23 January 1968 

North Korea Captures USS Pueblo

While performing routine surveillance 16 miles offshore of the North Korean coast, the Navy intelligence vessel USS Pueblo was captured by the North Koreans. The Americans aboard attempted to escape but the ship was fired upon. The commander and two others were wounded. The Pueblo took further fire when they stalled for time to destroy classified information. Several others were wounded. 

The crew of 83 men was captured and taken to Pyongyang, where they were charged with spying within North Korea’s 12-mile territorial limit. A confession and apology was coerced from Pueblo commander Bucher and the rest of the crew. They were forced to praise the “humane treatment” by their captors in a news conference but, instead, the Americans used sarcasm to undermine the North Koreans. Prisoners received beatings for rebelling in photo shoots in which they would stick out their middle finger. At first the North Korean did not understand what the gesture meant.

On December 23, 1968, 11 months after being captured, the United States and North Korea reached an agreement to free the prisoners. The US admitted that the USS Pueblo was inside North Korean territory, under terms of the settlement.  They had to apologize and pledge to cease any such future actions.

26 January 1970

POW’s 2,000^th Day

Navy Lieutenant Everett Alvarez, Jr spends his 2,000^th day as a Prisoner of War in Southeast Asia. His plane was shot down on August 5, 1964 during the first bombing raids in North Vietnam. Everett was brutally tortured during his captivity. He was finally released in 1973 after spending over eight years being held captive. He was the longest-held POW in United States history.

27 January 1988

First World War II Bombing of the Germans

The first American bombing raid against the Germans was flown by the 8^th Air Force. 64 planes, dispatched from bases in England, targeted warehouses and factories in the Wilhelmshaven port. 53 planes reached the target and only three were lost in the return. 22 German planes were shot down.

29 January 1991

Desert Storm Ground Fighting 

The first serious ground fighting of Operation Desert Storm broke out when Iraqi troops mounted an attack into Saudi Arabia along a 40-mile front. Iraqi units centered their efforts on Khafji, a port city six miles south of the border. Saudi and Quatari troops, supported by artillery from the 1st Marine Division and attack helicopters and other allied coalition aircraft, recaptured the town two days later.

Sources:

History.com

United States Marine Core History Division