Excerpts from article published on 5/22/2015 in San Diego Union-Tribune in series on “Veterans Who Made A Difference To Their Country”:

WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS BEST

CDR Lloyd M. “Pete” Bucher was captain of the USS PUEBLO, a lightly armed spy ship, which was captured by North Korean soldiers in international waters off the coast of North Korea in 1968.  He and his crew were beaten and tortured for 11 months before they were released.  The story of the PUEBLO ship has been told hundreds, if not thousands, of times in newspapers, magazines, books and even a Hollywood movie.  The saga of the American spy ship may have captured the public's imagination because of one central question: Did CDR Bucher, the vessel's captain, do the right thing when he surrendered to heavily armed North Korean forces without firing a shot in 1968?  The majority of Bucher's fellow crew members would answer in the affirmative.  But some naval officers, and Bucher's own executive officer, questioned the decision.  A military court of inquiry even recommended a court-martial for Bucher after his release; the Secretary of the Navy rejected that finding, saying Bucher and his men had suffered enough.

One man who has never wavered in support of his skipper is James Kell, 78, of Chula Vista, a member of the PUEBLO crew when it was captured.  Kell said he was beaten and starved during the 11-month ordeal; he dropped from 185 pounds to 115 by the time of the crew's release.  He credits his survival, and that of 81 others on board, in large measure to Bucher's strong leadership.  "It's often said that character is doing the right thing when no one is looking, and Bucher was that kind of man," Kell said.  "He always did what he thought was best, and all the crew members' families appreciated us coming back alive.  That's for sure.  You can't say anything bad about him to my wife."  The lightly armed spy ship was sailing in international waters on January 23, 1968, when it was attacked by North Korean forces.  Kell said the PUEBLO had a top speed of 10 knots, while the pursuers — in a sub-chaser (like a destroyer), four smaller torpedo boats and two jet fighter planes — were far faster and much more heavily armed.  When the North Koreans attacked, one PUEBLO crewman was killed and 17 were wounded.  "We couldn't get away from them, they hit us with shells," Kell recalled.  "Bucher didn't give up the ship, he just couldn't stop them from boarding."

Bucher retired from the Navy in 1973.  He wrote a book about the PUEBLO ordeal and continued to keep in touch with many of the crew members.  He and his wife, Rose, were close with Kell and his wife, and the two men attended reunions of the PUEBLO sailors.  Bucher traveled around the country giving lectures on the theme of "What's Right With America."  He also studied painting and found commercial success with his watercolor portraits and landscapes, which sold well during the 1980s.  In a 1988 interview with the San Diego Union, Bucher said he wasn't bitter about the PUEBLO experience but he was disappointed that the Navy didn't send reinforcements to help battle the North Korean attackers.  He suffered beatings during his imprisonment.  He sustained kidney damage and never fully regained the use of one hip.  He also developed partial blindness in one eye and lost most of his teeth.  Bucher had to overcome much adversity to become a Navy officer in the first place.  He was orphaned as a child, lived on the streets and got in trouble with the law.  He then went to live at Boys Town in Nebraska, where his fortunes changed.  He died in 2004 at age 76 and his wife, Rose, died in 2013.  The couple had lived in Poway after his retirement from the Navy.  Both were laid to rest at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.

Allen Hemphill, a family friend who supported Rose Bucher during her husband's captivity and later accompanied the former ship captain to many of his speaking engagements, said he believes the PUEBLO incident marked a turning point in naval attitudes.  In the past, he said, the captain went down with the ship and took the crew with him.  But the more modern view is that a captain should try to save his crew, rather than allowing them to die "honorably" for no purpose.  Hemphill served with Bucher on a submarine before the Pueblo incident and later retired as a Lieutenant Commander.  He's convinced that his public backing of Bucher damaged his own naval career.  But he points to the ongoing support of Bucher's shipmates as testament to his friend's integrity and leadership.  "I'm an old sailor.  If the crew's with you, you haven't done anything wrong," Hemphill said.

MEDALS & AWARDS

            Purple Heart w/one gold star

            Combat Action Ribbon

            Prisoner of War Medal

            China Service Medal

            American Campaign Medal

            World War II Victory Medal

            Army of Occupation Medal

            National Defense Service Medal w/one bronze star

            Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

            Vietnam Service Medal w/one bronze star

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)