Patrolling the Empire reflections on the USS Pueblo

Abstract

The U.S.S. Pueblo, an electronic intelligence collection ship, was seized by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) off the port of Wǒnsan on January 23, 1968. For seven days world attention shifted from Vietnam and the seige of Khesanh to the North Korean-American confrontation. War in Korea was possible. On January 30, 1968, the Vietcong launched the Tet offensive. Fighting reached the door of the American Embassy and attention flitted back to Vietnam.