USS Liberty Survivor Ron Trader. Rest in Peace Shipmate
The relationship between USS Liberty survivors in unique among American military units. The death of one of us is not only a sad event, it tears a hole in the heart of each of us who remains.
by Joe Meadors
Another USS Liberty survivor has died without knowing that the truth surrounding the ultimate sacrifice of 34 of his shipmates is held publicly and in honor by the very government they swore “to preserve, protect and defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
I didn’t know Ron Trader. He was a CT, a Communications Technician who worked in the “Research Spaces” that were entered through a locked door. Those of us in “ship’s company” didn’t mingle with many of them while we were aboard the ship.
In the past 52 years all USS Liberty survivors have shifted from shipmates to family.
And now, one member of our family is gone forever.
Ron may not be with us physically but he is in spirit. As is the spirit of all of our shipmates who were killed during the attack and those who have passed since.
Unlike the politicians who served then and have served since, we will honor the debt we owe our fallen shipmates.
Smooth sailing, shipmate. May you Rest in Peace.
He was aboard the USS Liberty when the ship was attacked by the Israeli Defense Forces in 1967 and has been in the forefront of the effort to ensure the US government finally investigates the attack.He also participated in Freedom Flotilla I in 2010 whose goal was to break the blockade of Gaza only to be brutally attacked by the IDF who killed 9 human rights activists on the MV Mavi Marmara.
The death of one American citizen on the Mavi Marmara elicited nary a peep of outrage or condemnation from the State Department.This follows the outrageous precedent the State Department initiated when 34 Americans were killed on the USS Liberty which was followed by silence from the State Department.Meadors is an eye-witness to and a victim of this policy.
Meadors has also participated in Freedom Flotillas II, III and IV in the effort to break the immoral blockade of Gaza.
His background gives him a unique perspective as an American citizen when it comes to issues involving the Middle East.
He will be sharing that perspective in his articles for The Arab Daily News.
He can be reached at joe@ussliberty.com.
- The USS Liberty Document Archive Is Now Up and Running - March 16, 2020
- The Attack on the USS Liberty is NOT a “Conspiracy Theory” - November 20, 2019
- USS Liberty: Why Investigate the Attack on a US Navy Ship? - November 5, 2019
