, President Johnson, apparently only for appearances, acted as if he was upset with Israel because the attack on the U.S. ship was deliberate. This reaction was recorded in the minutes of a Whtie House meeting of the National Security Council the following day.” (Pg. 100)
He reports, “The [U.S.] letter to Israel’s ambassador did state a number of reasons that their explanation was less than satisfactory and that the attacks ‘must be condemned as an act of military recklessness reflecting wanton disregard for human life.’ … [The] response by the Israeli ambassador … stated that ‘…as soon as this tragic error occurred it immediately informed the Government of the United States what had taken place [and]… assumed responsibility for this error…’ The letter went on to admonish the Unted States about the fact that ‘it was not given prior information… about the presence of a United States vessel in an area which the United Arab Republic had warned neutral vessels to avoid.’” (Pg. 136-137)
Nelson not infrequently says of some of his reports things such as, “Though there is no direct corroboration for this account, the unnamed survivor has stated that he has spoken with two men who were on board that submarine, both of whom acknowledged to him that it happened… Again, it cannot be stressed enough, this story is not being reported as ‘fact.’” (Pg. 181)
He summarizes, “it can be stated beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the attack on the USS Liberty was not a case of ‘mistaken identity’… The only logical explanation … is that the person responsible for it was an irrational, embittered, sociopathic, narcissistic, paranoid, and psychotic individual in the middle of a major manic-depressive meltdown. The only man who was known to have suffered from this amalgamation of psychic disorders was the man … at the pinnacle of power … of the most powerful nation in the world… The best, and only realistically possible candidate for the question, ‘Who ordered the attack on the Liberty?’ was President Lyndon B. Johnson himself.” (Pg. 192) He continues, “Had the Liberty sunk, and taken every man aboard to the bottom of the Mediterranean, Lyndon Johnson cold have immediately entered the war in the Middle East… Johnson probably expected this confrontation to have given him the collateral benefit of distracting the students who were protesting the Vietnam War.” (Pg.194)
He adds, “The reason that Israel, alone, got the blame, through the presumption by those who were unaware of Johnson’s deceit---which Israeli leadership reflexively denied because they were only carrying out orders given them by President Johnson… was because of the secretive but transparently deceitful cover-up that was immediately invoked…” (Pg. 206)
Nelson DOES refer to a very wide variety of sources in this book; but I found his conclusions completely unpersuasive.
June 6, 2019
Excellent exposé of one of the worst cover-ups by the American state - the intended sinking of the USS Liberty and the murder of its crew. It's intolerable that this episode from which resulted almost 31 dead and 174 wounded is still treated as a secret.
May 1, 2018
Ridiculous concoction of fiction, facts and fake news.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews