San Francisco, Calif., June 26, 2023 - The late 1960s was one of the most turbulent eras in United States history. The Vietnam War was raging, and the country was reeling from the shocking assassinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. The Cold War was colder than ever, and streets across America erupted in violence.
The first six months of 1968, saw American troops suffering the most intense fighting of the Vietnam War, and the number of soldiers killed in action was at an all-time high. At home, public support for the war was waning, and the U.S. Navy was still in flux after the unfathomable attack on the U.S.S. Liberty spy ship, by Israeli forces on June 8, 1967, resulting in the deaths of 34 American crew members, and injuries to 171 others.
Tension was also building in Korea. On November 1, 1967, the U.S.S. Pueblo set out from San Diego, California, bound for the Korean peninsula. The ship was sailing under the guise of an oceanographic research vessel, but in fact, the Pueblo had a covert spy mission to intercept any communications emitting from North Korea. Only half of the crew was aware of the Pueblo's true mission.
The ship's commanding officer Lloyd Bucher immediately noted that the Pueblo was ill-prepared for its mission. The engine needed an overhaul, he said, and the ship had little means to defend itself. Bucher was eventually granted two .50 caliber machine guns, but no one aboard the ship was adequately trained to fire them. Bucher's request for engine repairs was denied.
On January 16, 1968, the Pueblo arrived off the coast of North Korea. The following day, tensions escalated when North Korean special forces crossed into South Korea with the aim of assassinating the country's president. The mission failed, but now the stakes were significantly raised. The crew of the Pueblo was not informed of the incident.
The United States intelligence network had been compromised in 1967, when U.S. Navy communications specialist John Walker sold secrets to the Russians, allowing them to decipher all U.S. Navy confidential communications, putting vessels like the Pueblo at extreme peril.
Emboldened by the losses of the U.S. military in Vietnam, and the lack of response by the US government for the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty by Israeli forces in the Mediterranean, and possessing the cipher to decode U.S. Navy communications, the North Koreans dared to attack the U.S.S. Pueblo in international waters, on January 23, 1968.
Five North Korean torpedo boats attacked the defenseless Pueblo and pummeled the ship and its crew into submission. A fireman aboard the Pueblo was killed in the exchange. The Pueblo crew tried to destroy the ship's sensitive material but didn't have the proper equipment.
The North Koreans then boarded the Pueblo and took its crew hostage. The sailors were transported to a makeshift prison on the mainland, where they endured regular beatings, humiliation, and starvation by the North Koreans. As the days and weeks and months ticked by, the crew lost hope of rescue. They relied on each other to keep their spirits up, even as the North Koreans threatened daily to kill them if they didn't sign a confession admitting to entering North Korean waters.
What followed has gone down as a failure of United States leadership. The prayers of the Pueblo crew were swallowed up by a world in crisis. As the men languished in deplorable conditions, the crew of the Puebloconsidered whether to sign the treasonous confession in hopes of getting home to their families...unless help arrives first.
The moving new documentary, Pueblo: A Year of Crises in America, recounts the harrowing and courageous tale of the Pueblo crew as they grappled with torture and hunger, and an uncertain future.
"It seemed like no one I spoke with knew anything about the Pueblo Incident, and they should," says documentary filmmaker Bill Lowe, "It's a cautionary tale of a poorly-conceived U.S. military operation gone drastically wrong." Lowe captured the intensity of the conflict by filming live-action battle scenes aboard the WWII Liberty ship, at the SS Jeremiah O'Brien National Historic Landmark in San Francisco. Thirty local actors participated in the filming.
"I wanted to tell the story in the context of the troubled geopolitical climate in 1968, and I wanted to tell the story from the perspectives of the individuals involved," Lowe says. "It's crucial to know this story so that we never make the same mistakes again. It's even more vital in our current geopolitical climate with North Korea, China, and Russia at the forefront of tensions yet again."
Join the director Bill Lowe on July 26, 2023, at 7 PM for a showing of "Pueblo, a Year of Crises in America," at the Cinelux Theatres. 2501 South Winchester Blvd. Campbell, CA 95008.
Go to BillLowe.org for more information on the screening. Tickets are available through Eventbrit.com.
show less
The first six months of 1968, saw American troops suffering the most intense fighting of the Vietnam War, and the number of soldiers killed in action was at an all-time high. At home, public support for the war was waning, and the U.S. Navy was still in flux after the unfathomable attack on the U.S.S. Liberty spy ship, by Israeli forces on June 8, 1967, resulting in the deaths of 34 American crew members, and injuries to 171 others.
Tension was also building in Korea. On November 1, 1967, the U.S.S. Pueblo set out from San Diego, California, bound for the Korean peninsula. The ship was sailing under the guise of an oceanographic research vessel, but in fact, the Pueblo had a covert spy mission to intercept any communications emitting from North Korea. Only half of the crew was aware of the Pueblo's true mission.
The ship's commanding officer Lloyd Bucher immediately noted that the Pueblo was ill-prepared for its mission. The engine needed an overhaul, he said, and the ship had little means to defend itself. Bucher was eventually granted two .50 caliber machine guns, but no one aboard the ship was adequately trained to fire them. Bucher's request for engine repairs was denied.
On January 16, 1968, the Pueblo arrived off the coast of North Korea. The following day, tensions escalated when North Korean special forces crossed into South Korea with the aim of assassinating the country's president. The mission failed, but now the stakes were significantly raised. The crew of the Pueblo was not informed of the incident.
The United States intelligence network had been compromised in 1967, when U.S. Navy communications specialist John Walker sold secrets to the Russians, allowing them to decipher all U.S. Navy confidential communications, putting vessels like the Pueblo at extreme peril.
Emboldened by the losses of the U.S. military in Vietnam, and the lack of response by the US government for the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty by Israeli forces in the Mediterranean, and possessing the cipher to decode U.S. Navy communications, the North Koreans dared to attack the U.S.S. Pueblo in international waters, on January 23, 1968.
Five North Korean torpedo boats attacked the defenseless Pueblo and pummeled the ship and its crew into submission. A fireman aboard the Pueblo was killed in the exchange. The Pueblo crew tried to destroy the ship's sensitive material but didn't have the proper equipment.
The North Koreans then boarded the Pueblo and took its crew hostage. The sailors were transported to a makeshift prison on the mainland, where they endured regular beatings, humiliation, and starvation by the North Koreans. As the days and weeks and months ticked by, the crew lost hope of rescue. They relied on each other to keep their spirits up, even as the North Koreans threatened daily to kill them if they didn't sign a confession admitting to entering North Korean waters.
What followed has gone down as a failure of United States leadership. The prayers of the Pueblo crew were swallowed up by a world in crisis. As the men languished in deplorable conditions, the crew of the Puebloconsidered whether to sign the treasonous confession in hopes of getting home to their families...unless help arrives first.
The moving new documentary, Pueblo: A Year of Crises in America, recounts the harrowing and courageous tale of the Pueblo crew as they grappled with torture and hunger, and an uncertain future.
"It seemed like no one I spoke with knew anything about the Pueblo Incident, and they should," says documentary filmmaker Bill Lowe, "It's a cautionary tale of a poorly-conceived U.S. military operation gone drastically wrong." Lowe captured the intensity of the conflict by filming live-action battle scenes aboard the WWII Liberty ship, at the SS Jeremiah O'Brien National Historic Landmark in San Francisco. Thirty local actors participated in the filming.
"I wanted to tell the story in the context of the troubled geopolitical climate in 1968, and I wanted to tell the story from the perspectives of the individuals involved," Lowe says. "It's crucial to know this story so that we never make the same mistakes again. It's even more vital in our current geopolitical climate with North Korea, China, and Russia at the forefront of tensions yet again."
Join the director Bill Lowe on July 26, 2023, at 7 PM for a showing of "Pueblo, a Year of Crises in America," at the Cinelux Theatres. 2501 South Winchester Blvd. Campbell, CA 95008.
Go to BillLowe.org for more information on the screening. Tickets are available through Eventbrit.com.
San Francisco, Calif., June 26, 2023 - The late 1960s was one of the most turbulent eras in United States history. The Vietnam War was raging, and the country was reeling from the shocking assassinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. The Cold War was colder than ever, and streets across America erupted in violence.
The first six months of 1968, saw American troops suffering the most intense fighting of the Vietnam War, and the number of soldiers killed in action was at an all-time high. At home, public support for the war was waning, and the U.S. Navy was still in flux after the unfathomable attack on the U.S.S. Liberty spy ship, by Israeli forces on June 8, 1967, resulting in the deaths of 34 American crew members, and injuries to 171 others.
Tension was also building in Korea. On November 1, 1967, the U.S.S. Pueblo set out from San Diego, California, bound for the Korean peninsula. The ship was sailing under the guise of an oceanographic research vessel, but in fact, the Pueblo had a covert spy mission to intercept any communications emitting from North Korea. Only half of the crew was aware of the Pueblo's true mission.
The ship's commanding officer Lloyd Bucher immediately noted that the Pueblo was ill-prepared for its mission. The engine needed an overhaul, he said, and the ship had little means to defend itself. Bucher was eventually granted two .50 caliber machine guns, but no one aboard the ship was adequately trained to fire them. Bucher's request for engine repairs was denied.
On January 16, 1968, the Pueblo arrived off the coast of North Korea. The following day, tensions escalated when North Korean special forces crossed into South Korea with the aim of assassinating the country's president. The mission failed, but now the stakes were significantly raised. The crew of the Pueblo was not informed of the incident.
The United States intelligence network had been compromised in 1967, when U.S. Navy communications specialist John Walker sold secrets to the Russians, allowing them to decipher all U.S. Navy confidential communications, putting vessels like the Pueblo at extreme peril.
Emboldened by the losses of the U.S. military in Vietnam, and the lack of response by the US government for the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty by Israeli forces in the Mediterranean, and possessing the cipher to decode U.S. Navy communications, the North Koreans dared to attack the U.S.S. Pueblo in international waters, on January 23, 1968.
Five North Korean torpedo boats attacked the defenseless Pueblo and pummeled the ship and its crew into submission. A fireman aboard the Pueblo was killed in the exchange. The Pueblo crew tried to destroy the ship's sensitive material but didn't have the proper equipment.
The North Koreans then boarded the Pueblo and took its crew hostage. The sailors were transported to a makeshift prison on the mainland, where they endured regular beatings, humiliation, and starvation by the North Koreans. As the days and weeks and months ticked by, the crew lost hope of rescue. They relied on each other to keep their spirits up, even as the North Koreans threatened daily to kill them if they didn't sign a confession admitting to entering North Korean waters.
What followed has gone down as a failure of United States leadership. The prayers of the Pueblo crew were swallowed up by a world in crisis. As the men languished in deplorable conditions, the crew of the Puebloconsidered whether to sign the treasonous confession in hopes of getting home to their families...unless help arrives first.
The moving new documentary, Pueblo: A Year of Crises in America, recounts the harrowing and courageous tale of the Pueblo crew as they grappled with torture and hunger, and an uncertain future.
"It seemed like no one I spoke with knew anything about the Pueblo Incident, and they should," says documentary filmmaker Bill Lowe, "It's a cautionary tale of a poorly-conceived U.S. military operation gone drastically wrong." Lowe captured the intensity of the conflict by filming live-action battle scenes aboard the WWII Liberty ship, at the SS Jeremiah O'Brien National Historic Landmark in San Francisco. Thirty local actors participated in the filming.
"I wanted to tell the story in the context of the troubled geopolitical climate in 1968, and I wanted to tell the story from the perspectives of the individuals involved," Lowe says. "It's crucial to know this story so that we never make the same mistakes again. It's even more vital in our current geopolitical climate with North Korea, China, and Russia at the forefront of tensions yet again."
Join the director Bill Lowe on July 26, 2023, at 7 PM for a showing of "Pueblo, a Year of Crises in America," at the Cinelux Theatres. 2501 South Winchester Blvd. Campbell, CA 95008.
Go to BillLowe.org for more information on the screening. Tickets are available through Eventbrit.com.
read more
The first six months of 1968, saw American troops suffering the most intense fighting of the Vietnam War, and the number of soldiers killed in action was at an all-time high. At home, public support for the war was waning, and the U.S. Navy was still in flux after the unfathomable attack on the U.S.S. Liberty spy ship, by Israeli forces on June 8, 1967, resulting in the deaths of 34 American crew members, and injuries to 171 others.
Tension was also building in Korea. On November 1, 1967, the U.S.S. Pueblo set out from San Diego, California, bound for the Korean peninsula. The ship was sailing under the guise of an oceanographic research vessel, but in fact, the Pueblo had a covert spy mission to intercept any communications emitting from North Korea. Only half of the crew was aware of the Pueblo's true mission.
The ship's commanding officer Lloyd Bucher immediately noted that the Pueblo was ill-prepared for its mission. The engine needed an overhaul, he said, and the ship had little means to defend itself. Bucher was eventually granted two .50 caliber machine guns, but no one aboard the ship was adequately trained to fire them. Bucher's request for engine repairs was denied.
On January 16, 1968, the Pueblo arrived off the coast of North Korea. The following day, tensions escalated when North Korean special forces crossed into South Korea with the aim of assassinating the country's president. The mission failed, but now the stakes were significantly raised. The crew of the Pueblo was not informed of the incident.
The United States intelligence network had been compromised in 1967, when U.S. Navy communications specialist John Walker sold secrets to the Russians, allowing them to decipher all U.S. Navy confidential communications, putting vessels like the Pueblo at extreme peril.
Emboldened by the losses of the U.S. military in Vietnam, and the lack of response by the US government for the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty by Israeli forces in the Mediterranean, and possessing the cipher to decode U.S. Navy communications, the North Koreans dared to attack the U.S.S. Pueblo in international waters, on January 23, 1968.
Five North Korean torpedo boats attacked the defenseless Pueblo and pummeled the ship and its crew into submission. A fireman aboard the Pueblo was killed in the exchange. The Pueblo crew tried to destroy the ship's sensitive material but didn't have the proper equipment.
The North Koreans then boarded the Pueblo and took its crew hostage. The sailors were transported to a makeshift prison on the mainland, where they endured regular beatings, humiliation, and starvation by the North Koreans. As the days and weeks and months ticked by, the crew lost hope of rescue. They relied on each other to keep their spirits up, even as the North Koreans threatened daily to kill them if they didn't sign a confession admitting to entering North Korean waters.
What followed has gone down as a failure of United States leadership. The prayers of the Pueblo crew were swallowed up by a world in crisis. As the men languished in deplorable conditions, the crew of the Puebloconsidered whether to sign the treasonous confession in hopes of getting home to their families...unless help arrives first.
The moving new documentary, Pueblo: A Year of Crises in America, recounts the harrowing and courageous tale of the Pueblo crew as they grappled with torture and hunger, and an uncertain future.
"It seemed like no one I spoke with knew anything about the Pueblo Incident, and they should," says documentary filmmaker Bill Lowe, "It's a cautionary tale of a poorly-conceived U.S. military operation gone drastically wrong." Lowe captured the intensity of the conflict by filming live-action battle scenes aboard the WWII Liberty ship, at the SS Jeremiah O'Brien National Historic Landmark in San Francisco. Thirty local actors participated in the filming.
"I wanted to tell the story in the context of the troubled geopolitical climate in 1968, and I wanted to tell the story from the perspectives of the individuals involved," Lowe says. "It's crucial to know this story so that we never make the same mistakes again. It's even more vital in our current geopolitical climate with North Korea, China, and Russia at the forefront of tensions yet again."
Join the director Bill Lowe on July 26, 2023, at 7 PM for a showing of "Pueblo, a Year of Crises in America," at the Cinelux Theatres. 2501 South Winchester Blvd. Campbell, CA 95008.
Go to BillLowe.org for more information on the screening. Tickets are available through Eventbrit.com.
show less
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Campbell Plaza Shopping Center, Campbell, CA 95008
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