Congressional Record: January 29, 2003 (Senate)
Page S1752-S1756                        

 
                  STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

	
				  
     
   SENATE RESOLUTION 29--DEMANDING THE RETURN OF THE USS PUEBLO TO THE 
                           UNITED STATES NAVY

  Mr. CAMPBELL submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
       Whereas the USS Pueblo, which was attacked and captured by 
     the North Korean Navy on January 23, 1968, was the first 
     United States Navy ship to be hijacked on the high seas by a 
     foreign military force in over 150 years;
       Whereas 1 member of the USS Pueblo crew, Duane Hodges, was 
     killed in the assault while the other 82 crew members were 
     held in captivity, often under inhumane conditions, for 11 
     months;
       Whereas the USS Pueblo, an intelligence collection 
     auxiliary vessel, was operating in international waters at 
     the time of the capture, and therefore did not violate North 
     Korean territorial waters;
       Whereas the capture of the USS Pueblo resulted in no 
     reprisals against the Government or people of North Korea and 
     no military action at any time; and
       Whereas the USS Pueblo, though still the property of the 
     United States Navy, has been retained by North Korea for more 
     than 30 years, was subjected to exhibition in the North 
     Korean cities of Wonsan and Hungham, and is now on display in 
     Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved,That the Senate--
       (1) demands the return of the USS Pueblo to the United 
     States Navy; and
       (2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President, the Secretary of 
     Defense, and the Secretary of State.

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I am pleased to submit a Senate 
Resolution calling on North Korea to return the USS Pueblo to the 
United States Navy. The legislation I am reintroducing today is based 
on a resolution I introduced last year during the 107th Congress, 
Senate Resolution 246.
  On January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo was unjustly attacked and 
captured by

[[Page S1754]]

the North Korean Navy, becoming the first United States Navy ship to be 
hijacked on the high seas by a foreign military force in over 150 
years. At the time of its capture, the USS Pueblo was operating as an 
intelligence collection auxiliary vessel, and did not pose a threat.
  This act of aggression resulted in the USS Pueblo's 82 crew members 
being held in captivity for eleven months, often in inhumane 
conditions. Another brave crew member, Duane Hodges, was killed during 
the initial attack and several more crew members were wounded. On 
December 23, 1968, after nearly a year of being unjustly detained the 
surviving USS Pueblo crew members were finally released and allowed to 
return home.
  It is interesting to note that the USS Pueblo I am calling on the 
North Koreans to return today is in fact the third ship of the fleet to 
be named in honor of the city and county of Pueblo, located in my home 
State of Colorado. The first ship of the fleet to be named in honor of 
Pueblo was an armored cruiser which had previously been named the 
Colorado. In 1916, the USS Colorado was renamed as the USS Pueblo when 
a new battleship named USS Colorado was authorized. The first USS 
Pueblo served until 1927. The second USS Pueblo was a city class 
frigate which served from 1944 to 1946. She was later sold to the 
Dominican Republic where she serves today.
  The third USS Pueblo is the ship now wrongly held by the North 
Koreans. Built by the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering 
Corporation, Kewaunee, WI, the ship originally served as a general 
purpose supply vessel FP-344 for service in the U.S. Army 
Transportation Corps when she was launched on April 16, 1944. During 
1966 and 1967 the ship was converted, redesignated as the USS Pueblo 
and commissioned as an environmental research vessel, AGER-2.
  It is important to note that even to this day the capture of the USS 
Pueblo has resulted in no reprisal against North Korea, demonstrating 
remarkable restraint by the United States. Even though the USS Pueblo 
still clearly remains the legal property of the United States Navy, the 
North Korean Government has kept it on display as a sort of traveling 
propaganda museum.
  Recent events have made it clear that many unresolved issues remain 
regarding our Nation's relationship with North Korea. For example, 
North Korea's recent high-profile resumption of nuclear saber-rattling 
presents a serious resurgent challenge that we, our allies in Northeast 
Asia and the rest of the world community must take seriously.
  While I certainly agree that successfully resolving this situation is 
first and foremost, I also believe that there are other positive 
restorative steps that the North Koreans should take in order to help 
improve our bilateral relationship. One such action would be to return 
the USS Pueblo to its rightful owners, the United States Navy and the 
American people they serve and protect.
  While returning the USS Pueblo may not necessarily remove the 35 
year-old scars inflicted by the attack of January 23, 1968, and 
especially those suffered by the crew of the USS Pueblo and by their 
families and loved ones, it would serve as a good will gesture, a salve 
if you will, signaling hope for a brighter future between our two 
nation's peoples.
  I stand with my colleagues back home in the Colorado State General 
Assembly in demanding the return of the USS Pueblo to the United States 
Navy.
  I urge my colleagues here in the U.S. Senate to join me in supporting 
passage of this important resolution.
                                 ______