Word: pueblos
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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When they were not being quizzed or beaten, Pueblo's men were continually subjected to Communist propaganda. They were told early in June, for example, that Robert Kennedy had been killed-by President Johnson. In time, the crew was afforded slightly better treatment. They were occasionally allowed to exercise together, most often by trimming the grass around their prison building with pocket knives. But the beatings and terror never ended until...
While last week's court of inquiry focused on Bucher, his testimony cast a dismal light on the entire U.S. military chain of command. Even the White House was fully informed in advance about Pueblo and her mission, and must have been cognizant of the serious risk of provoking retaliation from the belligerent North Koreans. Yet the ship's dangerous, unprecedented mission was approached with extraordinary nonchalance...
...example, was Bucher given as his first command so highly sensitive an assignment? And why, once he had been given command, was he not allowed access to the classified material for which he might ultimately be responsible? Why was an ancient rust bucket like Pueblo chosen for conversion into a spy ship? Why were Bucher's requests for essential gear and weaponry repeatedly turned down? Why, if the Navy lacked the money to equip the ship properly, was Pueblo stationed off North Korea in the first place? Why no air cover? And why did the Navy steadfastly assume that...
False Security. Even at a lower level of command, where operational difficulties are more apparent, Bucher received little help or guidance. Rear Admiral Frank L. Johnson, commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Japan, was made fully aware of Pueblo's limitations by Bucher. Yet he did nothing to upgrade the ship. Indeed, Bucher testified that Johnson had assured him that his guns would never be needed, and in fact advised the skipper not to show "any aggressive intent" if harassed by North Korean or Soviet vessels. This attitude seemed to lull Bucher into a false sense of security, which...
...Navy is obviously groping for a standard. The Judge Advocate General ruled that the Pueblo crewmen were not prisoners of war since the U.S. is not at war with North Korea; instead, they are "illegal detainees." Paul Warnke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, finds it "unthinkable that these men will be court-martialed for signing a false statement. All the confession shows is the bestiality of the treatment they received. The harm done to the national interest is next...