Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 15:15:49

Dear Sir or Ma'am: My name is Steve Newton and I am an old retired police chief and former Navy Master at Arms. I now have Parkinson and in my many travels to VA facilities, I have heard many stories of the USS Pueblo. So many in fact that I did a little research and decided to write a letter and ask that the ship be returned. I will not bore you with the details of writing a letter to a Head of State, (How do you write a dictator?), but with the help of a nice individual in our Embassy in Bejing China, I believe I finally found a path for my letter. I did want you to have a copy for informational purposes. I hope I did not step on any toes and I hope you like the letter. Believe me, it was not what I really wanted to say, (Such as give us our @#%& ship back!!), but maybe it will help. I know there is not a snowballs chance of getting the ship back, but after listening to all the older vets, I felt I had to try. Anyway, good luck to you all and God Bless you and your efforts. Sincerely; Steve Newton

Letter follows:

KIM Chong-il Chief of State Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea P’yongyang, Korea

Re: USS Pueblo (AGER-2)

Dear Sir: My name is Steve Newton and I am a 25-year law enforcement veteran and an old Navy Master at Arms. About two years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson disease and since that time I have had to visit many veteran hospitals and outpatient clinics. In doing this I have become sort of an ad-hoc advocate of veterans and veterans issues. I am not a diplomat so please forgive any fauxpas I may make in writing to you. I am simply a straight talking patriotic American, who wants to talk straight with you. On January 23rd 1968 the USS Pueblo was seized off North Korea and as I understand it, she is now anchored in Wonsan Harbor as a war memorial and tourist attraction. Sir, I believe that it is time for this ship to be returned. Now, I know that you will say this ship was in your countries territorial waters and I will say that the ship was in international waters and was illegally seized. But this is not for me to debate and since we both know what each others arguments will be, it is futile to discuss further. What I want you to know is this, Sir. The survivors of this ship have formed an organization to keep in touch with each other and to get together and talk about their beloved ship. Many of these people are dying yearly and long for the chance to set foot on their ship once more before they die. As the commander of your nations armed forces, I am sure you will understand that Navy people, above all other services, develop and affinity, some will even say love, for the ships they serve on. It is for this reason, Sir that I am writing. These old veterans are my fathers and brothers. They are the generation that has passed down my heritage and I respect them. I ask you Sir, to look into your heart and try to understand that whatever you might hope to gain by keeping this ship, is not worth the heartbreak it has caused. I did not know your father, KIM II-Sung, but think how you would feel if I had something that belonged to him. This I want you to understand, this ship is not mine or yours but it belongs to the people that manned her. Sir, if you truly respect your ancestors, I ask that you help me respect mine. We can do this, you and I, without fanfare or propaganda. You could just say, “As a humanitarian gesture, I am donating this ship to the Pueblo Veterans Association”. I ask that you look deep inside of yourself and do something good and decent. If not for them, do it for yourself. I know that your religion and mine are different, but believe me, nothing good goes unnoticed. Sincerely; Steve Newton

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 16:53:37

Please remember that I'm pulling up 34 year old memories, so there are more gaps than content. I was an Airman (E-3) with the A-6 Intruder squadron VA-35 on board the USS Enterprise CVAN-65 during its 1968 Westpac/Vietnam deployment. What I remember is that our task force was pulled off Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf and sent to the Yellow Sea when the North Koreans captured the Pueblo. The one thing I will never forget is how cold it was. For the 4 weeks we were up there, ship's engineering couldn't figure out how to turn on the heat. Needless to say, our discomfort was nothing compared to the hardships of our brothers in captivity.The flight deck was ice covered most of the time. We could only work on the flight deck for no more than 30 minutes before having to go below to knock the ice off and get the blood running in our hands again. There were some flight operations, but they were primarily reconnaisance and CAP (carrier air patrol). We certainly had the airpower to make a difference, but didn't. The notable thing is that when we got the orders to put our tail between our legs about a month later, the captain put the petal to the metal. I personally clocked ship's speed on its inertial navigation system at 55 knots. Everything that wasn't secured on that ship either broke loose or at least made one hell of a racket. Ever see the hull of motorboat slap the water at speed? You have no idea what the noise is like when a carrier does it. I was never too keen about our role in Vietnam, but I did serve 3 combat tours. I am still appalled by our government's cowardice in response to blatant naval piracy bya 4th rate military power and the shameful, despicable treatment of Commander Bucher by the Navy upon his release by the North Koreans. God bless all of you

The air units attached to the Enterprise were:

Squadron Aircraft

VF-92 F-4B

VF-96 F-4B

VA-35 A-6A & A-6B

VA-56 A-4E

VA-113 A-4F

RVAH-l RA-5C

VAW-112 E-2A

VAH-2 Det 65 KA-3B

HC-l Det 65 UH-2C

VAW-13 Det 65 EKA-3B

HC-7 Det 111 SH-3A

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 19:58:26

Hello, I found your website very interesting. I was wondering if you knew where a picture could be found of the soldiers slightly giving the finger to let everyone know the true conditions. Thank You Will Phinney

Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 05:46:59

I and my good friend Colonel Will Duke, had the great privilege of meeting with Bucher and James Kell and their wivesin San Diego in the summer of 1998, just before you all's 30th reunion. I had written an ethics book at that time and was also attending a wedding of a good friend. Since that time, the book has been refined and will be published soon. I am currently working on the final edit now. The older version is still on on-line at www.preciousheart.net. The theses were hard pressed. The new title is -- Would You Lie to Save Lives? -- The Quest for God's Will and Compassionate Christianity This Side of Heaven or The Case Against Radical Fundamentalism at the Fundamental Level. It began as a research paper in 1990 for an ethics class, where I compared three published ethical systems with one I developed. One system would argue for Bucher telling the truth and not lying to save a life. I found that absurd. The other systems and my own argued for a lie and justified that in diferent ways. The largest contribution of the work is in the expansion of the compexity of ethics itself, especially in such complex moral dilemmas as Buchers. Within the work, there is also the examination of theoretical ethics at the foundational level. I'm not sure where or how you might be able to use this. But much has gone into the work. For your information, I've attached the new frontal matter and table of contents. If you look at the book on web site, you will see some reorganization has been done and several more charts have been added to point out some of the more signficant areas and complex issues. The essence remains the same. I most sincerely wish you all the best. Wish I could I afford to make some of the reunions and meet more of you all. Sincerely, Mike G. Maness

Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2002 20:39:

Dear Sir, I am writing in the hope of being able to write to Joseph O'Brien, who was responsible for the photograph of the USS Pueblo in North Korea on your website. Are you able to help? I shall look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Ken Hall.

Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2002 12:46:09

I am submitting the following resource suggestion for your Korean War website links page Paperless Archives' Korean War Titles http://www.paperlessarchives.com/korean_war.html Paperless Archives' Korean War titles covering the conflict through a broad range of original historical source documents, presidential papers, official history texts, and photos. Thank You for your time ----Brion Clayton http://paperlessarchives.com/korean_war.html

Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 02:48:03

I was in Vietnam or on my way when this happened. I just watched the documentory by Lt. Col. North and I was sickened. I've done some reading on the USS Liberty. I know first hand about Vietnam where I served with the 1st Bn/7th Regt 1st Mar Div. Thank You for your service and for your sacrifice and Welcome Home. Semper Fi

Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 12:06:18 -0700 (PDT

Hello there. I have a copy of Commander Beucher's book that I would like to have auotgraphed by as many of the crew as possible. Are e mail addresses availbel for contact? All of the pueblo veterans are heroes in my book. Thank you, Jason Hollifield, North Carolina

Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2002 06:14:13 EDT

Gentlemen, How can I help all the Officers and the crew to get the credit you all deserve and have not received? I remember the U.S. spin on it all, though I was a young teen. I am very proud of you all, and have just seen Oliver North war stories and wish to do all I can, letters or whatever is needed so that our Country honors your heroic efforts. My deepest thanks to all of you. Most Respectfully, Joseph P. Cannon Sr.

Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2002 14:44:34

sirs, i just want you to know that i am an ex ct having served from 1958 to 1962 and i was and always will be a strong advocate of your cause. you all are our true heroes and you will never be forgoten as far as i am concerned. thoe. j. rhoades jr. email theorhoades

Date: Thu, 08 Aug 2002 20:05:

I am writing about the career of Adm. J.O. Richardson, and in the process have been looking up each member of his 1940 staff. On it was surprisingly Adm. Leslie John "Obie" O"Brien, whom I think became a member of the court judging the Pueblo incident and Commander Butcher. Do you guys know much about O"Brien? Skipper Steely Paris, Texas

Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2002 21:15:

I don't really know how to begin my comments but I feel compelled to write. I am a proud veteran of the USNSGA. I served from 1964 to 1970. During my time with USNSGA I was stationed at Kamiseya, Japan. I served there from 1966 to mid 1968. One of the first persons I became friends with was Ralph Mclintock. We were in the same duty section as R Branchers and worked out in the tunnel as intercept operators. Prior to moving off base, I lived in the same cubicle in the barracks with Ralph. To keep a long story short, our section Chief was asking for volunteers to go TAD on the Pueblo. If I recall, it was her first mission. I wanted very much to go on the mission and I got my wife to agree to let me volunteer. I cannot remember if I actually had "orders" for the TAD trip but I do recall campaigning strongly to be picked to go and I may, in fact, have received orders. During this time frame I noticed that I was urinating blood and as a result the medical people at Kamiseya had me admitted to Camp Zama Army Hospital near Kamiseya. I can recall being escorted by a CPO and a Lt. so that they could ensure that under sedation I did not cause a security breach. I was hospitalized for a relatively long period. The Pueblo sailed without me. I was sent back to duty at Kamiseya and was on duty in the tunnel when we learned that she and the crew had been hijacked by the North Koreans. Needless to say we were all shocked and very concerned for our shipmates and buddies. I remember being asked to watch the press conferences and to review photographs of the men during their time as POW's to look for signs that they may be communicating to us during the press conferences. I recall going to Ralph's cubicle and looking at his bunk(rack) and I still to this day can see his laundry bag hanging neatly tied to the end of his rack with his last name stenciled on it. When someone finally gathered Ralph's personal items, and they were gone, I recall thinking to myself, God, please watch over these guys. I knew in my gut they were in for a long ordeal as POW's. I guess my point in all of this is that I still think of what would I have done and how I would have surivived if I had gone on that mission. Would I have been able to act as gallantly as those who DID go on that mission. If you speak to Ralph, please let him know that there hasn't been a day in my life since the day he and the crew were captured that I haven't thought of him. He probably doesn't remember me, and I understand if he doesn't. 35 years is a long time. It has always seemed like only yesterday to me though. I also remember Sgt. Hammond and Chicca(spell?) I have never felt the need to communicate all of this until recently and I cannot say why, now, I do. I left Kamiseya in mid 1968 for duty elsewhere. I remember exactly where I was on the day the men were set free and returned home. I think it's time for me to read Capt. Bucher's book. Please do not publish my comments on your webpage. Respectfully, Larry Hoose CTR2 USNSGA (64-70)

Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 00:23:

I was stationed at Kadena AB with the 498th Tactical Missile Group when the USS Pueblo was attacked and captured. We were "told" our Air Division (313th) Commander had scrambled some F-105 Fighter-Bombers toward the Sea of Japan and the site of the USS Pueblo Incident but was ordered to recall them by the DOD. Can't put any names to this "info" but have no reason to believe it was anything but the truth. SMSgt Raymond A. Worden, Jr. (USAF, Retired)

Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 14:51:52

My name is LCDR David Laderer. I am currently attending War College and would like to gather some biographical info on CDR Boucher. Could you email me anything you may have available Respectfully, David Laderer LCDR USN

Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 10:45:

Is this the same ship that was in service in World War II? A friend has mentioned serving on the Pueblo in the South Pacific during that war. Thank you. Mary Hart

Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 23:04:23

Could you tell me (if it is not clasified) where the USS Pueblo was modified to be a spy ship. I worked on a ship that was modified in Bremerton, Washington in the early sixties and have always been curious if it might have been the ship. Anything you can let me know would be appreciated. Thanks Reo Duncan

Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2002 17:20:34

Hello, my name is Bill Baskervill. I'm former ASA, but have been a reporter for The Associated Press for more than 30 years. I did an annivesary piece in 1988, interviewing Cmdr. Bucher and other members of the crew. I was wondering where Cmdr. Bucher is now. Thanks. Bill Baskervill The AP

Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 04:07:19

Would like to contact Don Bailey (Beetle Bailey we called him on the Valdez). Paul "Ike" Eisenhauer, CTRC USN Ret.

Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 20:18:

Hello, My name is Bob Keller and I was an Intelligence Yeoman, stationed at Naval Intelligence Command (NAVINTCOM-30) in the Pentagon at the time USS PUEBLO was captured. When the crew was released in December, 1968, I was one of four Navy personnel (a Captain, a LT and two enlisted) who were assigned to the Naval Security Station in Washington, D.C. as the Special Pueblo Intelligence Damage Assessment (SPIDA) Team. We were locked in a vault on the Security Station complex. This was after Naval Investigative Service personnel had debriefed all the crew upon their return to San Diego. We compiled, from interviews of the crew, all the inventory of all classified material that was compromised and captured by the North Koreans. Our mission was, at the time, Top Secret. Although our mission was to focus on compromised classified information, our investigation revealed (through all coded, compartmentalized and classified Guam Operational Intelligence (GOPI) message traffic) the real facts of what happened to the ship and its crew at the time of attack, capture and during their captivity. I can only say that I was totally outraged at what happened, especially the whitewashing that took place after the crew's release. As a result, I still have unbelievable hatred toward the North Koreans and, to an equal extent, our own Naval leaders in charge at the time. To make my anguish worse, at the time of PUEBLO's capture, I had just been transferred from USS ENTERPRISE CVA(N)65 to the Pentagon. My buddies aboard ENTERPRISE never knew how close they were to rescuing the PUEBLO crew. I did and it hurt because they could have saved the day. Much of the material I was a part of assessing was highly classified at the time. It's my belief, however, that the time restriction has ended and I'd be happy to try to reconstruct as much as possible, from my recollections, should you desire. At any rate, this Sailor has the respect of all the crew of USS PUEBLO. They are truly heros. Bob Keller Sacramento CA

Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 14:57:06

Dear Sir, I am writing this letter in the hope that you will be able to help me. My goal is to have one of the following men autograph my copy of the book "The Pueblo Incident" by Mitchell B. Lerner. They are Don Bailey, Ronald Berens, or Jim Layton. I am more than willing to let you forward any letters to these men to protect their privacy. My goal is not to dredge up any bad memories, but only to obtain their autographs. My son will not only inherit this book when the time comes, but hopefully with your assistance, a piece of "personal" American history. Thank you in advance. God bless you and keep you safe, God bless America. Sincerely, Kevin C. Duffy

Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2002 14:43:39

Hello, I am trying to identify the name of the book that Commander Pete Bucher wrote about the incident of the USS Pueblo and if it is still in print? Can you help me? R.J. Osburn

Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 08:14:11

I edit the newsletter of the Lyndon B. Johnson Library. I intend to include an abridged article in our next issue, which reviews the diplomatic struggle to repatriate the crew of the Pueblo. I would very much like to include a picture of the ship, which appears on your website. It is the photo of the Pueblo, tied up in Pyongyang. Naturally we would give your site credit. Please let me know if you agree. We will send a copy of the newsletter to you, and to any of the other crew members or their families that you name. Warm regards, Ted Gittinger Special Projects 1/21 Artillery, First Air Cav Division, 1966-67

Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 00:05:43

Hello there: I have put a link to your site on my web page here: http://home.attbi.com/~wwwguide/ I am using a scanned image from a original bumper sticker given to me by Mike Bucher as the image. I hope to be able to direct some traffic to your site. Thanks, Jeffrey Stenquist

Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 21:53:44

Hello, I am the widow of CDR Richard D. Duncan who was NSG Dept Head on Guam 65-67. Many of the CTs aboard were stationed on Guam with him prior to the deployment. Some of you I remember from visits to the station library there at NCS. Many of you my husband mentioned over the years.My son Daryl recalls RM Hayes was his favorite scoutmaster. And I know those boys were not choir boys! We have never forgotten you all. I recall how my husband grieved over your ordeal for many years. Attention Jim Layton: Did you ever write the book you were planning to write? God Bless you all. Mary E. Duncan Catonsville, MD

Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 23:40:53

Hello, do you guys have any pictures of the day you were put on the bus and transported to the awaiting h-1 huey. The first day of your release? Thanks pvs

Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 11:43:05

Hello, My son is in the Navy, Basic training. He has a question for me, Can you help? What was the mission's code name for the USS Pueblo? Thank you for your time. He only has 3 more weeks Ellie Bivins AKA-Elwould Blues

Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2002 02:29:49 EDT

I'm a relatively young sailor in today's navy. I am a 21 year old Cryptologic Technician (communications) third class. I understand that I cannot begin to envision the actual capture of the Pueblo, or the torment the crew went through during those 11 long months. This is just an e-mail to express my heart-felt sorrow for the life of Duane Hodges and the aftermath of the Pueblo "incident" for all it's crewmembers. I just recently started researching about the Pueblo, and it astonishes me everytime i begin reading. I honestly pledge to do whatever i can to educate my peers on the events of January 23rd, 1968. Thank you, for your bravery, your dedication, and for providing me with role models i can look up to in my Naval career. Sincerely, Forrest P. Black Cryptologic Technician (Communications) Third Class, Surface Warfare United States Navy

Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 19:42:32

Dear Sirs, I found your website after I was looking for information about the famous radio receiver the military R-390A. They have a website for the radio at WWW.R-390A. When I visited the website for the radio information, I found current photos of the USS Pueblo as it remains in North Korea. The photos show the radio room on the ship as well as the two (2) R-390A radio receivers as they are rack mounted. I remember the incident as I was in High School at the time in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A local man was killed in the matter as I recall at the time...I remember going downtown Grand Rapids in the summer of 1968 and signing a roster of people who were demanding the return of the ship and the crew. I remember many many cars about the area driving about in their everday routine with bumper stickers claiming "Remember the Pueblo!"...A number of years ago, I read the book of the Pueblo that was written by the ships Captain - that was a very interesting book. Sadly, today few younger people know nothing of the incident , as well as younger adults never heard of it. My nephew who is now in the US Navy did not know anything about the matter either - I suspect that the Navy and the US Government would wish that everyone would just forget the matter. I will not forget the USS Pueblo - for it is STILL .. a ship of the US Navy, and is STILL listed as being a ship of the Pacific Fleet. Best Regards, SFC Roger A. Hill (Retired) Michigan Army National Guard . .