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Memories of Mike Chaffin (Sailor, rest your oars!)

Mike Chaffin was probably the strongest and most intelligent person I have ever met. At 5-9, 230lbs., not more than a few ounces
of fat (calf muscles so big his dungaree bells were skin tight), and a photographic memory, there was not much Mike could not
do.

This story is about one day Mike and I had to clean sea grass out of the Auxiliary Sea Water pump suctions. We were stationed
on board USS Bergall SSN-667, in M-Div. We were both ELT's, Mike an MM2 and me an MM3 at the time. We had used a
chain fall to get the suction piping disconnected from the pump casing. We cleaned the mud and grass from inside the pump
suction and went to reinstall the piping. The sound isolation couplings (risic) had turned and would no longer line up properly.
We must have struggled with this a good hour, when Mike really got pissed. He told me to get out of the way and slid over the
top of the ASW cross connect pipe on his back and upside down. Now I am sure that the piping and risic couplings had to have
weighed at least 250 lbs, if not more. Anyway, he sticks his right arm under the piping, lifts and slams it into place, then says to
me "Hand me a Bolt". Then bolts it up himself! I new he was strong, but this was something else.

A favorite pastime of his when we were in port, which was not very often, and in the barracks was to open Molson beer bottles
by removing the caps with his toes.

Here's Nik Lewis and Mike during the great arm wrestling match of 1982 on the Bergall. 

He was a great friend and Submariner. He is missed very much by all his friends.

submitted by Jeff Moreau, Friend and Shipmate

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