They Flashed the Middle Finger at Their Captors #shorts #militaryhistory #navalhistory #historyfacts

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]In 1968, the United States Navy suffered a humiliating defeat that is still not resolved today. It began when North Korean gunboats surrounded an American spy ship, [music] the USS Pueblo, in international waters. Outgunned and completely cornered, the crew desperately smashed equipment with axes to protect top secret data, but they ran out of time. Armed soldiers boarded the vessel, capturing 83 Americans. For 11 grueling months, the crew endured starvation and brutal torture in prisoner camps. To fight back, the sailors subtly flashed [music] the middle finger in propaganda photos, tricking their captors into believing it was a Hawaiian good luck sign. When Pyongyang realized the truth, the beatings intensified. To save them, the US government signed a formal, written apology. The crew was finally freed, but North Korea kept the war trophy. Today, the USS Pueblo remains the only US Navy ship currently held captive by a foreign power.