The Excalibur's Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF) - Revision history

Howard Dickman: /* My time on the Excalibur's RPF */

2016-07-23T13:17:07Z

‎My time on the Excalibur's RPF

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2015-03-04T18:39:43Z

Text replace - "frame" to "border"

Howard Dickman at 20:42, June 24, 2014

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Howard Dickman at 22:34, December 22, 2013

2013-12-22T22:34:02Z

Howard Dickman at 22:32, December 22, 2013

2013-12-22T22:32:48Z

Howard Dickman: /* My time on the Excalibur's RPF */

2013-12-22T16:05:56Z

‎My time on the Excalibur's RPF

Howard Dickman at 14:51, December 22, 2013

2013-12-22T14:51:32Z

Howard Dickman at 01:25, December 20, 2013

2013-12-20T01:25:51Z

Howard Dickman at 01:22, December 19, 2013

2013-12-19T01:22:23Z

Howard Dickman at 01:21, December 19, 2013

2013-12-19T01:21:32Z

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 Beth MacRae, a member of the RPF, took the only known pictures of the RPF. In the picture gallery below is a picture of me on the bow of the Excalibur as we were anchored out in Long Beach’s harbor in the fall of 1974.  To the left is a picture of part of the RPF on the bow of the Excalibur during the fall of 1974.  From left to right, these are the people in the picture;
-Chris Bryne, Stephen Ambrose, Doug Nopson, [[Dick Coanda]] (facing away), Larry Wollershiem, Ron Stone (background), David Holmes, Howard Dickman, and Cassandra Crom.  This picture was taken by Beth MacRae.
+Chris Byrne, Stephen Ambrose, Doug Nopson, [[Dick Coanda]] (facing away), Larry Wollershiem, Ron Stone (background), David Holmes, Howard Dickman, and Cassandra Crom.  This picture was taken by Beth MacRae.
 By October 1974, I had become the cramming officer for the RPF.  Once again the RPF was pulled off the ship for a couple of projects at two Orgs.  The RPF was used at ASHO on a Hill 10 concerning its central files (CF).  There were bags and bags of unopened mail behind the Org.  We opened the bags and stuffed the letters into each person’s CF file or at times created folders for the people new to the Org.  After several days the filing cabinets could no longer hold anything else, which halted our work.  There were still a few unopened bags out back when we left.  After that project was over some members of the RPF were used at Pubs Org to create their CF, which was a short and easy job that we did to completion.  I doubt the CF folder that I created for myself would still be in the files.

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 = My time on the Excalibur's RPF =
 The [[Excalibur]] was docked in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro,_Los_Angeles '''San Pedro'''] when I arrived at the RPF around mid February.  I was not the first person there, but we were a very small group with Nathan Hays as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boatswain '''Bosun'''].  As more and more people came into the RPF Nathan requested that I become a section leader.  After resisting the change for three days I accepted the position.  After four weeks of power stats Nathan posted me as his deputy bosun and when he left I became the Bosun.
-[[File:Excal1.jpg|left|frame|The Excalibur]]
+[[File:Excal1.jpg|left|border|The Excalibur]]
 In March, 1974 the RPF published its first newsletter.  Excerpts from FO #3434 were interspersed with success stories from our members.  Ten individuals had their stories printed, they included;
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 The cruise back to LA was really peaceful.  I was on deck at night and off of the port side I saw two green fluorescent trails coming towards us.  As we continued to proceed southward the trails kept us in their sights.  The two dolphins eventually ended up at the bow, leaping in and out of the water as the Excalibur moved forward; it was an incredible sight!
-Back at the dock in San Pedro we resumed our daily routine.  We were allowed five hours a day study/auditing and the rest of the time we cleaned, cleaned and cleaned some more!  We had two stats, square feet of clean spaces and student points.  As more and more people came onto the RPF we wound up cleaning everything that there was to clean.  Every day the painted steel decks were so clean you that could eat off of them, at least that was my standard.  We eventually [[File:C5974a.jpg|right|frame|Commendation chit from the Excalibur's 1st Engineer]]cleaned the deck of the bow so many times that the red primer started to show through the blue paint.  We painted these spaces, but to keep our stats up we cleaned the bulkheads, the overheads, just whatever we could find.  After a couple of months the engine room project impressed the Excalibur's 1st mate,  Mickey Johnson, enough to write all of us a commendation chit on May 9, 1974.
+Back at the dock in San Pedro we resumed our daily routine.  We were allowed five hours a day study/auditing and the rest of the time we cleaned, cleaned and cleaned some more!  We had two stats, square feet of clean spaces and student points.  As more and more people came onto the RPF we wound up cleaning everything that there was to clean.  Every day the painted steel decks were so clean you that could eat off of them, at least that was my standard.  We eventually [[File:C5974a.jpg|right|border|Commendation chit from the Excalibur's 1st Engineer]]cleaned the deck of the bow so many times that the red primer started to show through the blue paint.  We painted these spaces, but to keep our stats up we cleaned the bulkheads, the overheads, just whatever we could find.  After a couple of months the engine room project impressed the Excalibur's 1st mate,  Mickey Johnson, enough to write all of us a commendation chit on May 9, 1974.
 The RPF’s RPF was created April 24, 1974.  At one point in May I was even assigned to the RPF’s RPF.  For some reason I lost it one day, climbing into the crow’s nest (I’m terrified of heights) and refusing to come back down.  I spent days in the bowels of the ship cleaning the bilges, pretty nasty work.  The main difference between the RPF and the RPF’s RPF was that I lost my study/auditing hours and no one communicated with me.  Big deal, so I cleaned more than the rest of the RPF, I still got to eat and sleep like the rest of the crew.  Granted, working in the bilge was no Sunday picnic; but then again it wasn't death defying and it didn't take that long to work out of that condition.
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 I was the bosun when Larry Wollershiem came onto the RPF.  I remember one incident where he played a significant role.  The RPF was called off of the ship for a Hill 10 incident.  The Excalibur’s lifeboat had been taken out previously and had been beached.  When we, the RPF, got there we had just a short amount of time to dig the boat out of the sand before the tide came in.  After digging like crazy and with the water coming closer and closer to the boat, suddenly a wrecker showed up.  Larry had hired a wrecker to help us move the boat.  We were all very lucky that no one got hurt when the winch line snapped; it sounded like a shot gun going off!  We never did get that life boat unstuck; the ocean claimed it.
-[[File:Excal3.jpg|left|frame|RPF members, Fall of 1974]]
+[[File:Excal3.jpg|left|border|RPF members, Fall of 1974]]
 I was not part of capturing Larry as he tried to leave the ship.  I was aware that he had tried and that he was back.  I still remember the wild look in his eyes the morning after his attempted escape, he was completely different from the day before.  I was his bosun and he never indicated to me that anything was bothering him prior to his attempt to leave the ship.  He eventually left, but I don’t recall any big blow up with him.  I treated Larry just like all the rest of the RPF crew, just look at him in the picture to the left.

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 On the RPF we were paid $2.50 per week, which was half the salary of the people on the DPF.  We never left the ship, except for a few incidents, so I really had no chance to spend much.  We assigned an RPF member to the laundry detail and we all chipped in for the laundry expenses; however we did spend some of our salary at the ships commissary.  We were able to send and receive letters.  I had my parents mail my birth certificate to me on June 19, 1974.  Dave Thomas came aboard and asked to borrow my paid sections of the SHSBC.
-In August the RPF was called off of the ship to help prepare the newly acquired [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Elysee '''Chateau Elysee'''] for FOLO.  For days we hauled a bunch of trash out of the basement, after which we scraped and painted.  Per FLWUS ED# 320, dated August 15, 1974, the following RPFer’s were commended for their work;
+In August the RPF was called off of the ship to help prepare the newly acquired [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Elysee '''Chateau Elysee'''] ready for FOLO.  For days we hauled a bunch of trash out of the basement, after which we scraped and painted.  Per FLWUS ED# 320, dated August 15, 1974, the following RPFer’s were commended for their work;
-Nick Maminakis, Beth MacRae, Ron Stone, Pat Hunter, Doug Nopson, Steve Ambrose, David Holmes, Dick Coanda, Howard Dickman, Sara Reyes, Tom Cochran	and Linda Hodge.
+Nick Maminakis, Beth MacRae, Ron Stone, Pat Hunter, Doug Nopson, Steve Ambrose, David Holmes, [[Dick Coanda]], Howard Dickman, Sara Reyes, Tom Cochran	and Linda Hodge.
 I was the bosun when Larry Wollershiem came onto the RPF.  I remember one incident where he played a significant role.  The RPF was called off of the ship for a Hill 10 incident.  The Excalibur’s lifeboat had been taken out previously and had been beached.  When we, the RPF, got there we had just a short amount of time to dig the boat out of the sand before the tide came in.  After digging like crazy and with the water coming closer and closer to the boat, suddenly a wrecker showed up.  Larry had hired a wrecker to help us move the boat.  We were all very lucky that no one got hurt when the winch line snapped; it sounded like a shot gun going off!  We never did get that life boat unstuck; the ocean claimed it.
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 Beth MacRae, a member of the RPF, took the only known pictures of the RPF. In the picture gallery below is a picture of me on the bow of the Excalibur as we were anchored out in Long Beach’s harbor in the fall of 1974.  To the left is a picture of part of the RPF on the bow of the Excalibur during the fall of 1974.  From left to right, these are the people in the picture;
-Chris Bryne, Stephen Ambrose, Doug Nopson, Dick Coanda (facing away), Larry Wollershiem, Ron Stone (background), David Holmes, Howard Dickman, and Cassandra Crom.  This picture was taken by Beth MacRae.
+Chris Bryne, Stephen Ambrose, Doug Nopson, [[Dick Coanda]] (facing away), Larry Wollershiem, Ron Stone (background), David Holmes, Howard Dickman, and Cassandra Crom.  This picture was taken by Beth MacRae.
 By October 1974, I had become the cramming officer for the RPF.  Once again the RPF was pulled off the ship for a couple of projects at two Orgs.  The RPF was used at ASHO on a Hill 10 concerning its central files (CF).  There were bags and bags of unopened mail behind the Org.  We opened the bags and stuffed the letters into each person’s CF file or at times created folders for the people new to the Org.  After several days the filing cabinets could no longer hold anything else, which halted our work.  There were still a few unopened bags out back when we left.  After that project was over some members of the RPF were used at Pubs Org to create their CF, which was a short and easy job that we did to completion.  I doubt the CF folder that I created for myself would still be in the files.
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 == Comments from others about the Excalibur's RPF ==
-Quote from Dick Coanda, January 31, 2011 at 5:41 pm;
+Quote from [[Dick Coanda]], January 31, 2011 at 5:41 pm;
 *''Hi Howard, Thanks for this positive report on the RPF you and I both served on.  What you say is true, but the meals were skimpy — I lost 30 lbs. while there. Others suffered from malnutrition.  There was no excuse for that.  But we did have good times there.  Best, Dick<ref name="Affa2">http://freezone-tech.info/blog/2011/01/30/my-days-on-the-excalibur-rpf/</ref>''
@@ Line 135: / Line 135: @@
 Image: RPFc1274b.jpg|Commendation from Sara Reyes, December 30, 1974.
 Image: RPFc175a.jpg|Commendation from Bill Papke Jr., January 1, 1975.
-Image: RPFc175b.jpg|Commendation from Dick Coanda, January 7, 1975.
+Image: RPFc175b.jpg|Commendation from [[Dick Coanda]], January 7, 1975.
 Image: RPFc175c.jpg}Commendation from Share Jessup, January 11, 1975.
 Image: C11675a.jpg|Commendation chit from the Excalibur's Chief Steward, January 16, 1975.

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 My name is [[Howard Dickman]] and I was a member of the [[Excalibur]]'s RPF from February, 1974 to February, 1975.  As I have turned 60 years old this year, I thought I would record my RPF story for posterity.  I originally wrote my story in January, 2011, but after finishing [[Yvonne Gillham Jentzsch]]'s bio, I decided to rewrite my RPF adventure with the same type of documentation and effort that I put into her story.
-The RPF was created by Flag Order 3434, on January 7, 1974.  In the time period covering January, 1974 to February, 1975, the RPF existed in three known places; the Flag Ship, [[Apollo]], in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean '''Atlantic Ocean'''] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean '''Caribbean'''], the [[Kastelholm]] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia  '''Scandinavian'''] area, and the [[Excalibur]] on the west coast of the United States.  I wasn't the first person on the Excalibur's RPF, when I arrived mid-February, 1974, but there were just a few of us there.  Shortly after I graduated the RPF in February, 1975, the Excalibur was sold.  During the entire time I was there we had, to my knowledge, thirty-one people on the RPF, some of which never did graduate.  There were also a finite number of RPF members on the [[Apollo]] and the [[Kastleholm]], and one day I hope one of those will document their story in the manner I present here.
+The RPF was created by Flag Order 3434, on January 7, 1974.  In the time period covering January, 1974 to February, 1975, the RPF existed in three known places; the Flag Ship, [[Apollo]], in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean '''Atlantic Ocean'''] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean '''Caribbean'''], the [[Kastelholm]] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia  '''Scandinavian'''] area, and the [[Excalibur]] on the west coast of the United States.  I wasn't the first person on the Excalibur's RPF, when I arrived mid-February, 1974, but there were just a few of us there.  Shortly after I graduated the RPF in February, 1975, the Excalibur was sold.  During the entire time I was there we had, to my knowledge, thirty-one people on the RPF, some of which never did graduate.  There were also a finite number of RPF members on the [[Apollo]] and the [[Kastelholm]], and one day I hope one of those will document their story in the manner I present here.
 In 1973, I went through a U.S. Navy [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_boot_camp '''boot camp'''], which as it was during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_war '''Vietnam War'''] era, we were not treated nicely.  The RPF wasn't easy, but it sure wasn't as bad as my boot camp days.  Looking back now, some thirty-nine years later, I feel so very fortunate to have been a member of a select few who were actually on a real RPF and on a real Sea Org ship.  The camaraderie that was formed back then has not been duplicated in my life since.  The RPF also created in me a work ethic and a "make it go right" attitude that has benefited me in my daily life issues.  We had an RPF as outlined by Kenneth Urquhart, we followed his intentions and most of us benefited from that program.  I am so VERY grateful to Ken for creating that course of action.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; but I became a better person because of it and no one can say otherwise.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 My name is [[Howard Dickman]] and I was a member of the [[Excalibur]]'s RPF from February, 1974 to February, 1975.  As I have turned 60 years old this year, I thought I would record my RPF story for posterity.  I originally wrote my story in January, 2011, but after finishing [[Yvonne Gillham Jentzsch]]'s bio, I decided to rewrite my RPF adventure with the same type of documentation and effort that I put into her story.
-The RPF was created by Flag Order 3434, on January 7, 1974.  In the time period covering January, 1974 to February, 1975, the RPF existed in three known places; the Flag Ship, [[Apollo]], in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean '''Atlantic Ocean'''] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean '''Caribbean'''], the [[Kastelholm]] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia  '''Scandinavian'''] area, and the [[Excalibur]] on the west coast of the United States.  I wasn't the first person on the Excalibur's RPF, when I arrived mid-February, 1974, but there were just a few of us there.  Shortly after I graduated the RPF in February, 1975, the Excalibur was sold.  During the entire time I was there we had, to my knowledge, thirty-one people on the RPF, some of which never did graduate.  There were also a finite number of RPF members on the [[Apollo]], and one day I hope one of those will document their story in the manner I present here.
+The RPF was created by Flag Order 3434, on January 7, 1974.  In the time period covering January, 1974 to February, 1975, the RPF existed in three known places; the Flag Ship, [[Apollo]], in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean '''Atlantic Ocean'''] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean '''Caribbean'''], the [[Kastelholm]] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia  '''Scandinavian'''] area, and the [[Excalibur]] on the west coast of the United States.  I wasn't the first person on the Excalibur's RPF, when I arrived mid-February, 1974, but there were just a few of us there.  Shortly after I graduated the RPF in February, 1975, the Excalibur was sold.  During the entire time I was there we had, to my knowledge, thirty-one people on the RPF, some of which never did graduate.  There were also a finite number of RPF members on the [[Apollo]] and the [[Kastleholm]], and one day I hope one of those will document their story in the manner I present here.
 In 1973, I went through a U.S. Navy [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_boot_camp '''boot camp'''], which as it was during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_war '''Vietnam War'''] era, we were not treated nicely.  The RPF wasn't easy, but it sure wasn't as bad as my boot camp days.  Looking back now, some thirty-nine years later, I feel so very fortunate to have been a member of a select few who were actually on a real RPF and on a real Sea Org ship.  The camaraderie that was formed back then has not been duplicated in my life since.  The RPF also created in me a work ethic and a "make it go right" attitude that has benefited me in my daily life issues.  We had an RPF as outlined by Kenneth Urquhart, we followed his intentions and most of us benefited from that program.  I am so VERY grateful to Ken for creating that course of action.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; but I became a better person because of it and no one can say otherwise.

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 As the [[Excalibur]] was only 184' 6" long, 33' 1" wide, and built for a complement of ninety nine U.S. Navy sailors, there wasn't a lot of room to spare.  The men on the RPF berthed with the men on the DPF.  The women in the RPF berthed with the women on the DPF.  While we were the last to be served at meals, we ate off of plates with utensils. We ate the same food as the crew and the DPF ate.  I thought the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galley_(kitchen) '''galley'''] crew served some good meals for the year I was on the ship.
-Some of our members worked in the forward engine room chipping and painting machinery, lines and bulkheads.  We were all at it in the engine room when the [[Excalibur]] cruised to San Francisco in April.  During the trip all of the RPF was working in the engine room, when slowly but surely and one by one people would leave due to sea sickness.  Finally I was the only one left and I eventually joined them on the fantail.  I remember us passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, the weather had gotten really bad.  There was a passageway from the mess hall to the fantail and with the ship rocking so badly, side to side, I actually walked on both of the bulkheads as I headed aft.
+Some of our members worked in the forward engine room chipping and painting machinery, lines and bulkheads.  We were all at it in the engine room when the [[Excalibur]] cruised to San Francisco in April.  During the trip all of the RPF was working in the engine room, when slowly but surely and one by one people would leave due to sea sickness.  Finally I was the only one left and I eventually joined them on the fantail.  The closer we got to San Francisco the worse the weather became.  At one point I ventured onto the bow, but within the steel partitioning, and was enjoying the sensation caused by the rocking of the ship.  When the ship went down the backside of a wave, my feet would actually leave the deck.  Wisely, someone from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilothouse '''wheelhouse'''] came out and told me in no uncertain terms to get off the bow, I wasn't even wearing a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_jacket '''lifejacket'''].  I remember us passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, the weather had gotten really bad.  There was a passageway from the mess hall to the fantail and with the ship rocking so badly, side to side, I actually walked on both of the bulkheads as I headed aft.
 The cruise back to LA was really peaceful.  I was on deck at night and off of the port side I saw two green fluorescent trails coming towards us.  As we continued to proceed southward the trails kept us in their sights.  The two dolphins eventually ended up at the bow, leaping in and out of the water as the Excalibur moved forward; it was an incredible sight!

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |Email=BlkC5vette@aol.com
 }}
-My name is [[Howard Dickman]] and I was a member of the [[Excalibur]]'s RPF from February, 1974 to February, 1975.  As I have turned 60 years old this year, I thought I would record my RPF story for posterity.  I originally wrote my story in January, 2011, but after finishing [[Yvonne Gillham Jentzsch]]'s bio, I decided to rewrite my RPF adventure with the same type of documentation and effort that I put into Yvonne's story.
+My name is [[Howard Dickman]] and I was a member of the [[Excalibur]]'s RPF from February, 1974 to February, 1975.  As I have turned 60 years old this year, I thought I would record my RPF story for posterity.  I originally wrote my story in January, 2011, but after finishing [[Yvonne Gillham Jentzsch]]'s bio, I decided to rewrite my RPF adventure with the same type of documentation and effort that I put into her story.
 The RPF was created by Flag Order 3434, on January 7, 1974.  In the time period covering January, 1974 to February, 1975, the RPF existed in only two places; the Flag Ship, [[Apollo]], in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea '''Mediterranean Sea'''] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean '''Caribbean'''], and the [[Excalibur]] on the west coast of the United States.  I wasn't the first person on the Excalibur's RPF, when I arrived mid-February, 1974, but there were just a few of us there.  Shortly after I graduated the RPF in February, 1975, the Excalibur was sold.  During the entire time I was there we had, to my knowledge, thirty-one people on the RPF, some of which never did graduate.  There were also a finite number of RPF members on the [[Apollo]], and one day I hope one of those will document their story in the manner I present here.