2nd Oldest Commissioned Ship in US Navy

Yesterday I was looking through and sorting out some 1960's newspapers and noticed the article pictured below. Until now I'd never heard of the USS Pueblo or of the incident involving it and North Korea, in 1968, when it was seized.

I googled it and was surprised to see that North Korea still holds the ship to this day and that it is still a US commissioned ship, making it the 2nd oldest US commissioned ship after the USS Constitution.

Sadly a US sailor died in the incident and the crew suffered while being held by North Korea.

USS Pueblo (AGER-2) - Wikipedia)

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

the USS Pueblo or of the incident involving it and North Korea, in 1968, when it was seized.

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I remember the whole thing very well.

Strange case: why would you sail along the coast of a highly hostile state in a tiny, relatively indefensible ship packed with secret communications equipment and code books and with no means of quickly destroying either the ship or the secret materials on board?

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The limited budget for conversion caused disapproval of several improvements requested by the prospective commanding officer, Lloyd Bucher. Requested engine overhaul was denied despite Banner's experience of drifting for two days unable to communicate following failure of both engines on patrol. A requested emergency scuttling system was denied, and Bucher was subsequently unable to obtain explosives for demolition charges. Replacement of burn barrels with a fuel-fed incinerator to allow speedy destruction of classified documents was denied. After Bucher's subsequent request to reduce the ship's library of classified publications was similarly denied, he was able to purchase a less capable incinerator using some discretionary funds intended for crew comfort.

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"The Man Who Never Was II" ?

Later a motion picture.

I've heard of it, possibly seen the movie of it but I was too young to remember it happening. I was five at the time. I was not aware they still had it, that's kind of interesting. Looks like they have maintained it also which considering the condition of some of our preserved ships here is surprising. But to them, it's a war trophy so why not.

Now I'm a little ****ed and want it back.

Don't think the Rocket man will be giving it back anytime soon Steve a cold war trophy so to speak....!

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Originally Posted by Surpmil

"The Man Who Never Was II" ?

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It would be slightly amusing if that turned out to be true but not for the ship's crew, especially the US sailor who lost his life.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

It would be slightly amusing if that turned out to be true but not for the ship's crew, especially the US sailor who lost his life.

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I suspect a calculation was made somewhat along the lines of the USS Liberty; about which Lyndon Johnson is said to have angrily demanded: "Why isn't that G-- damned ship on the bottom of the ocean yet?!"

It is said that one should never ascribe to malfeasance what can be explained by mere stupidity, but even probable stupidity has its limits, and it's only malfeasance if you're one of the unfortunate "collaterals" or their families?

It was a busy decade for false flags: the non-incident in the Gulf of Tonkin (as McNamara later admitted), the USS Liberty and maybe the USS Pueblo too?

Some people wonder if the USS Maine was the first! ;)

Would not be the first time Govt's have thrown someone under the bus so to speak, for all that is known perhaps the spy gear was a red herring in the fact of sub standard gear so the so called enemy is duped as to ones technological development.

Something like that was done with the Enigma machines: post war they were sold on to all sorts of countries who didn't realize they'd been cracked. And so our side read their mail for at least as long as we'd read Germany's.