Presenting DCDave’s Poem “Remember the Liberty”

David Martin (a.k.a. “DCDave”) wrote this poem after reading my book “LBJ: From Mastermind to the Colossus” (the two chapters on the attack on the USS Liberty) and before my third book having the same title as his poem was written.  

It was written to be sung to the tune of Skye Boat Song

		Old Glory she flew
                Over waters of blue
                Under a cloudless sky,
                But foul treachery
                Soon colored the sea
                And many good men would die.

                While desperate battle 
                Was raging nearby
                Over an ancient land,
                The vessel's crew members
                Could never have dreamed
                What others for them had planned.

                Old Glory she flew
                Over waters of blue
                Under a cloudless sky,
                But foul treachery
                Soon colored the sea
                And many good men would die.

                For hours they came,
                The Israeli planes,
                Surveying the ship below,
                That this was the boat
                Of their closest ally
                Was impossible not to know.

                Old Glory she flew
                Over waters of blue
                Under a cloudless sky,
                But foul treachery
                Soon colored the sea
                And many good men would die.

                Then cold-blooded murder
                Rained down from the sky,
                The cries for help purposely stilled.
                The brutes left no doubt
                The siege would go on
                Till everyone had been killed.

                Old Glory she flew
                Over waters of blue
                Under a cloudless sky,
                But foul treachery
                Soon colored the sea
                And many good men would die.

                Somehow they broke through
                The electronic gag;
                Our warplanes were on the way,
                But then came the greatest
                Stab in the back:
                They were called back by LBJ.

                Old Glory she flew
                Over waters of blue
                Under a cloudless sky,
                But foul treachery
                Soon colored the sea
                And many good men would die.

                Now too many people 
                Had learned of the crime;
                The killers were forced to stop short.
                With a gaping torpedo
                Hole in her side,
                The victim limped back to port.

                Old Glory she flew
                Over waters of blue
                Under a cloudless sky,
                But foul treachery
                Soon colored the sea
                And many good men would die.

                What happened that day
                Was a sinister scheme
                That they've tried to this day to hide.
                The men were the victims 
                Of a covert plot
                With the code name of CYANIDE.

                With politics played,
                Our men were betrayed.
                This foul treachery
                Has touched you and me
                And left on us all a stain.
                This foul treachery
                Has touched you and me
                And left on us all a stain.

                   David Martin