military career ron military career ron saw future founder serving member saw active service world war naval lieutenant junior grade later lieutenant war mustered active service resigned commission aspects ron life accounts military career disputed account military service later formed major element public persona depicted followers presents decorated war hero commanded corvette hostilities crippled wounded according publications served commodore corvette squadrons theaters world war awarded medals service severely wounded taken crippled blinded military hospital worked way fitness strength perception years knew determine man relationship universe official navy service records indicate military performance times awarded handful campaign medals injured wounded combat awarded purple heart military service spent ashore continental united_states administrative training duties briefly commanded anti submarine vessels uss uss coastal waters massachusetts oregon california respectively removed command vessels rated superiors unsuitable independent duties lacking essential qualities judgment leadership cooperation asserted attacked crippled sunk japanese submarines oregon command uss claim rejected commander subsequent investigation hospitalized seven months active service injuries acute rejects official record insists second set records concealed according church chief spokesman true injured injuries handled use procedures handled injuries existed based lie based lie military service joined age october school falsely stating age enlisting home town montana served private age joined training unit connected student attributed service regiment need little recreation life dull fellow came says marine reserves organizing twentieth regiment don come dubious claim rapidly promoted rank sergeant later explained unusually rapid promotion unit newly formed superiors unable find drill stated rated excellent military efficiency obedience october received honorable discharge enlisted world war service joined united_states_navy summer months united_states entered second world war applied march commissioned lieutenant junior grade july entering permanent active duty november specifically volunteered special service intelligence duties recorded commission papers spent brief time nominal role months working public relations spent weeks naval district new_york training role intelligence officer training curtailed japanese attack pearl harbor december december sent philippines australia ashore brisbane january ship routed ordered united_states aboard transport vessel uss following month australia washington complain assuming unauthorized authority attempting perform duties qualifications source trouble officer satisfactory independent duty assignment tries impressions importance think unusual ability lines characteristics indicate require close supervision satisfactory performance intelligence duty presented number different accounts time western pacific told australian journalists anti aircraft battery australia thompson gun mail officer replaced think captain couple commanders junior officers stated occasion officers upper battle areas sent authority cargo ships loaded machine gun ammunition rifle ammunition melbourne found troops area danger went home wrote orders reported according landed island java closing days february search weapons fast shallow draft vessels cut invading japanese able escape island rubber meet australian destroyer account describes senior officer present ashore brisbane australia asserts duties included counter intelligence organization relief american forces capacity eventually saw action island java capture daring escape lecture said flown casualty shipped war states war started lot things happened outfits pretty wiped remember great_britain started fight right guys shipped wounded shipped slow boat didn wasn seriously hooked ride secretary navy plane produced right set orders hope kept file got flown home lecture year provided alternative version return united_states picked telephone called secretary navy said tired place like leave said yeah said yeah got important despatches matter fact got despatches practically sink japanese navy carry lot traffic stuff like forth sent plane picked flew home navy files record spending time java evidence wounds injuries sustained combat atlantic service uss posted new_york_city returning end march office recently ceased organ status amended promoted batch officers grade june lieutenant senior grade highest rank hold active service june requested assigned sea duty caribbean sent instead shipyard massachusetts fishing mist converted military use naval yard patrol vessel navy numerous fishing vessels redesignated boats tasked defending coastal waters enemy submarines delivering food equipment military personnel offshore particularly prized having units vessel commissioned uss july having refitted freighter armed inch deck gun caliber machine guns august sea carry hour training exercise fell senior officer shipyard sent critical memorandum vice chief naval operations washington responded september informing view fitted independent command requesting removed ordered duty immediate supervision senior officer duly lost command october ordered new_york ending service atlantic accounts service north_atlantic forward states publication took command escort vessel atlantic convoys lecture asserted sent boston early war command corvette given crew stated lecture posted aboard north_atlantic went fighting submarines north_atlantic things finally got set orders ship time squadron biographical accounts published described commanding fourth british corvette squadron stated running british war biographical interview published speaks commanding british corvette mist british naval vessel named mist admiralty number small wooden vessels constructed royal_navy asserted sustained wounds aboard corvette north_atlantic biographical profile published related imprint asserts served distinction theaters highly decorated commanding wounded combat lost close friend colleague november sent submarine training center miami florida training submarine vessels subsequently undertook day anti submarine warfare training course key west january posted portland oregon command uss commissioned pacific service uss arrived portland uss stages construction ship steel class laid october commissioned april command officer studied florida ship executive officer ship left portland travel oregon took ammunition participating day air sea rescue operation uss ordered sail san_diego commence cruise early hours detected crew believed enemy submarine miles offshore half days ordered crew fire total depth charges number gun rounds target believed imperial_japanese_navy submarines joined navy patrol boats uss uss assist search suspected enemy vessels given temporary command vessels afternoon larger joined submarine search found indication submarines commander subsequently refusal lay larger stock depth charges resupply stated eighteen page action report intended force submarine surface attacked surface vessels guns reported vessel seen oil surface took samples asserted seen air bubbles oil reports wreckage seen despite heavy depth charging sustained minor damage crew injured incident ship radio antenna accidentally hit gunfire midnight depth charges exhausted presence submarine unconfirmed ship ordered incident attracted attention naval high command verified japanese submarine attack fort stevens miles north june invasion scare southern california earlier claimed definitely sunk doubt submarine critically damaged view shared superiors reviewing action reports interviewing commanders present admiral noted analysis reports convinces submarine area lieutenant commander sullivan states unable obtain evidence submarine bubble air unexplained water depth charge explosion commanding officers ships state evidence submarine think submarine area noted known magnetic deposit area depth charges dropped clear targeting deposit nonetheless continued believe sunk japanese submarine years later told dropped mouth dead duck went lecture commented know officer taking submarine times size ship sinking japanese submarine called doesn sound possible war british admiralty navy analysed captured records japanese navy account vessels reports list japanese submarine losses coast united_states war according military records destroyed western pacific uss crew loyal shared conviction engaged enemy submarine second command later asserted navy incident fearing presence japanese submarines close pacific_coast cause panic following return uss ordered escort new aircraft carrier san_diego participate exercises june ordered crew fire shells ship inch gun number rifle pistol shots direction ship anchored night realize islands belonged mexico ally taken uss mexican territorial waters islands garrisoned personnel war mexican government complained days later found naval san_diego found disregarded orders carrying gunnery practice violating mexican waters removed command effective july rear admiral commented fitness report written shortly incident consider officer lacking essential qualities judgment leadership cooperation acts probable results believed sincere efforts ship efficient ready considered qualified command promotion time recommend duty large vessel properly supervised shore service day sent formal letter reported sick complaints pains possible malaria days sick list finally determined suffering october asked transferred landing craft sent week training course naval small craft training center california ordered december join crew uss auxiliary vessel assist ship fitting crew training portland oregon vessel commissioned july aboard role navigation training officer months occupied training exercises california coast preparation ship envisaged departure september western pacific theater operations applied instead undertake month training course military administration faculty established campus princeton_university university later asserted princeton student commanding officer approved detachment gave generally good fitness report rating excellent personal military character feelings hurt september curious incident occurred aboard uss ship deck log records reported discovered attempt sabotage consisting bottle filled gasoline cloth inserted concealed ship cargo hours later ordered depart ship proceed princeton later years asserted film roberts based service aboard uss eponymous character based character based commander february lecture told story vessel way called roberts seen picture read book according church publication end war having relegated physical condition amphibious forces pacific adventures reported screen roberts bucket motion picture stage play novel actually captain brutally characterized picture actually lieutenant commander sic jones roberts ship year contrary script killed okinawa comments claim notes author original novel roberts good true pure invention novel reportedly loosely based service uss conclusion course failed pass examinations finishing mid way class list qualify overseas posting posted january california training later acknowledged depressed fell ill reported sick stomach pains april spent remainder war sick list patient oakland california church account asserts eventual combat wounds finally serving american occupation forces october found considered physically qualified perform duty ashore continental united_states reflection chronic discharged hospital mustered active service december resigned commission october according quit navy attempted force work project man unwilling tried blackmail ordering active duty perform function having friends able instantly resign navy escape trap told office naval intelligence right threatened active duty use knew mind officer came right washington wanted civilian employee order use knew mind men smile said like said active duty officer united_states_navy exited went got resignation accepted according navy evidence record attempt recall active duty alleged war wounds psychologist computer scientist noted aspect war record particularly confused typical mixture glamour surrounds past matter wounds injuries suffered active service asserted war blinded injured nerves lame physical injuries hip worked way fitness strength years knew man relationship universe accounts published asserted flown home late spring secretary navy private plane casualty far_east publication goes describing american casualty combat executive officer uss testified said shot dutch_east_indies occasion told eyes damaged flash large caliber gun told taped lecture suffered eye injuries having bomb face told science fiction writer feet broken type injury ship bombed according said busy war sunk times wounded said twice pronounced dead spent year naval hospital utilized study substances protein techniques developed possible recovery injury helped servicemen regain health occasion said hospitalized utterly exhausted combat theater combat theater rest account challenged series writers journalists mid-1970s onwards writing evans noted confirmed late stage life receives month compensation disabilities incurred second world war conditions listed right shoulder evans noted spokesman stated examination record reveal evidence injuries suffered service united_states navy sixteen years later los_angeles_times obtained medical records freedom information act records stated told doctors chronic hip infection eye problems result caused exposure excessive tropical sunlight post war correspondence included including letters requested psychiatric treatment address long periods continued complain physical 1950s founded times noted significantly promised provide cure plagued author life including heart problems documents medical file stated injured falling ship ladder claimed medals war medals issue contention stated highly decorated duties fire actual number decorations said awarded varied considerably years interview british journalists showed visitors sixteen war medals claimed awarded months later published data sheet ron stated awarded medals church asked supply seventeen medals said awarded including purple heart navy medal bronze service stars denoting participation military campaigns multiple award navy sent medals noting records bureau fail establish medals awards listed response responded circulating photograph medals said awarded explained actually won missing seven awarded secret naval high command embarrassed sunk japanese submarines yard biography published states awarded medals awards released document said copy official record service support assertion awarded medals decorations church asserts awarded unit citation awarded president combat units perform particularly service awards listed record released church british victory medal award issued service british armed forces world war awarded church document credits purple heart palm implying wounds received action uses gold silver stars palm indicate multiple wounds church distributed photograph medals said won medals created left active service church record lists commanding uss mist uss originally named mist civilian service called uss mist 20th century navy vessel listed dictionary left naval service years old lists uss vessel listed dictionary signed listed records commissioned naval officers time told new_yorker document los_angeles_times commented npr later confirmed navy version record form indicates received medals navy career medals noted version medals navy record credits awarded members military service time december attack pearl harbor american campaign medal awarded service members performed duty war awarded served world war victory medal awarded served world war according record additional decorations church says received church officials argued navy records incomplete conceal secret activities intelligence officer 1980s church turned colonel said records cover intelligence background died prominent conspiracy theorist best known advocating assassination conspiracy theories associated anti semitic group organization documenting military career military career attracted comment number journalists writers years claims challenged early writers quoted comment biographical sketch circulated british members parliament war service summarized described true claim severely injured war fact days badly injuring body eyes hot pacific sun skeptical attempted verify revealing anonymously authored totally biography reported unable confirm single critical claims crippled blind nature discoveries medical records stating twice pronounced dead inquiries frustrated navy refusal provide service record written consent person records concerned information later released navy prompted express doubts commented faced impressive record hard assess nature extent battle service country noted contradictions claims war wounds official record los_angeles_times described war record obscure quoted navy stating received purple heart treated injuries sustained military career contrary statements amateur researcher gathered mountain material included files bothered copies example log books navy ships served father navy service file shannon unable find publisher sent page portfolio materials including copies naval college records number concerned individuals work found way undertaking project research official authorized biography ron according archive largely confirmed shannon material armstrong shannon reached eventual destination opposed starting points october writer previously written books favorable hired church write biography based materials armstrong collected armstrong disillusioned left start declared person enemy church garrison permission armstrong copies pages archive deposited attorneys safe keeping church responded armstrong breach confidence theft invasion privacy suit went trial california court california military career major focus case armstrong stated amassed approximately thousand pages documentation concerning wartime career vessels fitness reports medical disability records truth far different public representations garrison time agreed settlement church manuscript public told court inconsistencies implicit documents armstrong provided respect curriculum respect navy career respect aspect life documented facts coincide official published biography church trial weeks testimony court heard evidence second command aboard uss testified told involved attack survivor destroyer gone hands save submarine battle described hailed church attorney new chapter history world war new perspectives magnitude proximity japanese naval operations coast war testified told received combat injuries eyes response documents account read record armstrong attorney decision judge found armstrong fears persecution church reasonable conduct turning documents possession attorneys reasonable judge issued wide ranging verdict commenting evidence portrays man virtually comes history background achievements weeks later british judge ruled case heard number false claims military career decorated war hero commanded corvette squadron awarded purple heart gallantry decoration wounded action wounded decorated crippled blinded war cured techniques crippled blinded judge noted dispute evidence military service subsequently covered detail british writers bare faced piece blue sky los_angeles_times special report published june new_yorker february book going clear hollywood prison belief accuracy miller account questioned writing commented miller book definitely exposed inflated statements early achievements partly state elements
Military career of L. Ron Hubbard