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Tell me about my step dad...In early days, on the boat

zanny

Patron
Hello,

I have attempted posting my story here years ago and I lost my nerve and stopped.

What I would really like is some stories about the man who was like a father to me until he had to disconnect.

Last name Cooper, if you know him I don't have to give his first name.

He was in from the early days on the "boat" with Ron. He lived with us...my mom and I in Las Vegas, until about 1981 when he left. (Disconected). I was away visiting family for the summer and when I came home he was gone. All my mother said was he had to move away and he wasn't coming back.

I used to love watching him practice his karate in our garage. He was a rock for me- my life was so unstable but he had such a strong force of will, it was impossible to doubt him. He made me feel safe.

I will not say it was perfect, because from about 1976 to 1981 or so we were being indoctrinated. (Well, I was mostly being ignored. ) and then all of the sudden we weren't. He had some unusual discipline that he applied to me, (Making me sleep in a closet, taking away all of my things.) But,I was both enamoured by his strength and terrified at the same time.

When he passed, his wife notified me and told me she had something that belonged to me that he had been carrying around for years. That helped me understand that leaving me wasn't really his choice.

I am not naive, I have googled him. I see that he did bad things in the name of the church. But there must be stories. Good and bad. Because I believe he was like most who join, (I officially signed my contract when I was 22, and blew soon after.) a person who had trouble in their life and wanted to do better.

Please tell me about him?He died in clearwater fl. I think he had been there for a long time, but he did spend some time in California. Pm me or post here. Pm would be best I think. (?)

P.s. I'm still not comfortable posting here...I still get harrassed, they call me all the time and send stuff in the mail even though I have moved about 10 times. They always find me. And they want me to know it. They really should move on...lol
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Hi zanny!

I don't know the individual you're asking about, but...

:welcome2:

I believe you've got to make a couple posts before someone is able to PM you.
 

zanny

Patron
Hi zanny!

I don't know the individual you're asking about, but...

:welcome2:

I believe you've got to make a couple posts before someone is able to PM you.
Oh, ok. It says I have made 18 posts... as I said, I started telling my story years ago and chickened out. :)

Thanks for letting me know! And thank you for making me feel welcome. :D
zanny
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Oh, ok. It says I have made 18 posts... as I said, I started telling my story years ago and chickened out. :)

Thanks for letting me know! And thank you for making me feel welcome. :D
zanny
oops, you're correct, you've made enough posts to send and receive PM's. :)

While the CoS is known to track people down for decades after many moves even and send mail, there are ways to get them to stop if you really want. There's been some threads on the board which deal with this.

Personally I wish they sent me mail. They stopped 25 years or so ago. I've got something for their BRE's (business reply envelopes) they send. :D
 

cakemaker

Patron Meritorious
I recommend reading the two books "Commodore's Messenger" to get a really good idea of what life was like aboard the Apollo.
The author, Janis Gilham-Grady, may remember him and have a lot more info.
 

Enthetan

Master of Disaster
Hello,

I have attempted posting my story here years ago and I lost my nerve and stopped.

What I would really like is some stories about the man who was like a father to me until he had to disconnect.

Last name Cooper, if you know him I don't have to give his first name.

He was in from the early days on the "boat" with Ron. He lived with us...my mom and I in Las Vegas, until about 1981 when he left. (Disconected). I was away visiting family for the summer and when I came home he was gone. All my mother said was he had to move away and he wasn't coming back.

I used to love watching him practice his karate in our garage. He was a rock for me- my life was so unstable but he had such a strong force of will, it was impossible to doubt him. He made me feel safe.

I will not say it was perfect, because from about 1976 to 1981 or so we were being indoctrinated. (Well, I was mostly being ignored. ) and then all of the sudden we weren't. He had some unusual discipline that he applied to me, (Making me sleep in a closet, taking away all of my things.) But,I was both enamoured by his strength and terrified at the same time.

When he passed, his wife notified me and told me she had something that belonged to me that he had been carrying around for years. That helped me understand that leaving me wasn't really his choice.

I am not naive, I have googled him. I see that he did bad things in the name of the church. But there must be stories. Good and bad. Because I believe he was like most who join, (I officially signed my contract when I was 22, and blew soon after.) a person who had trouble in their life and wanted to do better.

Please tell me about him?He died in clearwater fl. I think he had been there for a long time, but he did spend some time in California. Pm me or post here. Pm would be best I think. (?)

P.s. I'm still not comfortable posting here...I still get harrassed, they call me all the time and send stuff in the mail even though I have moved about 10 times. They always find me. And they want me to know it. They really should move on...lol
They use "skip tracing" services. It doesn't matter how often you move. When you move, you notify your bank and credit card company of your new address so they can send their bills to your new address. The companies then turn around and sell the info to database companies. So if the org knows your name and an old address, they can look up your current address.

They don't have the manpower or funding to hassle every old Scientologist. If they call and ask you where you are on the Bridge, tell them you jumped off.

At one point I got a call from somebody I knew from the Sea Org, asking what my Bridge plans were. I told him I wasn't doing anything right now, but to save my number and address, and that if he was ever in the area (whether on mission or "whatever"), that he would always be welcome in my home.

Never got another Sea Org caller.
 

zanny

Patron
I recommend reading the two books "Commodore's Messenger" to get a really good idea of what life was like aboard the Apollo.
The author, Janis Gilham-Grady, may remember him and have a lot more info.
Thank you for the reply cakemaker. I have read (a bit) about the early days on the boat. My mom told me stories when I was older about his days on the boat, (she always called it the boat.) He confided in her some of the events.

I'm more interested in stories about him as a person. Not just his early days, but later as well...Although, I haven't read that book so I will get it. Thank you for the recommendation.

He had an infectious laugh, totally unique, he would laugh at things when others would panic or be upset. It was like nothing fazed him. But now looking back I realize that after what he had been through... how could anything upset him?

He would occasionally find a way to contact me. Out of the blue I would get a call -we would catch up- and then I would not hear from him for years and years.

I miss him.

zanny
 

cakemaker

Patron Meritorious
Thank you for the reply cakemaker. I have read (a bit) about the early days on the boat. My mom told me stories when I was older about his days on the boat, (she always called it the boat.) He confided in her some of the events.

I'm more interested in stories about him as a person. Not just his early days, but later as well...Although, I haven't read that book so I will get it. Thank you for the recommendation.

He had an infectious laugh, totally unique, he would laugh at things when others would panic or be upset. It was like nothing fazed him. But now looking back I realize that after what he had been through... how could anything upset him?

He would occasionally find a way to contact me. Out of the blue I would get a call -we would catch up- and then I would not hear from him for years and years.

I miss him.

zanny
Contact Janis. She knew almost everyone on the boat and may have some good stories.
 

phenomanon

Canyon
oops, you're correct, you've made enough posts to send and receive PM's. :)

While the CoS is known to track people down for decades after many moves even and send mail, there are ways to get them to stop if you really want. There's been some threads on the board which deal with this.

Personally I wish they sent me mail. They stopped 25 years or so ago. I've got something for their BRE's (business reply envelopes) they send. :D
LOL! Yeah, me too.:D
 

zanny

Patron
Here is a pic to jog those memories... I know he was intense and kind of scary... I just want to know more about him, I was 10 when he left, not the best age to know or understand a person.

Anyone? :)
 

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