Pueblo Crew Has Reunion; Hurt Lingers

SAN DIEGO — Crew members of the spy ship USS Pueblo suffer from lingering emotional and physical wounds from their capture by the North Koreans 20 years ago, according to the organizer of a crew reunion.

At least 50 of the 83 men aboard the ill-fated vessel were expected to attend the four-day reunion that began Friday, said Bob Chicca of Bonita, Calif., the event organizer who was a Marine staff sergeant aboard the ship.

The Jan. 23, 1968, capture of the Pueblo off North Korea proved an embarrassing episode for President Lyndon Johnson.

One crew member was killed during a brief skirmish in which the Pueblo was struck by gunfire but did not fire a single shot. The ship was armed with only a cannon, two .50-caliber machine guns and assorted hand-held weapons.

Seagoing Espionage

North Korea seized the vessel and hundreds of documents detailing how the United States conducted seagoing espionage. The crew was imprisoned for 11 months.

Some men are dogged by physical problems caused by malnutrition and beatings, and others suffer from psychological problems, some serious, said Chicca, who was wounded in the seizure.

“Talking about it is like therapy for me,” said Chicca, 44, one of two Marine Corps intelligence analysts who were aboard the Pueblo. “You realize you’re not alone, and others have the same problems you have.”

During the reunion, the men will be the guests of honor at graduation ceremonies at the Naval Training Center and will visit the center’s Prisoner of War Museum.