BUCHER TRIAL QUASHED

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 15

BUCHER TRIAL QUASHED

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright) WASHINGTON, May 7. The United States Navy Secretary (Mr John Chafee) said yesterday that the Court of Inquiry into the Pueblo incident recommended general court-martial for the intelligence ship’s commander, Lloyd Bucher, and one of his chief assistants but “I have decided that no disciplinary action will be taken against any of the personnel involved . . .” Mr Chafee’s disclosure came in a six pages and a half report on the exhaustive Court of Inquiry probe into the ship’s capture by North Korea on January 23, 1968. In overruling the Court’s recommendation for courtsmartial of Commander Bucher and Lieutenant Stephen Harris, Mr Chafee said: “They have suffered enough, and further punishment would not be justified.” Lieutenant Harris was the officer in charge of the research detachment aboard the Pueblo, which was conducting an electronic eavesdropping mission off North Korea when she was seized. Mr Chafee reported these recommendations had been made by the Court of Inquiry: That Bucher be tried by general court-martial for five alleged offences, including permitting his ship to be searched while he had the power to resist, failing to take protective measures during the attack, complying with North Korean orders to follow them into port, negligently failing to destroy all classified material on the ship, and negligently failing to see that his crew was fairly skilled in procedures for destroying classified material. That Harris be tried by general court-martial for three alleged offences of dereliction in performance of his duties, mainly dealing with the lack of. ability and readiness on the part of the research detachment to be able to destroy all classified materials during an emergency. That Lieutenant Edward Murphy, executive officer of the Pueblo, be given a letter of admonition for failing to organise and

lead the crew on the day of the seizure, especially in the ship’s major internal task of emergency destruction of classified material.

That letters of reprimand be given to Rear-Admiral Frank Johnson, Commander of Naval Forces in Japan and Captain Everett Gladding, now retired.

The Court held that Admiral Johnson, who has since moved to a new assignment, was derelict in the performance of duty by failing to plan properly for emergency support for the Pueblo in a confrontation and negligently failing to verify destruct procedures for classified documents.

Captain Gladding, then Director of the Naval security group in the Pacific was held by the Court to have been derelict for failing to develop procedures to insure the readiness of the Pueblo’s research section. While Mr Chafee praised the “completely objective” approach of the Court of Inquiry, he noted that Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, both declined to accept the panel's recommendations for trial by court-martial of

Commander Bucher aift Lieutenant Harris. Mr Chafee said he felt “they have suffered enough and further punishment would not be justified. These officers were illegally imprisoned by the North Koreans for 11 months. During that time their food and living conditions were marginal.” The Navy Secretary said: “They suffered extensively from physical abuse and torturous treatment. Their captors refused to accord them even the minimal humane treatment required under international law. “When they were released from their captive status, each showed great loss of weight and other marks of cruel treatment”

Mr Chafee said the future fitness of Commander Bucher would determine whether he was given command of another ship. Lieutenant Harris said that he was “greatly relieved” that he and Commander Bucher would not be courtmartialled. Commander Bucher said that he was “satisfied with the outcome” of the United States Navy’s inquiry. Commenting on word that he would be spared punishment even though a Navy Board recommended that he be court-martialled, Commander Bucher was reported “very relieved that the proceedings are complete and the matter is final.”