Skip to comments.Today In History - January 23, 1968 - Seizure of USS Pueblo by North Korea
Posted on 01/23/2007 7:11:32 AM PST by MplsSteve
On January 23 1968, the USS Pueblo was fired upon and seized by North Korea while in international waters. To this date, there has been some dispute as to whether the Pueblo may have briefly crossed into North Korean territorial waters during its intelligence-gathering.
One sailor was killed during the attack and capture of the ship. The remaining men were imprisoned in North Korea (and frequently mistreated) until their release in December 1968.
The release came about due to a US apology to the North Koreans for spying upon their country and in effect, promising never to do it again. Upon the safe return of the crew, the US retracted the apology.
The USS Pueblo remains in the hands of North Korea and is used as a tourist destination and propaganda tool. To this date, the USS Pueblo is still listed as a commissioned ship in the US Navy.
The commander of the Pueblo, Lloyd Bucher, was recommended for court-martial, but Sec of Navy John Chaffee, denied the recommendation. Bucher died in January 2004 in San Diego
To Kim Jong-Il and the North Korean government: the Hawaiian Good Luck Sign!
The good news is now we shoot back...and get rid of your dogtags if boarded.
destroy north korea
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.