Steve
VanSlyck, from Canton, Ohio, joined the Navy in 1976 but didn't make it to
submarines until 1979 when he got to Cavalla, then in the Bremerton yards.
The ship left Bremerton with CDR Rohm in command and CDR Tzomes harassing
the yeomen and the nukes. Steve was an then unqualified YN2 in the ship's
office, with YN1 Bob Hickman.
On sea trails the ship "broke deep and took water" as Gordon Lightfoot
would say, and everybody spent hours cleaning up the mess, but
unbelievably there were no long-term problems and the ship continued with
trials anyway. Cavalla did some good will travels up and down the coast on
the way to Hawaii.
Later, when Chief Ed "CJ" Johnson couldn't get Steve a non-AFEES position
in Cleveland, Steve returned home and went back to Kent State. He joined
the reserves, making Chief 10 years to the month after first hitting boot
camp, but left in 1991 due to career pressures. He tells everyone who'll
listen that his service in Cavalla was the best job he ever had.
Steve is a lawyer concentrating in estate planning and probate law and
currently lives in Columbus, Ohio.