June 8th marked the 45th anniversary of the attacks on the US Navy ship, USS Liberty by Israeli planes and torpedo boats in international waters in the Mediterranean. 34 men were killed, over 170 wounded. In remembrance, Veterans for Peace Chapter #161 sponsored USS Liberty observances in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
Survivors of the attacks were at each event. Paul Findley of Illinois, who served 22 years in the House of Representatives and has been intimately involved with the USS Liberty story for the past 45 years, was the featured speaker.
The event was open to the general public and admission was free for all. "[The purpose of the event] is first and foremost to honor those who died in the event and help out the survivors of the attack," said Ed Flaherty, the Iowa Veterans for Peace coordinator.
Flaherty said there was more to the story than the government narrative. He said the Iowa chapter wrote to the office of Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, in December 2011 asking for an official Congressional investigation to the attacks that occurred 45 years ago.
Flaherty said Loebsack's office contacted the Navy, which in turn sent Loebsack a copy of declassified documents from the investigation into the incident labeling it as an accident. The congressman sent the documents to the Iowa Veterans for Peace.
"At this point, the request for a Congressional investigation — let's call it a long shot," Flaherty said. He hopes the observance will remind the public of the injustices of war, he said. Kenneth "Mike" Schaley, a Cedar Rapids native who served on the USS Liberty during the attack, attended the event and speaking about the attack.
The official mission of the Veterans for Peace is to speak out against war, but Flaherty and UI Veterans Association officials acknowledge that this isn't necessarily a stance shared by all veterans. "The University of Iowa Veterans Association is neither a pro-war or antiwar organization, but we feel that this is an important event in history, so we decided to sponsor the event," said John Mikelson, coordinator of the UI Veterans Center.
Locations and Times:
Iowa City – Pentacrest. Noon, Friday, June 8th
Cedar Rapids – East side of Mays Island, 6PM, June 8th