Liberty Radio Hour Features Interview with Salem-News.com's Tim King

(COEUR d'ALENE, Idaho) - One of the most disturbing stories in contemporary military history is the 1967 Israeli attack on the U.S.S. Liberty, an American Navy ship in international waters, monitoring the Six Day War. It was a politically divisive act of aggression of Israel and neighboring nations.

Salem-News.com is honored to be in contact with the actual survivors of this unexplained attack that led to the deaths of 34 U.S. Sailors and two Marines and the injury of two hundred. It was not a minor attack, the ship was attacked viciously for hours, while clearly flying a "brand new flag" which snapped in the wind, on a beautiful day, when not one American thought the planes with the Star of David on the side were part of an upcoming military attack.

These survivors are banded together today as they were then in service of their nation. They are an extremely patriotic lot and they are dissatisfied that to this day, Israel can offer no logical explanation for the attack other than having mistaken the vessel for an Egyptian ship which in reality, was of different dimensions entirely.

Mark Glenn Phil Tourney spoke to Tim about the U.S.S. Liberty and several other pressing subjects Tuesday on The Liberty Hour Radio Program

Other subjects include Tim's time as a war photographer in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and Salem-News.com's ongoing reports about TCE (trichloroethylene), PCE (perchloroethylene) and benzene contamination at two Marine Corps bases; Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and the now-closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Southern California.

The interview was made possible thanks to the efforts of writer Debbie Menon of mycatbirdseat.com/ for crashing us all together.

Here is the radio program, just hit play:

Tim King launched Salem-News.com during the summer of 2004 when he was a photojournalist/reporter for KATU Channel-2 News, the ABC affiliate in Portland, Oregon. Assigned to cover Salem for the station, Tim began Salem-News as an overflow for his daily work for the television station.

About a year and a half later, Tim left KATU to become fully devoted to the growth, development and daily news needs of Salem-News.com along with Bonnie King, who had left her position at the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon where she served as the Newspapers in Education Director.

After two years, Salem-News.com was selected by Google to be one of its contributing news organizations and traffic on the site grew ten times overnight; with the daily number of visitors jumping from 600 to 6,000.

Over the winter of 2006/2007, Tim spent two months in Afghanistan covering the war there through the eyes of 900 Oregon soldiers.

Tim reported for Salem-News.com and Oregon's KPTV FOX-12 from a number of regions and situations in Afghanistan. His work was also shown in two documentaries produced by the Portland FOX station in the weeks following his return.

More recently, Tim spent five weeks covering the war in Iraq, embedded once again with an Oregon Guard unit. Tim produced reports with the Army's 101st Airborne and Marines from the 2nd Marine Air Wing during the summer of 2008.

Tim`s history is steeped in his ability and desire to tell a great story - which first led him to the television newsroom in 1988, serving as News Anchor/Reporter for Lincoln City, Oregon`s cable TV station, TV 10. That`s where Tim found his calling.

Since those first years, Tim has moved on to serve as News Photojournalist/Reporter for KATU (ABC), Photojournalist at KVVU (FOX), KVBC (NBC), and KYMA (NBC), the News Assignment Editor for KVVU (FOX) in Las Vegas, NV, as well as radio News Director (KBCH/KCRF). In addition, he was the Producer/Host for the `Coast Entertainment Show`, Executive Producer (creator) of the TV series `Hot Wheels in Las Vegas`, and Executive Producer of the 30-minute documentary `Fallen Fortress at Cape Lookout` which aired on Oregon Public Broadcasting in 1993.

Also significant among his achievements are the 2 years he spent as a Wildlife Rescue team leader on the coast of Oregon; and his service in the US Marine Corps with MWSG-37 in the 3rd Marine Air Wing at El Toro.

Tim`s career in the broadcast industry has afforded him many opportunities to cover incredible stories as well as meet innumerable celebrities and dignitaries. He has flown in many military planes including an F-16 Air Force Fighter, and produced a three-part series on aviation history of the Southwest region of the United States. Aviation is one of Tim`s passions.

Tim major in journalism at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. He holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), the first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several other awards including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting.

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Ken May 6, 2010 6:20 am (Pacific time)

It's unfortunate that the USS Liberty attack is often used for propaganda purposes by the anti-Israel crowd. It's a gross disservice to attack survivors who are looking for a fair hearing and justice, as opposed to a way to bash the State of Israel.

Editor: Well that is an interesting perspective, its like those darned homeowners who retaliate against burglars and home intruders. They don't have what it takes to hand over their belongings and thank the thieves for shooting their children before leaving.

I have a feeling that these patriotic sailors do not need your advocacy or false concern. Instead they seek something called justice. This comes in the form of something called accountability. Is there a Hebrew word for that? I suspect there is.

boatops May 5, 2010 6:38 pm (Pacific time)

Read The SURVIVOR accounts, NOT Wikipedia that can be edited by any lover of ISRAEL ... REMEMBER the LIBERTY!!!

Editor: Good point, thanks for making it.

Ken May 5, 2010 3:11 pm (Pacific time)

You say: "...the ship was attacked viciously for hours." Considering that the attack begain at about 1400 and shooting at the ship stopped at about 1500, I'd say that the ship was under attack for about one hour, as opposed to hours.

Editor: This is directly from Wikipedia:

Beginning about 2 p.m., the Liberty was attacked by several IAF aircraft, initially by two Mirage IIIs, employing cannon, rockets and bombs, followed by two Dassault Mysteres carrying napalm. One napalm bomb hit the ship. The leader of the Mirage formation identified the ship as a destroyer, mistaking the off-center fed parabolic antenna on its forecastle for a dun (dubious-discuss) The fact that the ship had Western markings led IDF Chief of Staff Rabin to fear that the ship was Soviet; he ordered the planes and a three torpedo boat squadron that had been ordered into the area to withhold fire pending positive identification of the ship, and sent in two helicopters to search for survivors. These radio communications were recorded by Israel. The order also was recorded in the ship's log, although the commander of the torpedo boat squadron stated that he had not received it.

When the commander of torpedo boats could see the Liberty, he immediately realized the ship was not a destroyer or any type of warship capable of 30 knots (56 km/h) speed. He immediately ordered the attack stopped pending better identification "although this was difficult due to the billowing clouds of smoke that enveloped the vessel; only her bow, part of her bridge and the tip of her mast could be discerned." The commander attempted to signal the ship but got a reply asking him to identify himself. He also observed gun fire from the ship. He consulted an Israeli identification guide to Arab fleets and concluded the ship was the Egyptian supply ship El Quseir. Another of his boat captains reached the same conclusioⁿ Based on that identification, the gun fire and what he considered an evasive response to his signal, the commander ordered the attack to proceed.

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Israel let Americans have it, they killed Marines and sailors and there was no justification. Any American with half a brain and an ounce of national pride believes the U.S. Navy sailors who were aboard that day- that the American flag was showing clearly. Israel on this day, was clearly an enemy of the United States, this was a savage murderous act; any suggestion to the contrary is Israeli propaganda, we have to draw the line somewhere. This is the lifetime story of biting the hand that feeds. This is the story that will turn things around before it is too late. How's the weather in Tel Aviv?

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Liberty Radio Hour Features Interview with Salem-News.com's Tim King

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Liberty Radio Hour Features Interview with Salem-News.com's Tim King

Here is the radio program, just hit play: Powered by Podbean.com

Quick Links

DINING

MUST SEE SALEM

AUCTIONS - APPRAISALS

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

ONLINE SHOPPING

Advertise with Salem-News

Here is the radio program, just hit play:

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