[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 108 (Monday, September 13, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7002-H7003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SALUTING THE LIFE AND COURAGE OF THE LATE COMMANDER LLOYD ``PETE''
BUCHER
Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 407) saluting the life and courage
of the late Commander Lloyd ``Pete'' Bucher, United States Navy
(retired), who commanded the U.S.S. Pueblo (AGER-2) at the time of its
capture by North Korea on January 23, 1968.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 407
Whereas on January 28, 2004, Commander Lloyd ``Pete''
Bucher, United States Navy (retired), died and was
subsequently buried with honors at Fort Rosecrans National
Cemetery in Point Loma, San Diego, California;
Whereas Lloyd Bucher was appointed as a commissioned
officer in the Navy in June 1953 and in May 1967 was assigned
command of the U.S.S. Pueblo (AGER-2), an auxiliary light
cargo ship designated as an environmental research vessel;
Whereas the U.S.S. Pueblo, while under the command of
Commander Bucher and in international waters conducting an
intelligence mission off the coast of North Korea, was
attacked by three North Korean torpedo boats and a North
Korean sub chaser on January 23, 1968;
Whereas the U.S.S. Pueblo was armed only with two .50-
caliber machine guns, and the attack resulted in the death of
one Navy sailor and the capture of Commander Bucher, his
crew, and the U.S.S. Pueblo;
Whereas Commander Bucher and his crew were starved and
tortured for 11 months, and were repeatedly beaten, burned on
steam radiators, and otherwise brutally treated by their
North Korean captors;
Whereas Commander Bucher bore the brunt of the wrath of the
North Koreans;
Whereas crewman James Kell said, ``We were all beaten, we
all were tortured. But [Commander Bucher] had it double,
triple, quadruple what we got.'';
Whereas crewman Stu Russell said, ``[Commander Bucher] was
a giant. No matter who did what, he was always punished. I
simply don't know where he got the strength and courage to go
through what he did.'';
Whereas on December 23, 1968, the crew of the U.S.S. Pueblo
was released, some of whom were crippled or nearly blind
because of the brutality and malnourishment they endured;
Whereas Commander Bucher retired from the Navy in 1973; and
Whereas Commander Bucher is survived by his wife, Rose,
their two sons, and several grandchildren: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress--
(1) salutes the life and courage of the late Commander
Lloyd ``Pete'' Bucher, United States Navy (retired), who
commanded the U.S.S. Pueblo (AGER-2) at the time of its
capture by North Korea on January 23, 1968, and who passed
away on January 28, 2004;
(2) praises Commander Bucher for his exemplary bravery and
sacrifice, which were an inspiration to his crew and the
United States, while he and his crew were held in captivity
for 11 months in North Korea;
(3) praises the bravery of the crew of the U.S.S. Pueblo;
and
(4) expresses its heartfelt sympathy to the family and
friends of Commander Bucher.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Akin) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin).
General Leave
Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on the concurrent resolution currently under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, some observers have argued that the United States won
the Cold War without firing a shot. While we may have secured our
victory without a large-scale military conflict with the former Soviet
Union, there are many Americans whose lives were indelibly marked by
this not-so-Cold War. One of those Americans was Commander Pete Bucher.
I rise today to honor this American patriot and the men who served
under his command on the USS Pueblo.
On January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo was commanded by Pete Bucher and
was monitoring Communist ship movements and intercepting messages in
international waters near the North Korean coast when it was attacked
by North Korean naval forces. As a result of the attack, one Navy
sailor, Fireman Duane Hodges, was killed and the remaining crew members
were captured. Their incarceration marked the beginning of a nearly
yearlong ordeal for Commander Bucher and the crew of the USS Pueblo.
Held in concrete cells for 11 months, Commander Bucher and the Pueblo
crew were starved and tortured by the North Koreans. Mostly fed
turnips, many of the malnourished crew members began to lose their
sight. They were repeatedly beaten and burned. According to Crewman Bob
Chicca, the North Koreans would use ``rifle butts or pieces of wood,
whatever they had handy, to beat us.''
By all accounts, Pete Bucher bore the brunt of the North Koreans'
wrath. According to crewman Stu Russell, Bucher ``was a giant.'' As
commanding officer, Bucher was the focus of the North Korean efforts.
Russell recalled that ``he took the brunt of everything. No matter who
did what, he was always punished. I simply don't know where he
[[Page H7003]]
got the strength and courage to go through what he did.'' Eventually
Bucher, when he was wounded when the Pueblo was shelled, was beaten and
tortured into signing a ``confession,'' an act he also felt would save
the lives of his crew.
During her husband's captivity, Rose Bucher, a native of my home
State of Missouri, worked hard to make sure Americans did not forget
the men of the Pueblo. Rose handed out bumper stickers reminding the
public to ``Remember the Pueblo.'' Finally, 2 days before Christmas
1968, Commander Bucher and the crew of the Pueblo were released one by
one across the ``Bridge of No Return'' from North to South Korea. At
the time Bucher stated, ``It was like coming out of the grave.''
On 28 January 2004, this courageous warrior passed from this world
into the next. He was subsequently buried with honors at Fort Rosecrans
National Cemetery in Point Loma, San Diego, California. Three men who
served under Pete Bucher on the Pueblo carried the flag-draped coffin
to its final resting place overlooking San Diego Bay.
Today, I am pleased to be joined by 26 of my House colleagues, both
Republican and Democrat, in offering this resolution to honor Commander
Lloyd ``Pete'' Bucher and the crew of the USS Pueblo. Pete Bucher and
his crew sacrificed that each of us may enjoy the liberty for which so
many others have given the ultimate sacrifice. In passing this
resolution, we continue to remember the Pueblo.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 407 introduced by my
colleague, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin). I would like to
recognize the gentleman for his leadership and work in bringing forward
this resolution to salute the service and extreme bravery of Commander
Lloyd Mark Bucher and the crew of the USS Pueblo.
Sadly, Lloyd Bucher, who went by the name of ``Pete,'' passed away
earlier this year. With his passing, the tragic event of the capture of
the USS Pueblo in 1968 by North Korea once again brings light upon this
exceptional individual. Commander Bucher did not just have the
unfortunate privilege of being the commander of the USS Pueblo when it
was attacked by the North Koreans on January 23, 1968. It was his
bravery, loyalty and steadfastness to his men that distinguished him as
an extraordinary leader during a dark and very challenging time.
Pete Bucher's life is an American story. He was born in 1927. His
parents died when he was an infant. He was adopted, but tragically, his
adoptive parents also died during his childhood.
After seeing the film ``Boys Town,'' he wrote to Father Flanagan
asking if he could live there. According to a Boys Town account, Father
Flanagan sent him a train ticket, and Pete Bucher finally found a
permanent home in Omaha, Nebraska.
At 17 years of age, Pete Bucher enlisted in the Navy. He went on to
college at the University of Nebraska, and after graduating he became a
naval officer and served for 27 years before retiring in 1973.
He might have lived an ordinary naval life if not for the terrible
events that unfolded on January 23, 1968. As commander of the USS
Pueblo, an intelligence gathering ship, Commander Bucher was ordered to
cruise off the eastern coast of North Korea to intercept communications
and gather intelligence. While on their maiden voyage and in
international waters, the Pueblo armed only with two .50 caliber
machine guns was attacked by three North Korean torpedo boats and a
North Korean sub chaser.
The attack ended with one American crewman killed and a number of
crew wounded, including Commander Bucher.
{time} 1415
Despite radio calls seeking air support, no help ever arrived.
Instead, the crew and its captain were taken as prisoners. Beaten,
tortured, and starved nearly to death, the crew endured this brutality
for nearly a year. Pete Bucher, as the leader of the crew, took the
brunt of these punishments.
According to James Kell, a Pueblo survivor, many more sailors would
have died without Bucher's sense of bravery and leadership. He bore the
worst of the tortures and inspired his men to hang on. It was his
concern for saving the life of his crew that made him a sailor's
sailor, a sign of respect and admiration from his crew. On December 23,
1968, 11 months after their capture, the crew and the captain of the
USS Pueblo were released. Many were crippled or nearly blind because of
malnourishment they endured.
Yet Commander Pete Bucher would not receive the support and
recognition that he deserved from his commanding officers. Instead, he
faced an official court of inquiry that criticized him for surrendering
his ship and recommended a court-martial. But Bucher was never charged.
He continued to serve in the Navy and retired in 1973.
Today, we remember the Pueblo, and we salute the life and the courage
of this exceptional individual and recognize the bravery of all those
who served with him aboard the USS Pueblo. Mr. Speaker, I urge my
colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 407,
of which I am an original co-sponsor, saluting the life and courage of
the late Commander Lloyd ``Pete'' Bucher, United States Navy (retired)
and the crew of the USS Pueblo.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that two of the USS Pueblo crew
members, First Class Petty Officer Donald R. Peppard and Seaman Ramon
Rosales, hail from my Congressional district of El Paso, Texas. Both
were among the gallant men who served their country honorably in the
face of much hardship. As you know, the members of the USS Pueblo,
under the leadership of Commander Bucher, endured 11 months of
excruciating captivity at the hands of the North Koreans without
knowing if they would return to their loved ones.
Mr. Speaker, this is merely a small recognition paying tribute to the
late Commander Bucher and the crew of the USS Pueblo, for this country
owes much more to them than we could ever reciprocate. I strongly urge
my colleagues to join me in honoring the brave men of the USS Pueblo by
supporting the passage of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Aderholt). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House
Concurrent Resolution 407.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________