Steven Woelk grew up in Alta Vista, Kansas. At age 18, he joined the US Navy, and served his lone sea duty on the USS Pueblo. On 23 January, 1968, his ship’s crew was suddenly and maliciously attacked, seized and taken prisoner by the North Korean Navy. They would spend the next eleven months in captivity, never knowing what horrors would greet them each day. After enduring that period of primitive medical treatment, brutal beatings and malnutrition, eighty-two captives were set free at the “Bridge of No Return” on 23 December, 1968. His faith in God, family and country kept him sane throughout his captivity.
With the help of co-author Robert Lofthouse, he wrote the book, Pig Fat Soup, telling his passion for keeping the legacy and stories of the Pueblo crew alive. He is retired now, but gains strength in fishing, hunting, woodworking, golf, playing country music and sharing coffee breaks with fellow veterans.
Steven has been blessed with a forty-eight year marriage to his wife, Kathy, a son and two wonderful grandchildren.