Lloyd 'Pete' Bucher, commander of USS Pueblo, age 76, Laid to Rest in San Diego today - Feb 3, 2004

Mercury News ^ | 1/29/04 | Seth Hettena - AP

[NormsRevenge]

SAN DIEGO - Former Navy Cmdr. Lloyd "Pete" Bucher, who was commander of the USS Pueblo when the spy ship was captured by North Korea in 1968 and helped his crew survive nearly a year of abuse in captivity only to nearly face a court-martial, has died. He was 76.

[Valin]

Years later, Bucher remained angry that no U.S. forces were sent to aid the Pueblo.

Dirty little secret time. The ROK Air Force said they would be willing to fly CAP for the Pueblo. 5th air force said no they had it covered. Small problem, there were only two planes on alert when this all went down, two F-4s with the wrong kind of weapons. Think one bomb pre plane, two-man comcept/no-lone zone and you might guess what they were carrying.

[Kevin Curry]

I'm beginning to believe they were carrying the "right" weapons and should have delivered them with extreme prejudice to Kim Il Sung's front doorstep.

[moodyskeptic]

I met Lloyd in the late 70s at art school, Art Center in Pasadena. We were students together. He was a nice man, quiet and graceful, just trying to learn a new discipline. He didn't want to talk about the Pueblo when I asked him. Art school was (is) full of liberals who didn't even know this man's story.

I've thought of him often. God Bless him. RIP

[Central Scrutiniser]

My brother was stunned when he met him, he did not expect to meet such a historical figure. He trades and collects from people all over the world, but this man literally lived in his immediate vicinity. I'll have to call him tomorrow, to let him know, if he doesn't already so he can attend the funeral.

[IncPen]

This is the part that got me:

Bucher was sent to the St. Joseph's Children Home in Idaho where he remained until 1940 when he saw the Spencer Tracy film "Boys Town." Bucher wrote to Boys Town founder Father Edward Flanagan in Nebraska, asking for permission to live there. Flanagan sent him a train ticket, according to an account provided by Boys Town.

"Boys Town was the only home that I ever had," Bucher once said.

I am put in mind of one of the greats in the generation before us, who, relating the horrors of his own war, waved his hand and said, "You play the hand you're dealt..."

[serurier]

Sad Message , Please look this link :
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1045743/posts

[herzo]

I heard the same story about the Pueblo that was published about the Liberty. In both cases, all of the appropriate aircraft in range were armed with nuclear weapons. I don't have first hand knowledge about the Liberty, but my source on the Pueblo was pretty good.
We did have intelligence that indicated the North Koreans were about to pull something in the days before the Pueblo was taken (troop movements, radio traffic, etc) but nothing specific to the Pueblo.

[NCC-1701]

Wish I had seen that. A few months ago, I heard about a documentary that was going to be on HBO about the Pueblo incident. Haven't heard anything else about it. Anyone else hear the same thing? I have alway wanted to meet Cdr. Bucher. Now, that is no longer possible. May he rest in peace. A ship's Captian who had no choice to do what he was forced to do under the given circumstances. He once served aboard a submarine, and during the siezure of the USS Pueblo he is quoted as saying "I wish I could dive this boat". He can now join those crew members who have passed away since the capture and return. I'll bet this is front page news in North Korea. They're probably having a party over this news, the bastards. Sorry for my language. No other way to say it.
I wrote a letter to him about twenty years ago and he wrote me back and sent an autographed picture. Those are two items I will always cherish. RIP CDR. Bucher, USS Pueblo AGER-2.

[BartMan1]

They both played their hand very well....

[onyx]

I'm glad you used the proper language.

RIP Commander Bucher.

[blackie]

Cmdr. Lloyd "Pete" Bucher was good man that got shafted!

[N. Theknow]

Still remember Bucher and his crew giving the North Koreans the "Hawaiian good luck" sign.

[N. Theknow]

The Hawaiian Good Luck Sign

[Uncle Hal]

As I recall, when the Pueblo was captured, there was a lot of anger by the navy and the general public towards the captain because he did not order the crew to fight back. There was a lot of talk that this was the first time a US Navy ship had ever been taken without a fight. I guess everything and everybody mellows with time.

[Larry Lucido]

I met commander Bucher here in S.D. some yrs back and told him I admired him for his service.

I met him in 1989 in San Diego. I think it was at a Washington Times sponsored event. He was a keynote speaker. It was a great honor to shake his hand.

[Temple Owl]

Cmdr. Lloyd "Pete" Bucher is a true American hero. His intelligence ship should have been heavily protected. I was an intercept operator in the ASA and I often wondered why they put us so close to potential enemies where we were unprotected and could have done the same job in a safe environment. The Pueblo sailors could have intercepted radio traffic from miles away too.

RIP Cmdr Bucher.

[tubebender]

Here is a Eureka story on the USS Pueblo. I would have posted it but it needs formatting...

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~1927497,00.html

[csvset]

Eureka Times-Standard

Eureka man served with Pueblo commander

Saturday, January 31, 2004 - Stu Russell remembers former Cmdr. Bucher, who died Wednesday

Andrew Bird

The Times-Standard

EUREKA -- The death on Wednesday of Lloyd "Pete" Bucher in Southern California has dredged up 35-year-old nightmares of one of the Cold War's most notorious incidents for Stu Russell.

Bucher, pronounced like "Booker," was commander of the USS Pueblo when the spy ship was captured by North Korea in 1968 and helped his crew survive nearly a year of abuse in captivity only to nearly face a court-martial.

Russell, a Eureka resident for more than 20 years, was a member of that crew.

The Pueblo, armed only with two .50-caliber machine guns in poor condition and hand-held firearms, was monitoring communist ship movements and intercepting messages in international waters near the North Korean coast when it was attacked by torpedo boats Jan. 23, 1968.

One sailor was killed and 82 were taken prisoner. Bucher, who was wounded when the Pueblo was shelled, was beaten and tortured into signing a confession. During their captivity, crewmembers were beaten with pieces of lumber, burned on radiators and had their teeth kicked out by North Korean soldiers.

"I haven't had a nightmare since last night," Russell said Friday. "There are three of them -- it's like watching an old movie over and over again. They're still robbing me of my sleep, but they don't terrify me anymore."

Bucher defied his captors while making them believe he was complacent and conciliatory, and kept the morale of his crew high with his outrageous sense of humor, Russell said, recalling the 11 months in the hands of the North Koreans.

But Bucher's influence didn't stop when the crew was suddenly released a few days before Christmas in 1968.

He served as a father figure for crew members -- a band of brothers of sorts for the past 3 1/2 decades -- right up until his death Wednesday at age 76.

Russell serves as president of the USS Pueblo Veterans Association, maintaining the group's website from the Lundbar Hills home he shares with his wife, Sharon, who has her own memories of the incident.

"The wives are active also," said Sharon, who said "yes" to Stu's marriage proposal before he shipped out on the Pueblo in late 1967 and never gave up hope during his internment.

The couple married in January 1969, as soon as they could after Stu came home. They celebrated their 35th anniversary a few weeks ago.

The Russells remained close to Bucher and his wife, Rose, over the years.

The Buchers have visited Humboldt County from time to time, including a speech the former commander made a few years back to the Rotary Club of South West Eureka.

The Russells' three grandchildren -- Brooke, Riley and Jory -- call the Buchers "grandpa Pete and grandma Rose," Sharon said.

Friday morning the Russells were busy answering calls from other Pueblo crew members and the media.

The Associated Press and CNN had called the day before.

They were also making travel plans. A funeral with full military honors is scheduled for Bucher at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego on Tuesday.

The North Coast became home for two other Pueblo crewmembers.

John A. Mitchell lives in Kneeland.

Howard E. Bland lived in Leggett until his death in 1992.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks tubebender.

[Amelia]

Very sad. I was watching Oliver North's War Stories dealing with the capture of the Pueblo a week or so ago.

Those men were not treated right by our government.