crewmen, followed at the end by the executive officer, Lieutenant Ed Murphy, the last man across the bridge. The U.S. then verbally retracted the ransom admission, apology, and assurance. Meanwhile, the North Koreans blanked out the paragraph above the signature, which read: "and this hereby receipts for 82 crewmen and one dead body" (Fireman Duane Hodges was killed by North Korean gunfire during the taking of Pueblo). Upon release, several members of the crew were crippled and nearly blind as a result of the brutality and malnourishment. No American military operations have been attempted to retrieve USS Pueblo. The ship is still officially carried as in commission in the United States Navy's Naval Vessel Register. It remains in North Korea as a tourist attraction. Navy court of inquiry Following his release, Bucher was subjected to a court of inquiry by the Navy. A court martial was recommended. However, the Secretary of the Navy, John H. Chafee, intervened on Bucher's behalf and no action was taken against him. Bucher followed his orders to not start any international incidents, and he felt that while a ship could be replaced, lives could not. Bucher was not found guilty of any indiscretions and continued his Navy career until retirement in the rank of commander. In 1970, Bucher published an autobiographical account of the USS Pueblo incident entitled Bucher: My Story. The U.S. government finally recognized the crew's sacrifice and granted prisoner-of-war medals to the crew in 1989. Death and burial Bucher died on January 28, 2004. He was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. The Poway-Bernardo Mortuary, which was featured in the A&E reality TV series Family Plots at the time, handled the funeral services. One of the episodes of the series was dedicated to Bucher's funeral services. Awards References External links "Commander Lloyd M. 'Pete' Bucher's heartrending story and his choice to 'lie to save lives' is the single focus of this book," p. 17 Lloyd M. Bucher Papers at the Hoover Institution Archives 1927 births 2004 deaths People from Pocatello, Idaho Writers from Idaho Military personnel from Idaho United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of World War II American prisoners of war American adoptees University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery