Register of the William Loren McGonagle papers
Finding aid prepared by Aparna Mukherjee
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2008
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu
Title: William Loren McGonagle papers
Date (inclusive): 1947-1999
Collection Number: 99046
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
10 manuscript boxes
(4.2 Linear Feet)
Abstract: The William L. McGonagle collection describes the devastation caused by the Israeli naval and air attack on the American naval
intelligence ship Liberty on June 8, 1967, and the honors and citations bestowed on him for heroism and sacrifice. Materials
include correspondence, reports, orders, personnel records, writings, printed matter, and photographs
Creator:
McGonagle, William Loren, 1925-1999
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1999
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], William Loren McGonagle papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Biographical Note
| 1925 Nov. 19 |
Born, Wichita, Kansas |
| 1942 Sept. - 1944 June |
Graduated, Coachella Valley Union High School, Indio, California |
| 1944 July - 1945 Nov. |
Student, University of Redlands, Redlands, California |
| 1947 June |
A.B. in History, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California |
| 1947-1950 |
Served in the destroyer
USS Frank Knox and minesweeper
USS Partridge and served in the minesweeper
USS Kite during the Korean War
|
| 1947 June |
Commissioned, in the rank of Ensign |
| 1951 Sept. - Dec. |
U.S. Naval School (Electronics), San Francisco, California |
| 1952 Jan. - 1953 July |
U.S. Naval Advance Base, Bremerhaven, Germany |
| 1959 Jan. - 1961 June |
Assistant Professor of Naval Science, Naval Weapons, Leadership, and Naval Operations |
| 1959 June - 1961 June |
B.S. in Education, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho |
| 1963 July 1 |
Promoted to Commander |
| 1966 April - 1967 Sept. |
Commanding Officer of the technical research ship
USS Liberty
|
| 1967 June 8 |
Israeli naval and air attack on the American naval intelligence ship
USS Liberty; Received Purple Heart and Medal of Honor
|
| 1967 Oct. |
Led the NROTC Unit at the University of Oklahoma |
| |
Commanded the new ammunition ship Kilauea |
| |
Promoted to the rank of Captain, |
| 1969 Aug. - 1971 May |
Awarded meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star in lieu of Award) |
| |
Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Science, Chief Navy Division |
| 1974 Aug. 1 |
Retired from active duty |
| 1999 Mar. 3 |
Died, Palm Springs, California |
Scope and Content of Collection
The William McGonagle papers narrate the story of the Israeli naval and air attack on the American naval intelligence ship
USS Liberty on June 8, 1967. Materials consist of correspondence, reports, orders, personnel records, writings, printed matter, and photographs
relating to the incident.
The central theme of the papers is the incident on
USS Liberty. The surprise Israeli attack on the U.S. ship, the damages on the ship, loss of lives, and serious injuries produced an outcry
all over the world. The heroic effort made by William McGonagle to save his shipmates earned him the Medal of Honor and citations
as well as the respect of the United States Navy and beyond.
The United States Navy File contains general information about the Navy and William McGonagle's personal files. The files
record William McGonagle's assignments, including the
USS Liberty,
USS Kilauea, and JUSMAG Philippines. The
USS Liberty records include numerous photographs which present a picture of the destruction and injuries.
In addition, there are two 1/4-inch sound tape reels that contain information about the
USS Liberty and an interview.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into 4 series: Biographical File, United States Navy File, Photographs and Negatives, and 1/4-Inch
Sound Tape Reel
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Israel-Arab War, 1967 -- Naval operations
United States -- Armed Forces -- Mediterranean Sea
United States -- Foreign relations -- Israel
Israel -- Foreign relations -- United States
Officers
Liberty (Ship)
United States. Navy
Biographical File
1960-1999 and undated
Scope and Contents note
Citations, clippings, correspondence with the next of kin of men who died under his command, identification cards, memoranda,
notice of discharge from active duty, personal files, printed matter, and speaking file, as well as books and papers written
by others presented to William McGonagle. Arranged alphabetically by physical form
box 1, folder 1
Biographical information
1960
undated.
Scope and Contents note
Includes photographs of William McGonagle
box 1, folder 4
Correspondence
1967-1993.
Scope and Contents note
Letters and addresses for the next of kin of men who died under his command. Includes photographs of Marines, undated
box 1, folder 5
Geneva Convention identification cards, undated
box 1, folder 6
Memorandum for record about an interview with Kathryn Hatch, Newsweek
1969
box 1, folder 7
Notice of discharge from duty
1974
box 1, folder 8-10
Personal files
1969-1982 and undated
box 1, folder 13
United States of America's Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients and Their Official Citations, copyrights held by Highland
Publishers and Highland House II
1980 and 1994
box 2, folder 1
The
USS Liberty : Dissenting History VS. Official History, John E. Borne
1995
box 2, folder 2-3
The Liberty Incident, a dissertation by A. Jay Kristol, University of Miami
1997
box 2, folder 4
Miscellany
1966-1998 and undated
United States Navy File
1948-1998 and undated.
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, fitness reports of officers, publicity file, and scrapbook, arranged alphabetically by physical form. The
records of ships, especially the
USS Liberty, are described separately in the same order
William McGonagle office files
box 3, folder 3
1968
Scope and Contents note
Includes photographic prints of William McGonagle and others,undated
box 3, folder 8
1991
Scope and Contents note
- Secretary of the Navy
box 3, folder 10-12
Fitness reports
1948-1973
box 4, folder 1
Instruction sheets and list of crew members
undated
box 4, folder 8
Scrapbook -
The Keel : United States Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois
undated
box 4, folder 9-10
JUSMAG Philippines
1969-1984.
Scope and Contents note
Includes officers' evaluation and fitness reports
box 5, folder 2
Fitness reports of officers
1967-1970
box 5, folder 3
Newsclip file
1967-1968.
Scope and Contents note
Includes a photograph of William McGonagle and Navy personnel,undated
box 5, folder 5
Press releases
1967-1971.
Scope and Contents note
Includes photographs of William McGonagle and others,undated
box 5, folder 6
Printed matter
1968
Scope and Contents note
Includes photographs depicting William McGonagle and others, undated
box 5, folder 9
Awards and Chief Naval Officer's letter authorizing awards
1991 and undated
box 5, folder 10
Basic orders and endorsements
1967-1968
Clippings and media coverage
box 7, folder 5-6
Fitness reports
1967-1980
box 7, folder 9
Navy/Marine Corps/Civilian personnel killed or died as a result of combat action during the armed attack on
USS Liberty
1967
box 7, folder 11
Medical file
1968 and undated
box 7, folder 13
Memorial service
1993
Scope and Contents note
Includes photographs of memorial tombs,undated
box 8, folder 10
Summary of events
undated
box 8, folder 15
Miscellany
1967-1971 and undated
Photographs and Negatives
1967-1973 and undated
Scope and Contents note
Photographs and negatives depicting William McGonagle and others arranged in groups, as well as images of the
USS Liberty and
USS Kilauea
box 9, folder 2
William McGonagle
undated.
box 9, folder 3
Collection of photographs
undated
box 9, folder 4-5
Commissioning photographs
1968 and undated
box 9, folder 6-7
William McGonagle and others watching Commissary man involved in the preparation of the commissioning of the
USS Kilauea
undated.
Scope and Contents note
Includes Kiwanis Club and Sogibow, Michigan, 1970
box 9, folder 8
Commanding officers,
USS Liberty
undated
box 9, folder 9
Awards presentation on the
USS Liberty
undated.
Scope and Contents note
Includes related materials, undated
box 9, folder 10
Album, Photographs of the
USS Liberty, circa 1967
box 9, folder 11
Photographs of the
USS Liberty with William McGonagle on board
1967
box 10, folder 1
Salvage photographs - Guam
1962
box 10, folder 2
Bronze Star Medal award
1968
box 10, folder 3
Album of Navy Division building and signing of lease for Phil Navy Ship YD-205
1973
1/4-Inch Sound Tape Reels
1967-1969.
Scope and Contents note
Consists of recordings of a
USS Liberty press conference and an unidentified interview
box 10, folder 5
USS Liberty press conference tape
1967
