This is Photojournalist Fred G. Haseney with his eye on scientology. This unpublished blog of a visit I conducted to the Pacific Area Command Base (“PAC Base” or “Big Blue”) occurred on April 6, 2016, between two previously published blogs: “Reconnecting the Disconnected and Declared—March 10, 2016—Part 1,” posted March 27, and “Reconnecting the Disconnected and Declared—Call Me,” posted April 9, 2016.

PAC Base is the so-called “church” of scientology’s west coast headquarters, located in Los Angeles, California. That pseudo-religion has its very own pseudo-navy called the Sea Organization (“SO”). The SO mans three organizations (“orgs”) at PAC Base, where they work tirelessly in moving people along their “Bridge to Total Freedom.” Those orgs are: the Los Angeles Organization (“LA Org”), the American Saint Hill Organization (“ASHO”), and the Advanced Organization of Los Angeles (“AOLA”).

I used to be a scientologist. For 37 years (1977 to 2014), I, too, tirelessly followed the teachings of their founder, L. Ron Hubbard (“LRH”). I worked for almost two years in the Sea Org, after which I worked for scientology Front Groups (such as Sterling Management Systems) and scientology orgs (such as the Office of Special Affairs, or “OSA”).

While I can understand and even sympathize with the problems and challenges that scientologists as well as Sea Org members alike are facing, I can’t condone their activities. I dislike, in particular, the toxic practice of “disconnection” that scientologists follow, which breaks up families, friends and work associates.

Where’s the love in that?

This is blog #188.

Photo #1 Caption: As I walked to PAC Base along the south side of Sunset Blvd., I came across two scientologists on the Survival Rundown (“SR”). The “coach” is the one who holds the clipboard; the lady on the left is the “twin.” I normally see SO members, dressed in SO attire, doing the SR through the neighborhood. Reading backward through the clipboard are the words, “Survival” and “L. Ron Hubbard.” The coach also holds, in her right hand, the traditional blue pen. When I took this picture, the “coach” had just finished given instructions to the “twin” (such as “Look at that wall”). Here they notice me with a thoughtful smile. On the right is traffic heading east along Sunset toward Vermont Avenue.

Photo #2 Caption: Here is another picture of the women as seen in photo #1. By now, I have aroused curiosity or suspicion in the “coach” as she appears to being saying something out of the corner of her mouth to the “twin” about me.

Photo #3 Caption: For this photo, I stood on L. Ron Hubbard (“LRH”) Way, facing west; a fence in the distance is seen, running along Catalina Street. Off-camera and to my right: Sunset Blvd., to my left: PAC Base. There are three people hard at work in this picture. They’re brand-new to the SO, and not yet officially SO members. They are on the Estates Project Force (“EPF”) and are called “EPFers.” Their clothes are traditional for an EPFer, dark blue pants and a t-shirt, which across the left chest reads: “Estates Project Force.” I took a number of photos of their activity until the tall bespectacled guy turned and noticed me.

Photo #4 Caption: A few moments after I shot photo #3, the other two EPFers looked my way for this shot.

Photo #5 Caption: For the next five pictures, I stood on the north side of Fountain Avenue, facing west, between Catalina Street (barely seen in the distance) and LRH Way (which is behind me). PAC Base is on the right, where a portion of the blue building (as in “Big Blue”) can be seen. It’s lunch time and SO members are out for a walk. In this picture, the woman in the foreground carries a metal beverage container.

Photo #6 Caption: As SO members walked past me, so did this man carrying a beverage cup.

Photo #7 Caption: These ladies are staying well-hydrated, each carrying a bottle of water.

Photo #8 Caption: While I didn’t get his name, this guy’s name tag revealed his rank, Petty Officer 3 (“PO3”) and post title: “Tech Page HGC” (as in, “Technical Page Hubbard Guidance Center”). A goal of the Page in the Technical Division is to route people and Pre-Clears (“PCs”), and their folders flawlessly.

Photo #9 Caption: The last two SO members in this sequence of shots approaches with arms entwined.

Photo #10 Caption: For the next three pictures, I stood on the east side of Catalina St., facing north toward Sunset Blvd. Fountain Avenue is behind me, with PAC Base to my right. The gate on the right is an entrance to a shipping and receiving dock. In the foreground of this picture, a well-dressed young man is seen, cigarette in hand. At least eight SO members can be seen, including an EPFer on the left, the girl in the blue t-shirt and slacks.

Photo #11 Caption: In this photo, a Security Guard stands at the gate. On the left is a smiling woman on the phone.

Photo #12 Caption: In the last of this series of pictures, we see half a dozen or so SO members, including a gentleman in the foreground. His tie is the same design as the one the man is wearing in photo #10.

Photo #13 Caption: This SO member wears a “PAC Base” t-shirt, complete with the SO logo. He might be a staff member at the Cedar Estates Services Org (“CESO”) which provided services to Sea Org staff (including serving meals) in 1978 when I helped that organization in food services.

Light in the darkness, sailor, day is at hand!
See o’er the foaming billows fair Haven’s land.
Drear was the voyage, sailor, now almost o’er;
Safe within the life-boat, sailor, pull for the shore.

Chorus.—Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore!
Heed not the rolling wave, but bend to the oar;
Safe in the life-boat, sailor, cling to self no more!
Leave the poor old stranded wreck and pull for the shore.

Trust in the life-boat, sailor, all else will fail,
Stronger the surges dash and fiercer the gale;
Heed not the stormy winds, though loudly they roar;
Watch the “bright and morning star,” and pull for the shore.

Bright gleams the morning, sailor, uplift the eye;
Clouds and darkness disappearing, glory is nigh;
Safe in the life-boat, sailor, sing evermore;
“Glory, glory, hallelujah!” pull for the shore. [1]

All images (unless noted otherwise) © 2015—2017 Fred G. Haseney. All rights reserved.

Sources:

[1] Whittle, Daniel W. Memoirs of Philip P. Bliss. (New York, A. S. Barnes & Co., 1877), page 134.

Calendar courtesy Microsoft Outlook.

Links:

Something Can Be Done About It (Mike Rinder’s Blog).

Stop Scientology Disconnection.

The Underground Bunker (Tony Ortega on Scientology).

Loonapix Photo Editor (“Disorderly Pile of Bricks”).

#BewareTheDwarf

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