A Wisconsin Connection

 

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Last week marked the 50^th anniversary of the attack-upon, boarding and seizure of the USS Pueblo  on January 23rd 1968.  The Pueblo is still held by North Korea and is moored in Pyongyang.  What I did not know until last weekend is that the vessel was built by the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.  Launched in 1944 as a US Army Freight and Passenger ship (FP-344) the Army later redesignated the FP vessels as Freight and Supply - changing the designation to FS-344.  The ship was operated by the Coast Guard on the gulf coast for training civilians for the Army.  Heretofore I did not know the USCG operated ships for the army.  You learn something new every day.  FS-344 was mothballed in 1954. 

In 1966 FS-344 was transferred to the US Navy and christened as the USS Pueblo (AKL-44) after Pueblo and Pueblo County, Colorado.  After serving as a light cargo ship Pueblo was converted to an intelligence gathering ship, or what is colloquially known as a spy ship and redesignated AGER-2 in 1967. 

Pueblo is still considered to be commissioned by the United States Navy and remains the second-oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, behind USS Constitution. Pueblo is one of only a few American ships to have been captured since the Barbary war in 1800.

After fifty long years I've learned ship load of history for a small ship with a Wisconsin connection. 

Go figure....