[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING THE USS ``LIBERTY''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 15, 2010

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the sacrifice made by 
those brave sailors and Marines aboard the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967. 
Those sailors were put in the worst possible situation by virtue of 
their clandestine mission, undergoing an unprovoked, brutal attack from 
an ally. I am certain the incident will never be closed in the hearts 
and minds of those who survived this attack.
  The USS Liberty, a United States Navy technical research ship, was 
attacked by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and motor torpedo 
boats, during the Six-Day War. Out of a crew of 294, 34 were killed, 
and 174 were wounded during this tragic incident. As a result of the 
brave actions of the crewmen that day, the ship received the 
Presidential Unit Citation, and the ship's commander received the Medal 
of Honor.
  My thoughts and prayers are with the survivors and families of the 
USS Liberty, as well as those 34 crewmen who gave their lives that day.
  Our nation has a great deal of work to do today with our continued 
engagement in two separate wars and the largest influx of veterans 
coming home since World War II. We need to ensure that all of our brave 
young men and women are taken care of, and receive the benefits they 
have earned and so rightly deserve.

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