Lloyd Mark "Pete" Bucher ( ; 1 September 1927 – 28 January 2004) was an officer in the United States Navy, who is best remembered as the captain of USS Pueblo, which was seized by North Korea on January 23, 1968. Early life and education Bucher was born in Pocatello, Idaho, where he was given up for adoption by his birth mother, and was orphaned at an early age (his adoptive mother dying of cancer when he was three). He was raised by his father, grandparents, various other family members, and his father again, then drifted through a series of Catholic orphanages in Idaho until he read a magazine article about Father Flanagan's Boys Home in Boys Town, Nebraska. He wrote to Flanagan and was surprised when he received a reply. Bucher was accepted at Boys Town in the summer of 1941, and for the rest of his life considered it to be his home. He flourished at Boys Town, making honor roll the majority of his time there and playing football, basketball, track, and baseball. Like many young men during World War II, he dropped out of his senior year to enlist in the military, serving the last year of the war and for two years afterward (1945–1947) in the Navy. As an enlisted man, Bucher reached the rank of quartermaster second class and obtained a high-school diploma. He then worked in construction and as a bartender before entering the University of Nebraska on a football scholarship in 1949. While attending the university, he signed up for Naval ROTC. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1953 and was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Career as a submariner In January 1954, Bucher was called to active duty and served as division and education officer on the USS Mount McKinley. In mid-1955, he was admitted to submarine school at New London, Connecticut. After graduation, Bucher served as torpedo and gunnery officer of submarine USS Besugo, operations officer of USS Caiman, and assistant plans officer for logistics on the staff of Commander, Mine Force, Pacific Fleet. From 1961 to 1964, he served on submarine USS Ronquil, rising from third officer to executive officer, after which he became an assistant operations officer on the staff of Commander Submarine Flotilla Seven in Yokosuka, Japan. Bucher loved submarines and his greatest desire was to command one. However, he