The PUEBLO crew were held in two different compounds during their imprisonment in North Korea. One in Pyongyang, the other in the nearby countryside. The U. S. reacted strongly to PUBELO's capture by sending a naval task force to the Sea of Japan and demanding that the North Koreans release the PUEBLO and her crew. Of course the North Koreans had no intention of doing this as they had deliberately attacked and taken PUEBLO off the high seas for reasons hypothesized by many, but known only to the North Koreans. What was actually a bluff by the U. S. caused great anxiety in North Korea. To cast doubt upon U. S. statements that PUEBLO had not intruded and give credence to their claims that PUEBLO had intruded into their territorial waters, the North Korean's responsible for PUEBLO crew began a reign of terror to obtain confessions from the crew.

The Captain was beaten, and threatened with execution, and was told his crew would be executed if he did not confess. The men were interrogated and many were beaten during their stay in Compound I. After the U. S. military and political pressure was lessened, the crew were moved to Compound II where they would remain until released.

The North Koreans pressured the crew to write letters home to family, friends and members of congress telling of the humane treatment they were receiving and asking that the U. S. apologize for our spying and intrusions into their territorial waters. The PUEBLO crew were coerced into giving rehearsed presentations at two press conferences. Also, the North Koreans took photographs and movies of crew members in staged activities. The crew did their best to discredit this propaganda by including innuendos and obviously false information in their letters, using slang, corny and archaic language during press conferences and displaying obscene gestures in photographs and movies.

Eventually, the North Koreans learned they had been had and the PUEBLO crew suffered because of it. Luckily for the crew, an agreement was reached for their release soon after Hell Week began.

The PUEBLO crew walked across the Bridge of No Return to freedom 11 months after their capture. PUEBLO remained.

When the buses arrived at the first Pyongyang prison compound in the early morning hours of January 24th, the PUEBLO crew were separated into rooms as they filed into the building in Pongyang.

The heating system was off, bare light bulbs provided constant illumination (switches were in the hallway), the windows were covered, and the hallways were dim. The atmosphere was one of cold, pierced by yelling, stomping, pounding, and screaming.

Anecdote: Day 1

A daily routine was established. Wake at 0600, turnips for breakfast, and again at 1400 and 2000 and in bed at 2200. In the rooms, a cup of water sat on a small table which had four chairs at which the men sat during the entire day. The men were told not to speak to one another, to keep there heads down, and to stand at attention when a North Korean entered the room. Men in each room were marched to the bathroom twice a day.

Anecdote: New Clothies

All of the officers and most crewmen were interrogated, many were beaten and tortured. Cdr. Bucher was also threatened with death and had a pistol placed next to his head and the trigger pulled. His captors showed him the gruesome results of their torture of "a spy". The KORCOMs said they would begin shooting the PUEBLO men until the captain confessed to intruding into their territorial waters. They called for the youngest crew member to be brought forth and shot. The Captain capitulated. The North Koreans had nearly everyone’s personnel jacket and many classified documents from the ship.

Anecdote: The Bath

February 8th special meals were served to honor the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Peoples Army and propaganda books were handed out.

Anecdote: The Haircut.

February 13 the officers and the senior oceanographer were presented at a rehearsed press conference.

Anecdote: Night Run

February 19th the officers began involuntarily drafting a petition to President Johnson. Ten days later a draft was accepted by their North Korean captors. In the end, every crew member signed it. The wounded were attended to after the North Koreans decided the U. S. was going to negotiate, not retaliate.

Anecdote: Medical Care

On March 4th the crew were bused to a newer, more isolated, compound on the outskirts of Pyongyang.

Upon their arrival the at the second compound the crew were told that this would be their home until they became sincere and the United States apologized. They were grouped in rooms of eight men, except for one of four, and the officers, who were placed their own rooms.

The Rules of Life were to be followed at all times.

"I Confess".

Anecdote: The Farm

The daily routine was to wake at 0600, wash the floors with rags and water, morning calisthenics, eat breakfast (all meals) in a mess hall (shift for the enlisted of each floor, officers ate separately), read propaganda materials, lunch at 1200, exercise outside at 1300 for an hour, read propaganda again, supper at 1800, and free time from 2000 until lights out at 2200.

Breakfast consisted of two slices of brown bread and rancid butter, lunch; initially turnip soup, later a tea saucer of rice for four people and sliced turnip, dinner; turnip soup, heavy with oil, and occasionally with remnants of a slaughtered pig, such as fatty skin with hair attached, or an eyeball, with a slice of bread. Sometimes "sewer trout" (rotting mackerel) was served instead of soup. A few special occasions were observed by giving the crew better food.

About every 6 weeks, each room was marched to the bathroom and given one basin of hot water with which to bathe. Each man's clothes consisted of the uniform he wore. No means were provided to wash the clothing.

Of course the crew members first talked of the probability of getting out of North Korea alive, cars, girls, food and things they had done instead of studying the propaganda materials. As time wore on the topics centered on possibility of release, or escape, and food, but mostly they dozed from boredom when not under a period of heavy harassment. Kalmaigi cigarettes were rationed to each room and even non-smokers claimed to smoke so that those who did could have more cigarettes, and when under stress, they too could have a few puffs.

The second night in their new quarters, the crew were taken to "the Club" for movies. Movies were shown irregularly. All were North Korean films.

A cyclic pattern of calm and harassment was established: The PUEBLO men would become bolder in their daily activities and their incarcerators would then clamp down because the men were insincere by strictly enforcing the rules of life and applying harsher than usual beatings for violations.

Anecdote: Mess Duty

Each room was issued a ration of hew gee (toilet paper) made from recycled paper which was not soft, nor very adsorbent. The men had been issued pencils with which to write their propaganda letters. Crew members with language and knowledge in other subjects began circulating daily lessons written on hew gee to those interested via the bathroom conduit. Soon, the Japanese katakana script, Spanish, Russian, algebra and trigonometry lessons were circulating until the North Koreans became cognizant and confiscated the pencils. The crew was being insincere because the men were not studying the propaganda materials.

Biweekly history lessons were given to each room by its North Korean "room daddy". These consisted of lectures on U. S. history from the robber baron days insisting that it still applied today, and on the glorious fatherland of North Korea and its leader, Kim Il Sung.

When either the crew had "misbehaved", or the North Koreans wanted to have a press conference, for example, "super C" ( the colonel responsible) would hold one of his marathon lectures. The treatment would become better or worse depending upon the situation.

Anecdote: Carousel of Pain

In two short movies shown in June, westerners gave the finger to the North Korean cameraman. It became obvious that these people did not know the meaning of this symbol of contempt, and that they were also unfamiliar with current western "culture", or colloquialisms. In the coerced letters written to families, friends and political figures, and in subsequent press conferences, the PUEBLO men attempted to use this knowledge as a means to discredit their captor's propaganda efforts.

New uniforms were handed out by the North Koreans in early July to replace the blue quilted winter uniforms distributed in the barn. Almost every crew member received censored mail on July 16th.

Anecdote: Day 221

Anecdote: The Eye Test

The first press conference which included enlisted men was held August 13th. An intentional (communist) press conference September 12th. Both times innuendos and archaic and corny language were inserted into the prepared statements to thwart the propaganda. Material from press conferences.

Super "C" made Glorious General soon after the September press conference.

Propaganda Film Frames

In late August, photography sessions were staged in a special room.

The Hawaiian Good Luck Sign was exhibited by many crew members in defiance and contempt.

The only news from home, other than one mail call, was news that one of the men's wives had had a child, that "Madam Rose" (captain's wife) was pressing for the crew's release, that Kennedy and King had been assassinated, and the USS NEW JERSEY had been sunk.

Examples of the crew's sense of humor which helped sustain them are given in these Anecdotes: Fly Flying and Netting.

In late September, nearly all of the men were singly taken across the courtyard, to what became know as the Gypsy Tea Room, for a session with North Korean officers dressed in civilian clothes . Treats such as candy and beer were served by traditionally costumed women. Each man was asked about his health, his opinion of the DRPK, would he come back as a tourist some day, and if he would mind if a man named Kim contacted him.

Anecdote: Tea Room

Poem written by a crew member.

In October the men were put on buses and driven into Pyongyang to the Grand Theater of the People which was filled with North Korean military men. Interpreters were seated throughout the crew to translate the opera "How Glorious the Fatherland". Other excursions followed rapidly; one to a performance of acrobats and tumblers with some propaganda about cowardly U. S. imperialistic aggressors added for good measure, a concert by the Peoples Army Band and Chorus, and last, a bus and train overnight visit to the Museum of Imperialist Atrocities at Sinchon.

In its October 18th issue, Time exposed the true meaning of the Hawaiian Good Luck Sign when it published and explained a photograph taken in August of the men in room 13!

Anecdote: Prelude

Anecdote: Hell Week Begins

On December 12th, Hell Week began. The men and their bunks were crowded 12 to a room. Then the men of room 13 were taken to separate rooms for interrogation. "Why are you not sincere?", "Who is the CIA agent?", Who are the instigators?", "What did you do to make us lose face?" and "Who plotted the escape?" were some of the questions that were fired at the men. The North Koreans were truly serious this time as it was no holds barred. Men were beaten with fists, and kicked, hit with clubs and boards, on all parts of the body, and made to kneel down with poles behind the knees while guards jumped up and down on the ends of the poles. Then other suspected instigators and eventually, every crew member was interrogated and beaten during Hell Week. Then, abruptly it ended.

Anecdote. One Hellish Experience.

The Glorious General held a meeting with the crew on December 19th and again was a good guy and restored their privileges. The PUEBLO men were given one more chance to repent and be sincere by writing new confessions. Wounds were treated and the men were given hard boiled eggs to roll on their bloodshot eyes to breakup the clots. The diet improved.

Then on December 22nd, each man was strip searched and issued new clothing and all were then sent to "the Club". Glorious General then stated that the U. S. was apologizing. Every crew member wanted to believe that they were going to be released, but were afraid this might be a ruse to attempt to make them angry at the U. S. leaders when "they changed their minds at the last minute". Late that day the crew were taken by bus to the railroad station and put on a train to Panmunjom.

On December 23rd, 11 months to the day of their capture, the crew of the PUEBLO walked, one every 15 seconds, across the Bridge of no Return to freedom and the opportunity to live the rest of their lives. But, only part of the Pueblo incident was over for them.

The books "A Matter Of Accountability" and "Bucher: My Story" were referenced and correspondence with crew members was used to prepare this section.