USS Liberty Vets with Friends of Sabeel on 911 about 8 June 1967

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Friends of Sabeel in North America/FOSNA is a non-profit Christian ecumenical organization seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through nonviolence and education.

By Eileen Fleming

On this September 11, Friends of Sabeel in Colorado will open the doors at Denver’s Augustana Lutheran Church at 3 PM and honor the USS Liberty Veterans by hosting two survivors of Israel’s June 8, 1967 attack on America’s premier spy ship as it navigated in international waters during the Six-Day War.

In 1965, Philip Francis Tourney boarded the USS LIBERTY as a 20-year-old 3rd class petty officer. Next week Tourney’s second book, ERASING THE LIBERTY will be in print.

This reporter became a friend of the USS LIBERTY in 2007, when I met my first survivor, Philip Tourney and because he said:

It was God that kept the USS LIBERTY afloat.

Tourney also recalls:

When I boarded Liberty, after their first deployment, she was quite a site. I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the ship and the warm welcome aboard I got from ships’ company. I was assigned to the engineering dept under the direct command of Lt. George Golden, a good friend and confidant…

June 8, 1967 was an infamous day. We all knew there was war going between Israel and their Arab combatants. Early that morning there were many over flights by the Israeli air force.

We were positively identified as American and friendly in International waters approximately 12.5 miles off the coast of Sinai.

At 2:00 jet aircraft from the Zionist State of Israel viciously attacked our ship.

We had no idea who was attacking us because the planes were unmarked.

This vicious, murderous attack lasted as long as the attack on Pearl Harbor, approximately 2 hours.

YOUR VOICE COUNTS Radio show is hosted by Tourney with co-host Ronald Kukal, who will also be speaking at the FOSNA 911 Colorado event.

Ronald Kukal has always been the Chaplain for the USS Liberty Veterans Association and is now also the Chaplain for the Silver Star Families of America.

Kukal joined the US Navy in 1959;

With the intention of becoming a Limited Duty Officer, but that intention was abruptly halted on June 8, 1967 when the USS Liberty was attacked by Israeli Forces.

I was the Petty Officer in Charge of the body recovery and identification when the ship finally dry-docked in Malta about five days later after the attack.

I have worked for 49 years to try and get the truth out to the American public.

I gave the first invocation for the USS Liberty Memorial Library, and indicated in that speech for the first time that it was God who saved the USS Liberty from going to the bottom.

I advocate that in every talk I have ever given.

USS LIBERTY Veteran Don Pageler has been busy speaking in California and can be caught live on Wednesday, June 29 at 4:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in San Anselmo, CA.

View Don Pageler’s USS Liberty Discussion at the Western Museum of Flight HERE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx-80iKiZoM

In this video taped on 8 June 2016, USS Liberty Veterans President, author and life-long Catholic, Ernest Gallo speaks after the USS Liberty Petition drive in Deland, Fl..

At around 25 minutes, Gallo speaks about Lieutenant Richard F. Kiepfer, MD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGlGI0o6Shw

Learn more about Dr. Kiepfer the only MD aboard the USS LIBERTY who “with complete disregard for his own personal safety, exposed himself to overwhelmingly accurate rocket and machine gun fire administered first aid, treated 171 wounded men for pain, shock, conducted a major surgical operation” AFTER being riddled with shrapnel HERE

Learn more about Sabeel and Christian Liberation Theology HERE