Biography
McGonagle was born November 19, 1925 in Wichita, Kansas. After attending secondary school and college in California, he enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and for the next three years participated in a Navy training program at the University of Southern California. In June 1947 he accepted a commission into the Navy as an ensign. He was assigned to the destroyer USS Frank Knox and after that was posted to the minesweeper USS Partridge from 1947-1950. During the Korean War he served on the minesweeper USS Kite 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 USS Mataco from 1957–1958 and the salvage ship USS Reclaimer from 1961-1963.
He took command of the Liberty in April 1966 and on June 8, 1967 the Liberty was attacked while sailing in international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Israeli government claimed the ship was an Egyptian vessel and attacked it with jets, helicopters and motor torpedo boats. McGonagle was severely wounded during the first air attack but remained in command throughout the night and the seventeen hour attack. Although the bridge had sustained heavy damage he stayed and directed the defense of the ship, refusing to leave his post for needed medical attention. As the Israeli fighters continued their attack he maneuvered his ship, directed its defense, supervised the control of flooding and fire, and saw to the care of the casualties. Eventually a United States destroyer arrived to assist and he permitted himself to be removed from the bridge and relinquished command of the Liberty. 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, 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 and machine-gun holes were found in the ship's hull.
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 near the common gravesite of six other members of the USS Liberty crew.
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