Criteria The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, kill... The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, killed, or who has died or may die of wounds received in armed combat or as a result of an act of international terrorism. MoreHide
Criteria The Presidential Unit Citation may be awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy occurring on or aft... The Presidential Unit Citation may be awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy occurring on or after December 7, 1941. MoreHide
Description The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, USS Liberty, by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, on 8 June 1967, durThe USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, USS Liberty, by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, on 8 June 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilian), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship. At the time, the ship was in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula, about 25.5 nmi (29.3 mi; 47.2 km) northwest from the Egyptian city of Arish.
Israel apologized for the attack, saying that the USS Liberty had been attacked in error after being mistaken for an Egyptian ship. Both the Israeli and U.S. governments conducted inquiries and issued reports that concluded the attack was a mistake due to Israeli confusion about the ship's identity, though others, including survivors of the attack, have rejected these conclusions and maintain that the attack was deliberate.
In May 1968, the Israeli government paid US$3,323,500 (US$22.9 million 2017) in compensation to the families of the 34 men killed in the attack. In March 1969, Israel paid a further $3,566,457 to the men who had been wounded. On 18 December 1980, it agreed to pay $6 million as settlement for the final U.S. bill of $17,132,709 for material damage to Liberty herself plus 13 years' interest.... More
Memories THE ATTACK ON THE USS LIBERTY The Attack on the USS Liberty by Israel in 1967 is the kind of story tTHE ATTACK ON THE USS LIBERTY The Attack on the USS Liberty by Israel in 1967 is the kind of story that makes your blood seethe. It's another lie that has been widely promoted, and accepted, and then thrown into the dustbin of history. As with the much more popular JFK assassination coverup, the glaring inconsistincies concerning the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty need to be exposed, especially now with so many American's fighting and dying in the middle east. Much new evidence has come out about the fact that the Israeli attack was deliberate, and that the US government went to extraordinary lengths to disguise the truth. Both the US and Israel governments would rather this story remain in the dark, but understand this, Israel is not the innocent angel with a halo over it's head that so many would like you to believe, and the actions of the US government in this are nothing short of traitorous. On June 8, 1967, as Israel was torturing Egyptian prisoners of war at Al Arish, some 13 miles off the Mediterranean coast, the Israeli air force bombed the USS Liberty, resulting in the deaths of 34 American servicemen, and leaving 174 injured, many seriously. It was an attack on a UNARMED US Intelligence Ship, and the US government seemed all too willing to look the other way. The Israeli air force sent more than 800 rounds of cannon fire, rockets, heavy bombs and burning napalm on to the USS Liberty. In an attack that lasted more than an hour, three Israeli vessels fired five torpedoes at the ship, virtually destroying the American boat. Escaping sailors were hit by machine gun fire, leading many survivors to believe that it was Israel?s intention to kill all aboard. Yet, despite the loss of American life and 174 injured servicemen, Congress still refused to launch an official investigation to reassess the original Court of Inquiry, which claimed it was merely a tragic accident. The Navy Court of Inquiry, held just 10 days after the attack, officially accepted Israel?s claim that it mistook the Liberty for an Egyptian ship. This is despite the fact that only hours after the Liberty arrived it was spotted by the Israeli military. The IDF sent out reconnaissance planes to identify the ship. They made eight trips over a period of three hours. The Liberty was flying a large US flag and was easily recognizable as an American vessel.
A few hours later more planes came. These were Israeli Mirage III fighters, armed with rockets and machine guns. As off-duty officers sunbathed on the deck, the fighters opened fire on the defenseless ship with rockets and machine guns. A few minutes later a second wave of planes streaked overhead, French-built Mystere jets, which not only pelted the ship with gunfire but also with napalm bomblets, coating the deck with the flaming jelly. By now, the Liberty was on fire and dozens were wounded and killed, excluding several of the ship's top officers. As the Liberty listed in the choppy seas, its deck aflame, crew members dropped life rafts into the water and prepared to scuttle the ship. Given the number of wounded, this was going to be a dangerous operation. But it soon proved impossible, as the Israeli attack boats strafed the rafts with machine gun fire. No body was going to get out alive that way.
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
