LIBERTY AGTR 5
Ship Name and Designation History
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.
Keel Laid February 23 1945 as "SS SIMMONS VICTORY" Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP3) hull Launched (date unknown) Acquired by US Navy February 1963 Converted to Miscellaneous Auxiliary, (Technical Research Ship AG-168) and renamed June 8 1963 Reclassified Technical Research Ship (AGTR) April 1 1964 |
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This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).
Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.
- Covers Page 1 (1966)
Postmarks
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.
A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an
image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN
THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
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Postmark Type |
Date From to Date To |
Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image |
Thumbnail Link To Cover Image |
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Locy Type |
1965-01-15 |
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First Day Postal Service
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Locy Type |
1966-04-09 |
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Note:
Other Information
A Memorial To Those Who Sail In Harms Way - The Attack on USS Liberty
The following summary is from the jacket of the book, Assault on the Liberty by James M. Ennes, Jr.; Random House, New York, 1979
In June 1967, jet aircraft and motor torpedo boats of Israel brutally assaulted an American naval vessel, the USS LIBERTY, in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack was preceded by more than six-hours of intense low-level surveillance by Israel photo-reconnaissance aircraft, which buzzed the intelligence ship thirteen times, sometimes flying as low as 200 feet directly overhead. The carefully orchestrated assault that followed was initiated by high-performance jet aircraft, and was followed up by slower and more maneuverable jets carrying napalm, and was finally turned over to lethal torpedo boats, which blasted a forty-foot hole in the ship's side.
The attack lasted more two hours-killing 34 Americans and wounding 171 others-and inflicted 821 rocket and machine-gun holes in the ship. And when the LIBERTY stubbornly remained afloat despite her damage, Israeli forces machine-gunned her life rafts and sent troop-carrying helicopters to finish the job. At this point, with Sixth Fleet rescue aircraft finally enroute, the government of Israel apologized and the attacking forces suddenly withdrew. Only then did the identity of the assailants become known.
USS Liberty was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and Captain McGonagle, the Commanding Officer, received the Medal of Honor. Two hundred and five Purple Hearts were also presented to the crew members killed or wounded.
NAMESAKE - The quality or state of being free which was the dominant ideal and aspiration of the American patriots during the Revolutionary War.
Three ships of the US Navy have been named LIBERTY - USS Liberty (Schooner 1775), USS Liberty (Animal Transport 1918) and USS Liberty AGTR-5.
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