True.

However, he was a great con-artist for the easily duped.

Moulton, U.S.N. 2IC to Hubbard (by choice), seems to have supported him to the end.

It’s a little like the SF world. Only the long-lived and late great Jack Williamson (who was still writing great stories into his 80s) really stated that he saw through Ron.

Van Vogt, Heinlein, etc., never did. Van Vogt, IIRC, even wrote a cover blurb for Battlefield Earth, though he later stated that he”d never read it.

The attraction for Campbell was obvious. He had an editorial policy of preferring stories of psychic superheroes.

Hubbard crafted Dianetics to promise exactly that.

Campbell had clearly seen through Hubbard’s facade when he withdrew his support for Dianetics, but was too embarrassed by his earlier support to ever really denounce Hubbard.

Mark, your words sing.
Mike, ditto – SNOTS. How did I never notice this. Day made!

Yes he was. Read Chris Owen’s excellent Ron the War Hero

I was only an Army guy but I got the impression that LRH was a lousy naval officer.

Thanks for the laughs, Ms. B Haven 🙂

Thanks for your reply.

I still think their, and the seaorg, mythos etc. requires that they have at least one or two working ships.

They have bottom-less coffers for investing in very expensive empty buildings, so why not a ship or two?

Chris sez: “…DM has plenty of money to burn to keep those engines fired up.”
This is probably true, but if Mr. COB RTC Capt’n David ‘Fleet Admiral’ Miscavige were to have to cough up the dough to keep the Freewinds sailing, that would be OUT EXCHANGE!!! Whales would be regged within an inch of their bank accounts before the good capt’n chipped in one thin dime.