English: May of the proposed navigational track of the USS Banner (AGER-1) operating in international waters off the east coast of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea a.k.a. North Korea in the Sea of Japan in January 1968, as part of "Index of Possible Actions." Undated. Top Secret.

Source: National Archives, Records Group, Records of Gen. Earle Wheeler, Chairman, JCS, box 29, tab 449.

This 35-page document lists options for different types of military action against North Korea, and weighs the pros and cons of 12 possible U.S. responses to the Pueblo crisis. Most of them involved military force. The suggestions ranged from the relatively peaceful, such as sending a Navy tugboat to Wonsan harbor to retrieve the spy ship, to major actions likely to provoke a sharp response from North Korea, such as a "raid" by American tanks and troops across the Demilitarized Zone into communist territory or air attacks on seven training centers for communist commandos. Advantages and disadvantages of each option are described in blunt language by the unnamed author. LBJ ultimately chose Action No. 4 - "Show of Force" - ordering a large and rapid buildup of U.S. air and sea forces in and near South Korea. These forces consisted of 361 U.S. combat aircraft as well as an armada of 25 warships built around the USS Enterprise and two other aircraft carriers. The final option on the list was leaking "'firm' information" to the Soviets that the U.S. planned to attack North Korea in retaliation for the spy ship's capture.

- National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 453: USS Pueblo: LBJ Considered Nuclear Weapons, Naval Blockade, Ground Attacks in Response to 1968 North Korean Seizure of Navy Vessel, Documents Show dated January 23, 2014 - National Security Archive - George Washington University