Word: ship
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...ready in South Korea, but they were armed with nuclear warheads and useless for such a mission. Air Force jets stationed in Japan were unavailable because a status-of-forces agreement prevented their use in any combat mission without the Japanese government's consent. The only U.S. Navy ship in the area was the nuclear aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise, which was cruising 600 miles from Pueblo. But, said Johnson, since Enterprise was based in Japan, her jets were similarly locked to the flight deck by the status-of-forces agreement...
...destroy secret documents, Bucher installed an electric paper shredder and a small incinerator. The burner was totally inadequate for the amount of classified material Pueblo would carry. But Bucher could not know that because he was not even cleared for access to the ship's supersecret "research" compartment. His request for either a twin-mount 20-mm. or single-mount 40-mm. cannons to defend his vessel went unheeded by Navy brass. Instead, he was issued two .50-cal. machine guns that would be useless against another ship. The basic problem, said Bucher, was money. The original...
...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...
...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 North Korea...
...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 may explain...