Retired Master Chief Petty Officer Peter Slempa, Slempa, a member of the first Navy SEAL teams, signed copies of Why Me, Lord? last weekend at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis.
Pete served aboard the USS Worcester CL-144 before qualifying for an underwater demolition team. He became the first master chief of SEAL Team One, served six tours in Vietnam as a provincial recon unit advisor, and achieved the rank of master chief petty officer.
In his book, Slempa shares harrowing stories of life in the elite Sea, Air, Land squad formed January 1, 1962—plunging two stories from a cruiser during a typhoon, hurtling four yards after being hit by a semi traveling seventy miles an hour, and rupturing both eardrums when his two-man open cockpit submarine lost control and dove to 200 feet.
Reading his stories, I am amazed this man is alive today. His book can be purchased through the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis.
Pete,
You did it all and lead the way! Thank you so much for your leadership and inspiration. You provide a great history lesson and lessons learned from the Teams. God protected you for a reason, and writing this book was one of them. Thank God for you and for your wonderful wife Linda.
You are the epitome of the word and ideal of “warrior”. Thank you and may God continue to bless you and Linda, Love, Jack & Stacey
Mr. Slempa just spoke at our school’s veteran’s day assembly and was fantastic! What a great man. An inspiration to all of our guests, students and staff! Thank you so much.
Kevin Young
Adna Middle/High School
Principal
He is amazing, isn’t he? Very patriotic. His book is filled with stories that left me shaking my heading, wondering how this man is still alive today–but I’m glad he is.