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1960\'s Patch - USS Liberty - United States Navy
Flight Patch - US Navy - AGTR-5
1960\'s Patch - United States Navy - Six Day War
Measures - 3.8 inches in diameter (9.5 cms)
USS Liberty – AGTR-5 – US Spy Ship.
USS Liberty(AGTR-5) was a Belmont-class technical research ship (electronic spy ship) thatwas attacked by Israel Defense Forces during the 1967 Six-Day War. She wasbuilt and served in World War II as SS Simmons Victory, a Victory cargo ship.
Post War shewas a commercial ship.
In February1963, the U.S. Navy acquired Simmons Victory and converted her to a\"Miscellaneous Auxiliary\" ship at Willamette Iron and Steel ofPortland.
On 8 June thevessel was renamed USS Liberty and given the hull classification symbol AG-168.
On 1 April1964, she was reclassified a Technical Research Ship (AGTR-5).
The USSLiberty went to the Mediterranean Sea in 1967.
During theSix-Day War between Israel and several Arab nations, she was sent to collectelectronic intelligence in the eastern Mediterranean.
Attack byIsraeli Forces.
On theafternoon of 8 June 1967, while in international waters off the northern coastof the Sinai Peninsula, Liberty was attacked and damaged by the Israel DefenseForces; 34 crewmen were killed and 174 wounded.
Althoughseverely damaged with a 39-by-24-foot (11.9m × 7.3m) hole amidships and atwisted keel, Liberty\'s crew kept her afloat, and she was able to leave thearea under her own power.
After theattack she was escorted to Valletta, Malta, by units of the Sixth Fleet and wasgiven temporary repairs. After the repairs were completed, Liberty returned tothe United States on 27 July 1967.
She wasdecommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 June 1968.
She was laidup in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet of Norfolk until December 1970, when she wastransferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal. In 1973, she was soldfor scrapping to the Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland.
Later, Israelapologized for the attack, stating it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptianship, as the incident occurred during the Six-Day War.
In totalIsrael gave close to $13 million to the U.S. in compensation for the incident.This includes compensation to the families of those killed, the wounded and tocover damage of the ship.
