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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true account of the capture of the Pueblo,
By
This review is from: Bucher: My Story (Hardcover)
Commander Bucher's story will probably be debated for many years to come, as it has been in many places where military men congregate. The book reveals how the U S Government let its men down and left the crew of the Pueblo out there without any help or so-called back-up plan. It reveals just how isolated and ignorant the North Korean Communists were, and probably still are. The book is very well written and it is hard to put down. It shows just how brutal a people can be, and how a good sense of humor can get you through it. Bucher's vivid descriptions have been verified by members of the crew. It also shows how terribly the U S Government turned its back on the crewmembers by not issuing the men any POW medals as we were "technically not at war with the North Koreans." (They were issued medals 20 years later.) Probably the best book on the subject, and has several humorous places which makes it fun to read as well. Highly recommended for scholars of Naval History and Psychology. The fact remains that all but one crewmember came back alive, which Commander Bucher was given little or no credit, except from John H. Chaffee, then Sect'y of the Navy who said "These men have suffered enough." when refering to a court martial and board of inquiry. The book makes one think twice about how big people in high places are watching out for themselves and not the commands they are supposed to be in charge of. Reading the book does not reveal any bitterness from the author or his crew, but a sincerely deep sense of terrible disappointment of its superiors all the way up the chain of command. A real eye-opener!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
No way to know...,
By Fiddle-Faddle (Redlands, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bucher: My Story (Hardcover)
One of the reviewers said Ed Murphy Jr.'s account was
"sour grapes" at best. I don't know if that's true; some bitterness seems to be there, of course, since Pete Bucher, at length, seems to go out of his way to paint the man a villian, as he does to Gene Lacy. But who had command of the ship? not Murphy or Lacy, and Murphy provides alternative actions that Bucher could have made before the first SO1 could have come on the scene to intimidate Pueblo. He could have, like the USS Banner before him, broken off contact and headed farther out to sea, instead of hoisting provocative communications flags that, in essence, thumbed his nose at the PRKs. Murphy also presents compelling evidence about who "broke" the Code of Conduct first, making it tough for the rest of the crew to tow the line. It was Bucher. In fact, the PRK's used Bucher's confession on tape repeatedly to get others to open up, since it was more difficult to hold back since the captain had broken. Bucher accused Murphy of having broken first and Murphy gives good reasons in his book to prove why the accusation was not true. I believe just about any man can be broken; that is not the point. But Bucher has a bad habit of pointing fingers everywhere but in the mirror. Bucher also had more than one opportunity to stow destruct devices aboard Pueblo that could have facilitated destruction of pubs and equipment. The Navy offered Thermit on one occasion and Murphy found dynamite. They sailed without either. Bucher's actions aside, I must fault the Navy for not having fitted these men or their "tub" well enough for such a sensitive mission. They were outfitted badly, trained inadequately, crewmen poorly chosen and requests were denied that could have remedied these shortcomings. Also, why were so many unnecessary classified pubs forced on the Pueblo? Now we know that in conjunction with the Navy turncoat, Edwin Walker, who gave the USSR sensitive info, the intel pirated from the Pueblo damaged our national security more than is commonly known. I saw this account as a self-serving attempt by the captain to find scapegoats. It's hard to find scapegoats when all underlings can do is suggest actions to be taken. It's the captain that gives orders. He has to live with them. There was no mutiny, he wasn't bound by crewmembers and thrown in the hold. He was on the bridge, giving (or not giving) commands. It's a well written book, with the expected humor of the captain, and I suggest this be read, but in conjunction with Murphy's book, "Second in Command". Trevor Armbrister has written a thick, well researched book, "A Matter of Accountability" that goes right up the chain of command, above both Bucher and Murphy, showing that the whole AGER program was ill-conceived. Schumacher also wrote a book, "Bridge of No Return", and a book was written the some members of the crew, "The Last Voyage". I found Murphy's book to be the best written, more compelling version, when I compare it to Bucher's, with lots more facts and logic. The truth, I'm sure, is somewhere between the two accounts, but after having read both and other accounts, Murphy's rings more true to this reviewer.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent account of the Pueblo incident,
By Mark Erickson "Swede" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bucher: My Story (Hardcover)
I found this book an excellent account of the Pueblo incident, and hard to put down. I worked for the Navy as a civilian, and various Intelligence agencies for more than twenty five years. I've always had a fascination with the U.S.S. Pueblo and what happened while the crew was being tortured and starved in North Korea. It accurately portrays what happens when the U.S. Government hangs you out to dry during an Intel. operation that goes sideways. The X.O., Edward R. Murphy, is an interesting study and his follow up book blasting Bucher is sour grapes at best. Commander Bucher brought all the men back with the exception of Fireman Duane D. Hodges, who was destroying classified documents when he was killed. I'm sure the loved ones of the men who returned would take exception to Lt. Murphy's account. A cautionary tale for anyone aspiring to a career in the intelligence gathering field.
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