William Loren McGonagle (November 19, 1925 – March 3, 1999) was a United States Navy officer who received the Medal of Honor for his actions while in command of the when it was attacked by Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War.
After accepting a commission in the United States Navy in 1944, McGonagle held various assignments before taking command of the Liberty in 1966. In June 1967 the Liberty was sailing in international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean when it was attacked by the Israel Defense Forces, injuring McGonagle, killing and injuring other members of his crew, and severely damaging the ship. He maintained control of the ship until help arrived, and after healing from his wounds was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on the Liberty in 1967. He continued his navy career, holding several more positions until retiring in 1974. When he died in 1999 he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors a short distance from the graves of some of his crew who were killed during the attack.
Naval career
thumb|upright=1.4|Grave at Arlington National Cemetery
McGonagle was born November 19, 1925, in Wichita, Kansas. After attending secondary school, McGonagle attended the University of Southern California in which he participated in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program. In June 1947, he accepted a commission in the navy as an ensign. He was assigned to the destroyer and after that was posted to the minesweeper from 1947–1950. During the Korean War he served on the minesweeper during the extensive operations that earned him and the other members of the crew a Presidential Unit Citation. From 1951 to 1966, he was assigned to various positions ashore and afloat, including commands of the fleet tug from 1957 to 1958 and the salvage ship from 1961 to 1963. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members including naval officers, seamen, two Marines, and a civilian, wounded 171, and severely damaged the ship. Although the ship had a 39 ft (12 m) wide by 24 ft (7.3 m) high hole and a twisted keel from a torpedo impact, the crew kept the ship afloat, and were able to leave the area under their own power. When the damage to the ship was assessed 821 rocket, shell, and machine-gun holes were found in the ship's hull.
thumb|right|Commander McGonagle points out damage to the USS Liberty.
The Medal of Honor was presented to him, in secret, at the Washington Navy Yard by the Secretary of the Navy, rather than at the White House by the President. This represents the only time a Medal of Honor recipient was awarded in such a manner. After being promoted to captain in October 1967 and recovering from his wounds he was given command of the new ammunition ship . He then served as commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit at the University of Oklahoma before retiring from active duty in 1974. He made occasional appearances with his surviving crew, such as on the 24th anniversary of the attack (in 1991) in a reunion at the White House. During his later years, including during the White House reunion, he suffered from cancer. On the 30th anniversary of the attack (in 1997), during a reunion held at Arlington National Cemetery, he finally called for an investigation and denounced Israel’s mistaken identity claim: “I think it’s about time that the state of Israel and the United States government provide the crew members of the Liberty and the rest of the American people the facts of what happened, and why…the Liberty was attacked 30 years ago today. For many years I have wanted to believe that the attack on the Liberty was pure error. It appears to me that it was not a pure case of mistaken identity. It was, on the other hand, gross incompetence and aggravated dereliction of duty on the part of many officers and men of the state of Israel.”
On March 3, 1999, he died in Palm Springs, California, and, following services at the Post Chapel at Fort Myer, Virginia, he was buried with full military honors on April 9, 1999, at Arlington National Cemetery with members of his USS Liberty crew in attendance. His grave can be found in section 34, lot 208 <!-- map grid U/V 11 --><!-- map grids no longer used by the Cemetery since each grave has GPS coordinates via the Cemetery app --> near the common gravesite of six other members of the USS Liberty crew.
Other honors
A Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to McGonagle for Veterans Day in 1999, recognizing him as one of five Medal of Honor recipients from the Southern California desert area.
The Captain William L. McGonagle Branch Medical/Dental Clinic was dedicated at Naval Security Group Activity Northwest, Chesapeake VA, on December 5, 1997. This is believed to be one of the few times in history a U.S. Naval building has been dedicated in honor of a living sailor.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients