REACTIONS OF PUEBLO CREW MEMBERS AT PRESS CONFERENCE ON 12 SEPTEMBER

Created: 10/5/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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SUBJECT REACTIONS OF PUEBLO CREW MEMBERS AT PRESS CONFERENCE ON 12

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2HE JOURNALIST WHOEPTEMBER PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE PUEBLO CREW MEMBERS NOTED THATBUCHER'S FACIAL EXPRESSION REFLECTEDN MAKING CERTAIN REMARKS. THIS REPORT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE REACTIONS OF THE CREW MEMBERS WHO TOCX PART IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE.)

2. CCWWiDER BUCHER'S FACIAL EXPRESSION AND TONE OF VOICE SEEMED

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4INSINCERE EACH TIME KE REPEATED THE REMARK "WE ARE GUILTY, WE WERE WRONG,

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THE GOVERNMENT OF NORTH KOREA IS TO BEiTHANKED FORG US HUMANELY MUST JUDGE US GUILTY." WHEN OTHER CREW MEMBERS SAID THIS, THEY WEREAND SERIOUS AND LOOKED STRAIGHT AHEAD. IN CONTRAST, BUCHER'S SPEECHEND OF THE CONFERENCE SEEMED SINCERE, NATURAL AND FROM THE HEART. CONFERENCE WAS OVER AND EVERYONE ROSE TO LEAVE, BUCHER SUOOENLY STOODCHAIR AND SAID HE HAD SOMETHING TO ADD. BUCHER THEN MADE AN

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. IN PARAPHRASE, BUCHER SAID: OULD LIKE TO APPEAL TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THESE YOUNG MEN. THERE ARE SOME AMONG US WHO ARE ONLYNDEARS OLD. OTHERS ARE MARRIED MEN WITH FAMILIES. WE HAVE DONE OUR DUTY. OPE THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WILLOMETHING TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THESE MEN."

3. ONE YOUNG OFFICER WEARING GLASSES GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HE HAD BEEN FORCED TO SAY HIS PIECE AND SEEMED TO BE SPEAKING WITH MANY NUANCES. THE JOURNALIST RECEIVED THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS TRYING TO HINT THAT THE PUEBLO HAD BEEN SEIZED OUTSIDE OF NORTH KOREAN TERRITORIAL WATERS. HE GAVE THE IMPRESSION OF TOTAL INDIFFERENCE TO HIS SURROUNDINGS. RENCH JOURNALIST REMARKED AFTER THE CONFERENCE, "THAT BOY SEEMED STRANGE. HE DIDN'T MEAN WHAT HE SAID."

<t. WHEN MOST OF THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS SPOKE, THEY SEEMED TO BE ACTING

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OLE AND PERFORMING WELL. THEY WERE GRAVE AND SERIOUS, AS IF SUFFERING

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ERRIBLE BURDEN. THEIR MANNER-ISMS WERE UNLIKE/AMERICANSHAS KNOW*. THEY SAT UNUSUALLY STILL, WITH FEW OF THE

MOVEMENTS THAT WOULD BE NATURALONG CONFERENCE. THEY DID NOT REACT TO THE AUDIENCE. AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN ONE YOUNG AMERICAN SAID HE WOULD JOIN THE CLERGY IF RELEASED, THE AUDIENCE LAUGHED, BUT OTHER AMERICANS DID NOTLICKERMILE. IN BRIEF, EACH AMERICAN SEEMED TO BEHE JOURNALIST THOUGHT THE CONFERENCE MUST HAVE BEEN STAGE MANAGED BY THE NORTH KOREANS BECAUSE IT WAS TOO WELL DONE TO BE CONVINCING.

5. WHEN ONE OFFICERUESTION BEGAN TO REPEAT HIMSELF,BUCHER TURNED QUICKLY TOWARD THE MAN AND MOTIONED TO HIM TO SIT DOWNHARP WAVE OF HIS HAND. IT SEEMED BUCHERURT COMMAND IN AN ANGRY MANNER. THE JOURNALIST, HOWEVER, COULD NOT RECALL WHAT THE OFFICER HAD BEEN SAYING WHEN BUCHER REACTED INANNER.

5. OURNALIST SAT APPROXIMATELY THREE AND ONE-HALF METERS FROM THE AMERICANS AND OPPOSITE THE FILIPINO CREW MEMBER. HE ALSO SHOOK HANDS WITH euCHER AFTER THE CONFERENCE. BUCHER'S EYES WERE RED. HIS EXPRESSION WASAN O NOT SLEPT. HIS OMPLEXION WAS NOT NOTICEABLY PALE, BUT DID , NOT SEE- MAL. FIVE OS SIX OF THE OTHERS HAD RED EYES AND APPEARED AS IF

HAD NOTPUEBLO CREW MEMBERS DID NOT HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF *

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7. after the conference, the journalist observedistanceeters crew members marchingasketball court. he SAW them begin to play ball, and they seemed natural in their movements.

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Original document.

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