Recollections 1 - Sarge
| Recollections 1 - Sarge | |
|---|---|
| Name | Steve "Sarge" Pfauth |
| Period | Florida |
| Location | Duneden |
| Year | 1975 |
It began when I was living in Michigan in the spring of 1975 and I saw an ad in a magazine for ‘Fundamentals of Thought’. I sent for the book, loved it and sent for more books. Then began a phone reg cycle that led to a weekend trip to FCDC (Founding Church of Scientology, Washington D.C.) in May 75. At the time I was 30 years old and my life was going well. I had a good job, a new house, new corvette convertible, lots of friends, my family loved me and I had women knocking my door down (so, I exaggerate once in a while). Just ‘stuff’. I was bored. I needed adventure. Well, I sure got it.
During my first weekend at FCDC I did intro course, Life repair (which didn’t take long) and I was blown away. I bought the bridge! I flew home, quit my job, put my house up for sale, ARC broke everyone, packed up the vette and was back at FCDC as a full time public by the end of the week. Wow, did I make things go right!
Initially, I was disappointed when I found out there were other Orgs and that LRH wasn’t at FCDC. I really wanted to meet him. Regardless, I burned the midnight oil at FCDC and had comp after comp. I became a Dianetic auditor and CS, did drug rundown, grades 1-4 (floating TAs) ARC straightwire, XDN and was a class four auditor and CS. My OCA’s were all redlined and my needle floated all the time. Life was good! I spent two days touring all the Missions in Connecticut with a mission holder I’d met. I was going to work for him for a while, then open my own missions in Mich. I wanted to bring Scientology to my family and friends. During this time the CO of FCDC, Greg Wilhere, was trying very hard to get me on staff. Sorry Greg. I was interning in the “ivory Tower’ as a CS when Sandy Wilhere (SO Rep) paid me nightly visits trying to get me to join the SO. How can you not love Sandy. She was persistent and found my buttons: ‘LRH needs your help. He’s setting up a hotel and needs you to help him.’ The help LRH button worked.
I signed a billion year contract and left the next day for the FOLO in New York. This was Nov. 75. I was then flown to Clearwater where the Fort Harrison was just purchased. I was assigned to the renos crew and was again disappointed as there was no sign of LRH. I did renos for a while and became friends with Marcus Swanson. We then were assigned to the security force and I was made HAS. I worked for Wayne Marple (great guy). I was then assigned as a security guard at the Duneden complex. Finally! LRH was there. I was blown away but very nervous. Please Steve don’t mess this up. Well, I did.
LRH was bigger than life. He went for a walk with a messenger about my second day on duty. The complex at Duneden was a long row of apartment buildings, mostly empty. The complex was at the very end. There was a two story building with apartments and garages where all the berthing and offices were and across from it was a one story building used for storage. Most of the other buildings were vacant. I was told to protect the complex. Well, when LRH went for his walk, I stayed around the complex. LRH walked with the messenger up to a recreation building, spent a little while, came back to the complex and looked a little upset. They went inside without as much as a nod.
Disappointed again.
Then the messenger came out and told me LRH was upset that I didn’t follow him out to the rec building. That’s when I first met my wonderful friend Lois Jory. She was so nice and we became friends. From then on I followed LRH like a shadow. The next day when he came out for his walk he asked my name and was very friendly. Over the next few months I became a fixture around there. I met everyone. Great group of OTs. LRH always stopped to talk on his walks. Life was good again.
I hadn’t completed my bridge purchase at FCDC and needed money. Someone told me to petition Mary Sue for a refund, I did and got my money within a week. I always loved Mary Sue. She was a special lady. I then asked for a couple weeks leave to go back to FCDC to pick up my mest left there. While at FCDC I saw some old friends and was asked if I had met LRH and I said yes I was a security guard for him. I was very proud of that. While there I saw some people I recognized but couldn’t place. Upon arrival back at Duneden I sure found out who they were.
They were messengers Claire and David Rousseau, who apparently reported on me for out security. The G.O. assigned me to my first lower condition. I felt destroyed. But, I worked with the ethics officer and had my liability formula signed by all. LRH, Mary Sue, included. Wow! I didn’t know it at the time but I had gone back to FCDC just when LRH went to DC with Claire and David.
I then got on LRHs good side. We were being surveilled by the the Saint Petersburg Times wanting a story about LRH . I was on duty one day when I saw a car pull up by one of the empty buildings. A man got out of the car, saw me and went into the courtyard of a building and started walking through toward our complex. I headed him off and told him he was trespassing. He said he was from the SP Times and wanted to interview LRH. He was a nice guy so I told him I sure would like to meet him too, but this is a United Churches property and I’m here to protect their privacy. I watched him like a hawk till he left, then reported the incident to the G.O. LRH loved the story and I got my first very well done. What a kick! LRH left soon after and I went on warehouse duty in Tampa. Then came WHQ.