Lloyd M. Bucher
Lloyd M. Bucher | |
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Korean DMZ Conflict Vietnam War | |
Awards | Purple Heart Prisoner of War Medal |
Lloyd Mark "Pete" Bucher (/ˈbuːkər/ BOO-kər;[1] 1 September 1927 – 28 January 2004) was an officer in the United States Navy, who is best remembered as the captain of USS Pueblo, which was seized by North Korea on January 23, 1968.
Early life and education
Bucher was born in Pocatello, Idaho, where he was given up for adoption by his birth mother, and was orphaned at an early age (his adoptive mother dying of cancer when he was three). He was raised by his father, grandparents, various other family members, and his father again, then drifted through a series of Catholic orphanages in Idaho until he read a magazine article about Father Flanagan's Boys Home in Boys Town, Nebraska. He wrote to Flanagan and was surprised when he received a reply. Bucher was accepted at Boys Town in the summer of 1941, and for the rest of his life considered it to be his home. He flourished at Boys Town, making honor roll the majority of his time there and playing football, basketball, track, and baseball.
Like many young men during World War II, he dropped out of his senior year to enlist in the military, serving the last year of the war and for two years afterward (1945–1947) in the Navy. As an enlisted man, Bucher reached the rank of quartermaster second class and obtained a high-school diploma. He then worked in construction and as a bartender before entering the
Career as a submariner
In January 1954, Bucher was called to active duty and served as division and education officer on the
After graduation, Bucher served as torpedo and gunnery officer of submarine
From 1961 to 1964, he served on submarine
The Pueblo incident
While monitoring North Korea in January 1968, Pueblo came under attack by North Korean naval forces, two Soviet-era submarine chasers, four motor torpedo boats, and two MiG-21 aircraft. U.S. Naval officials and the crew have claimed the ship was in international waters all the time. North Koreans attacked and ultimately boarded the ship, killing one man and taking the ship and her remaining crew of 82 to the port at Wonsan. For the next 11 months, Bucher and his crew were held as POWs by the North Koreans. The crew reported upon release that they were starved and regularly tortured while in North Korean custody. This treatment allegedly turned worse when the North Koreans realized that crewmen were secretly giving them "the finger" in staged propaganda photos, an action the crew had initially explained away as being a "Hawaiian good luck sign".[2][3]
Bucher was psychologically tortured such as being
No American military operations have been attempted to retrieve USS Pueblo. The ship is still officially carried as in commission in the United States Navy's Naval Vessel Register.[6] It remains in North Korea as a tourist attraction.
Following his release, Bucher was subjected to a court of inquiry by the Navy. A
Bucher was not found guilty of any indiscretions and continued his Navy career until retirement in the rank of commander.[5]
In 1970, Bucher published an autobiographical account of the USS Pueblo incident entitled Bucher: My Story.[7]
The U.S. government finally recognized the crew's sacrifice and granted prisoner-of-war medals to the crew in 1989.[8]
Death and burial
Bucher died on January 28, 2004. He was buried at
Awards
Submarine Warfare Insignia (Dolphins)[9]
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Purple Heart | Combat Action Ribbon | ||||||||||
Prisoner of War Medal | China Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | |||||||||
World War II Victory Medal | Navy Occupation Service Medal w/ 'Japan' clasp |
National Defense Service Medal w/ one 3⁄16" Bronze Star | |||||||||
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Korean Defense Service Medal
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Bronze Star
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References
- ^ "Commander Bucher of the Pueblo," Congressional Record, Tuesday, January 30, 1968. Retrieved January 17, 2021
- ^ Russell, Stu. "The Digit Affair". usspueblo.org. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
- ^ Iredale, Harry; McClintock, Ralph. "Compound 2 'The Farm'". USS Pueblo Veteran's Association. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
The treatment would become better or worse depending upon the day, the week, the guard, the duty officer or the situation.
- The Palm Beach Times. Archived from the originalon March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b Hettena, Seth (2004-02-04). "Lloyd Bucher, captain of the Pueblo, buried in San Diego". North County Times. Archived from the original on January 2, 2005.
- ^ Naval Vessel Register, USS "Pueblo" (AGER-2)
- ISBN 0385072449.
- ^ a b Military Advantage (February 5, 2004). "Oliver North: Goodbye to a Hero". Military.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
- Submarine Qualification Insignia, a.k.a. "Dolphins"
External links
- Lloyd M. Bucher at Find a Grave
- Maness, Michael Glenn (2007). Would You Lie to Save a Life: Love Will Find a Way Home (Google eBook). AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4184-7819-3. "Commander Lloyd M. 'Pete' Bucher's heartrending story and his choice to 'lie to save lives' is the single focus of this book," p. 17
- Lloyd M. Bucher Papers at the Hoover Institution Archives