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Pig Fat Soup
Pig Fat Soup is a testament to the inner strength of a Kansas boy, thrust into the sudden horrors of becoming a POW of an inhumane regime. Steven Woelk's compelling story is not only of the brutality of his captors and the bond that developed between his fellow shipmates, but of the challenges of the U.S. Navy, sending the USS Pueblo in harm's way before its mission in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of North Korea.
192 pages, Paperback
Published December 22, 2025
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March 2, 2026MWSA Review
Pig Fat Soup, the memoir of Steven Woelk, follows a young sailor aboard the USS Pueblo as he experiences capture and endures 11 months as a POW in the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea. How "Pig Fat Soup" became the title is revealed as the story of captivity unfolds. The book was well written as it takes the reader along with the author back to 1968 during the events of the attack on the Pueblo, the injuries sustained in the attack, and the horrid conditions that the crew endures at the hands of the North Koreans. The author recounts the brutal medical procedures, harsh treatment, forced confessions, and the constant propaganda that he and his fellow POWs lived through. The final resolution discusses the negotiation and release of the US POWs and their re-entry back into US society.
The author also reveals insights into the state of the U.S. military as well as the decision-making processes of the upper echelons of military power, some of the shortsighted decisions that led directly to the North Koreans gathering technology and intelligence from the capture of the USS Pueblo and passing it along to the USSR and other nations.
Overall, the book is insightful and allows the reader to get a small picture of the sacrifice that some of our military members experience in service to our country on our behalf.
Review by Randy Beard
Pig Fat Soup, the memoir of Steven Woelk, follows a young sailor aboard the USS Pueblo as he experiences capture and endures 11 months as a POW in the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea. How "Pig Fat Soup" became the title is revealed as the story of captivity unfolds. The book was well written as it takes the reader along with the author back to 1968 during the events of the attack on the Pueblo, the injuries sustained in the attack, and the horrid conditions that the crew endures at the hands of the North Koreans. The author recounts the brutal medical procedures, harsh treatment, forced confessions, and the constant propaganda that he and his fellow POWs lived through. The final resolution discusses the negotiation and release of the US POWs and their re-entry back into US society.
The author also reveals insights into the state of the U.S. military as well as the decision-making processes of the upper echelons of military power, some of the shortsighted decisions that led directly to the North Koreans gathering technology and intelligence from the capture of the USS Pueblo and passing it along to the USSR and other nations.
Overall, the book is insightful and allows the reader to get a small picture of the sacrifice that some of our military members experience in service to our country on our behalf.
Review by Randy Beard
Displaying 1 of 1 review