Bucher: My Story

by Lloyd M. Bucher, Mark Rascovich

Commander Lloyd M. Bucher tells his story of the capture of the USS Pueblo and its crew by the North Koreans. Its told with rare honesty and candor.

It is a revealing portrait of man whose quiet courage sustained him and his crew through an ordeal few Naval Officers before him had, had to face.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Biography

435 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beside being a pivotal and important part of U.S. and Korean history, reading this book is to help form an opinion on who is at fault here: North Korea, Bucher, the U.S. Navy? Now, I think all three.

My opinion? All three.

It is easy to read between the lines here that Bucher was a second-rate leader already hopeless for sub command and grasped at this mission to command even the humble Pueblo. It seems he was not the most capable man for the job and also went to sea with a poor XO that did not have his respect. In the pivotal moments when surrounded by elements of the North Korean navy, he did not have the means and discipline to get his secret material destroyed, although I agree with this decision not to engage the ships in battle.

As for the Navy, despite the the USS Liberty incident, the Navy was not prepared to protect or even rescue the Pueblo which is should have especially been prepared for nothing North Korea was on alert after their failed attempt to assassinate South Korea's President Park.

Bucher I also fault for the type of discipline he kept on his fellow POWs. His lengths to ridicule the North Koreans, such as having his men photographed with the middle finger as the "Hawaiian Good Luck Sign" seemed to do nothing more than earn them additional torture and privation. Surely morale could be maintained in other ways. The "full confession" included in the appendix with references to Barney Google and Sol Loxfinger and the "fickle finger of fate", etc. is hilarious.

My hardcover copy is personally inscribed to "Bob Wallace". I like to think this is the edgy radio operator/DJ of the Yorktown that was on the verge of responding to the Pueblo incident. I see online this Wallace was involved in organizing Yorktown reunions, so I like to think with his love of history he met the author to get this copy personalized. I will never know for sure, as Wallace passed away.

[James R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it showed the courage of the CTs captured by the North Koreans while being held prisoners. The day the USS Pueblo was captured I was on one of her sister ships the USS Georgetown off the coast of Egypt and Israel doing the same thing the CTs on the Pueblo were doing to the N. Koreans. We left the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America when the USS Liberty was attacked by the Israels. We were give order and left South American and headed for the Med. While there spying on the Israels and Egyptians the Pueblo was captured. The Navy then sent the Guided Missal Cruiser, USS Lawrence to protect us as our largest guns were M1 Carbines and 12 gauge shotguns.

[Lchamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, what a tedious read. I finally finished it, but I also read 6 other books since I started reading this one.

In my opinion, this is a pity-party and an attempt to justify actions of an incompetent Captain who didn't have the intestinal fortitude to tell his superiors that his ship was not ready for duty. He was so afraid of losing his first command that he sailed with a ship that was completely incapable of coping with any action.

But I finished the book...

[Richard Failla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

Well written account by a true American Hero. A horrible time in American history. Highly recommended read for Military and American history buffs.

[John Kues · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read another book on the Pueblo incident, written last year. (Act of War by Jack Cheever 1913. ) It built on this book and added a lot of information and additional photos. I was impressed with it and decided to read this 40 some year old one. It took me a long time to finish all 447 pages, and many times I decided to abandon it but I would look at it again and somehow be compelled to continue reading. I think the later book would be sufficient. It is amazing how unprepared the US Navy was to handle this incident, and how poorly planned and poorly equipped the ship was to complete the mission assigned to it. The ship was ill equipped to handle the seas let alone defend itself. The steering motor broke so many times and had to be manually steered. The ship was too old to start with, and with a top speed of 11 knots it took forever to get anywhere. Supplying the ship with so much unnecessary classified documents that there was no way they could destroy them in any expedient manner. They were kept captive for about a year, and many felt Captain Bucher should be court marshaled for allowing his ship to be taken without a fight. I think it is plain that some higher ups in the Navy should have been reprimanded for the poor planning and lack of protection offered this ship.

[Norbert]

I was familiar with the incident when the USS Pueblo was attacked and boarded by the North Koreans. I cannot condone or praise him, but as I was not there and it seems that he did his best to save his crew he, at least, must be given the benefit of the doubt. I enjoyed reading it as a naval historical event, having been in the Navy myself. I wish him, the Captain, and the members of the crew my best.

[Suzie Gowie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned what my father, brothers and husband did for work in the U.S. Navy.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story - it does seem that the US Navy threw him under the bus.

[John Hardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The account of the 1968 Pueblo Incident by the captain of the USS PUEBLO. Bucher documents his and his crew's 11 months in North Korean captivity and how the men survived.