The USS Liberty Survivors: Silenced for Decades, Now Speaking

For decades, the men who survived the attack on the USS Liberty were ordered to remain silent. Their injuries, their losses, and the questions surrounding that day were buried beneath official explanations and political pressure. Now, in their own voices, the survivors speak—about who they were before the attack, what they experienced as their ship was assaulted, and how silence became another burden they were forced to carry.

On June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy intelligence ship, was attacked in international waters during the Six-Day War.

Part of “The People Of…” — a human-centered history series told through lived experience and oral history.

This documentary tells the story of the USS Liberty through the voices of the men who survived it.

Using only oral history interviews, the film weaves together firsthand accounts from U.S. Marine Sergeant Bryce Lockwood; sailors Larry Weaver, Dale Larkin, Phil Tourney, and Jim Ennes Jr.; crypto technicians Don Pageler, Moe Shafer, and Bob Scarborough; and Captain William McGonagle. Their memories reveal life aboard the ship before the attack, the chaos and terror of the assault, the fight to survive, and the trauma that followed.

Without narration or reenactments, these survivors describe what they saw, what they felt, and what they were later told not to discuss. Their testimony raises difficult questions about the official response, the investigation, and the silence that surrounded the event for decades.

This is not a retelling of history from textbooks—it is history spoken by the men who lived it.

About “The People Of…”
This series tells history through the people who lived it. Some stories are reconstructed from records and testimony when voices were lost. Others are told through oral history, allowing survivors to speak in their own words. Different events, same approach: history at human scale.

#the people of
#oral history documentary
#human centered history
#firsthand history
#survivors tell their story
#USS Liberty
#USS Liberty attack
#Six Day War
#June 8 1967
#William McGonagle
#Jim Ennes Jr.
#USS Liberty survivors

Sources:

   • USS Liberty Pre Attack Video.  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Bob Scarborough Inter...  

   • USS Liberty Survivor CDR Dave Lewis  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Larry Weaver  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Bryce Lockwood  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Don Pageler  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Dr. Richard Kiepfer  

   • USS Liberty Survivor LCDR Jim Ennes  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Tommy Reilly  

   • Captain William McGonagle Interview  

   • Ron Kukal Testimonial  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Phil Tourney Presenta...  

   • USS Liberty Jan Feb 1967  

   • USS Liberty Survivor Dale Larkins Recounts...  

   • We Americans and the USS Liberty  

   • WWII, Korea, Vietnam War Cargo Ship! SS Am...  

   • S.S. Lane Victory – 1945 Merchant Marine S...  

   • Florida’s Ultimate WORLD WAR II Roadside A...  

   • SS American Victory Ship EXPLORED  

   • The USS Liberty Cover-Up | Survivor Moe Sh...  

   • The Story of U.S.S. Liberty Survivor Richa...