Commander of the spy ship USS Pueblo (1927–2004). ALS signed “L. Bucher” and (in block letters) “L. M. ‘Pete’ Bucher,” four lightly lined canary pages, 8.5 x 11, August 2002. A scathing letter to the Editor of the San Diego Union Tribune regarding a review of the book The Liberty Incident by A. J. Cristol. In part [Bucher’s spellings and grammar retained]: “Keith Taylor’s review of the Cristol book The Liberty Incident is/was pure nonsense. Every one in the intelligency community at this late date does not doubt that Isreal purposely attacked and expected to totally destroy Liberty AGTR-5. Isreal undoubtedly considered Liberty dangerous to their continued good relations with USA.... What is unacceptable and will always be was the cover-up and outright lying done by the Johnson Administration to the disgrace of our country and the shame of 34 murdered American servicemen and terrible wounding and maiming of 176 other American naval and civilian men who Isreal also sprayed with aircraft rocketry, napalm, and heavy machine gun fire; all this to unarmed USS Liberty AGTR-5…. The slaughter occurred on June 6, 1967 in international waters near the coast of Israel and Egypt while I was struggling to prepare USS Pueblo (AGER-2) for sea…. The terrible truth of the USS Liberty will likely never be known to the American public….” The incident in question occurred during the Six-Day War between Israel and three Arab states, when an Israeli attack on the American Navy intelligence vessel USS Liberty killed 34 American servicemen and wounded 173. Though official investigations concluded that the attack was a “tragic mistake,” a number of significant figures, including surviving crewmen and highly placed government officials, contended—and still contend—that the attack was deliberate, and that a cover-up up was devised for the sake of American-Israeli relations. A few minor wrinkles, otherwise fine condition. A gripping letter of high historical interest! R&R COA.
