My battle to keep alive the memory of Israel’s attack on the USS Liberty
By Phillip F. Tourney
Reviewed by Brian R. Wright

Erasing the Liberty is the third book I’ve read since firing myself up to support these men of the Liberty and their families seeking truth and justice all these years. The other two books are Attack on the Liberty (2009) by James Scott and Assault on the Liberty (1979) from surviving injured crew member James Ennes, Jr. I’m beginning to see that each of the books has unique strengths.

I met the author, injured survivor Phillip Tourney and his coauthor-editor, Dave Gahary, at the USS Liberty 50th Anniversary Reunion, June 8-10, 2017, Norfolk, Virginia. The authors have arranged the information in compact, highly readable units, and the latest revision is readily navigable to thumb thru and find related events to those you are reading.

What Erasing the Liberty provides that the other two books do not, or not to the same degree, is a deck-level, sailor’s view from start to finish of the attacks. Tourney, as petty officer, took a leadership role in damage control and personally wound up at the center of several of the major incidents during the action. He was directly aware of: Continue reading →

Rather a core dump of ideas on the USS Liberty starting with a screenplay
By Brian R. Wright

Note: this is basically source thinking for what is to come in creation of the so-called (USS) Liberty Meme, to be fleshed out in next week’s column.

To screenplay writer and three Liberty survivors:

Okay, here’s what I have in mind. [I am copying the three key players I ran into and talked with at the reunion, too. Not to put any pressure on anyone, but to get their sense of things and start a conversation about where we need to go. I’m still immersing myself in the books, I know Phil has a key one that I purchased, and I’ve begun to speak publicly–here’s my presentation to the local Campaign for Liberty group in Michigan that I did before going to Norfolk.]

I read thru the document again yesterday for some time, and now feel the only major concern I have is that a new title should be considered. My thinking is twofold (and please understand that I see your work as extraordinary and a magnificent achievement in its own right, I believe this is THE screenplay that is worthy of the cause… indeed probably the only bona fide screenplay extant at this point, where time is of the essence): Continue reading →