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FIRE IN THE SKY

 MUFON UFO JOURNAL
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MUTUAL UFO NETWORK SINCE 1967

F E B R U A R Y 1993 NUMBER 298

OF A FIRE IN THE SKY Gregg Brilliant 3

THE WALTON EXPERIENCE REVISITED Travis Walton 6

ABDUCTION NOTES John Carpenter 9

NEWS 8. VIEWS 11

CANADIAN PHOTOS ANALYZED Jeff Sainio 1Z

V
CURRENT CASES MUFON Regional Directors 14

CONFERENCE CALENDAR 17
—
MUFON FORUM 18

READERS' CLASSIFIEDS • Zl

THE MARCH NIGHT SKY Walter N. Webb ZZ

DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE ... ..._...._. -..- . Walter H.-Andrus, Jr. 24

COVER- Courtesy Paramount Pictures/Photo by Gregory Schwartz

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 OF A FIRE IN THE SKY
Paramount Pictures publicizes its latest release, based on the life and experiences of Travis Walton

By Gregg Brilliant

Lt. Frank Waiters (James Garner, n) confronts Mike Rogers (portrayed by Robert Patrick). Photo by Gregory Schwartz.

I t is the night of November 5, 1975. A group of loggers

are in a pickup truck on a mountain road in a northeastern
Arizona forest when they observe a strange light in the
sky. One of them, Travis Walton, leaves the vehicle to
truth. Is their account of what happened so incredible it
can only be true?
"Fire in the Sky" is a Joe Wizan/Todd Black Production
based on the true story of Travis Walton, whose abduction
investigate and, later, his companions describe the events by UFO is one of the best-documented cases. Starring D.B.
surrounding his disappearance. They report an occurrence Sweeney ('The Cutting Edge"), Robert Patrick ("Terminator
they would have considered impossible if they hadn't expe- II: Judgment Day"), Craig Sheffer ("A River Runs Through
rienced it themselves—an encounter with a UFO. It"), Peter Berg ("Late for Dinner"), and Academy Award
For five days the loggers are suspected of homicide nominee James Garner, the film was produced by Joe Wizan
until Walton reappears. His recollections of being aboard an and Todd Black and directed by Robert Lieberman from a
alien craft bring international attention to their small town of screenplay by Tracy Torme. Wolfgang Glattes is the exec-
Snowflake, Arizona. There are accusations of hoax but all utive producer and Tracy Torme & Robert Strauss and Nilo
must consider the possibility that the men are telling the Rodis-Jamero are the coproducers of the presentation of the

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

Motion Picture Group of Paramount Pictures, part of the
entertainment operations of Paramount Communications "Walton does not appear to be a man liv-
Inc. The film's special effects were created by Industrial ing a lie. But at the same time there is no
Light & Magic. substantial proof of his encounter. It is an
The cast of "Fire in the Sky" also includes Henry utterly fascinating, unanswered question."
Thomas ("E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial"), Bradley Gregg ('The
Fisher King"), Noble Willingham ("City Slickers"), - Producer Joe Wizan
Kathleen Wilhoite ("Lorenzo's Oil"), and Georgia Emelin,
who is making her motion picture debut. the truth. I think they all had been traumatized by whatev-
The biggest mysteries and greatest miracles in history er happened that evening. It was a nightmare for them."
have had few witnesses and those compelled to relate Co-producer Robert Strauss adds, "Travis went ten
unprecedented experiences have inevitably faced contempt years without a telephone to avoid answering questions
and ridicule. In 1975 an Arizona woodsman came forward about that night. He installed one only a few days before
to tell about a startling sequence of events. Seventeen years Tracy Torme called. He must have considered that an omen,
later, controversy still surrounds the incident. The subject of because he finally agreed to talk about everything."
an autobiographical book, The Walton Experience, and "He was really intrigued by the idea of finally telling his
many other publications concerning UFOs, the event is story and trying to do it in some way that was more honest
one of the best-documented claims of an alien encounter on than the way some of the newspapers and the media por-
record, corroborated by a group of witnesses whose stories trayed it," adds Torme.
have not changed. Walton's ordeal called into question his Comments executive producer Wolfgang Glattes,
beliefs about the nature of life as he and the other loggers "These men's story has never changed. As bizarre as their
simultaneously faced the challenges posed by those who account is, it's equally difficult to believe it was a hoax."
couldn't accept their account. In the film, Travis Walton is portrayed by D.B.
"At first I was angry at people.'s disbelief, even out- Sweeney, who views his character as fearless and perilous-
raged," remembers Walton. "Back then, a lot of that had to ly curious when he leaves the pickup truck to get a better
do with the fact there were so many falsehoods being told. look at the strange light source in the forest. Sweeney says
I've gotten more philosophical about the skepticism of peo- that he thinks "Travis enjoyed the excitement of confronting
ple. It's not such an unnatural reaction. It's an incredible danger" and, at the beginning of his close encounter, "His
thing (that happened). What gets me upset is when people curiosity was not abated by fear."
refuse to examine the facts or to even look at things." The circumstances surrounding Walton's disappear-
"This is a story that speaks to human character and ance seems impossible to the authorities, who fail to con-
behavior—about our inclination to presume the worst in sider the fact that the loggers could have come up with a
someone before considering ideas that challenge our own story that would have been easier to accept if they weren't
skepticism," comments producer Joe Wizan. determined to speak the truth. One man who wants to
Director Robert Lieberman says, "Not only are we con- believe the loggers is Sheriff Blake Davis (Noble
fronted with the enigma of truth or hoax, but the conse- Willingham), who is nonetheless hardpressed to accept the
quences faced by those who become ostracized from their loggers' unfathomable account.
community." "Blake doesn't know what the hell happened, but he
knows some of these boys and trusts them," says
creenwriter Tracy Tonne identifies the film as a study Willingham. "He has to call in Lt. Walters because he flat
S of "how a single event can alter your life forever just by
(your) being unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the
out knows he's in over his head."
James Garner plays state investigator Lt. Frank Walters,
wrong time. 'Fire in the Sky' is also about friendship and a seasoned lawman who prides himself on knowing when a
betrayal and forgiveness." crime has been committed, insisting that he has been around
Torme first heard of the Walton case while listening to too long to be taken in by a hoax.
the radio in high school. A decade later he travelled to "Frank Walters is reputed never lo have had an unsolved
Snowflake with co-producer Robert Strauss to investigate case," says Garner. "In his words, 'It's a myth— but a
the story. damn fine one.' Called in to investigate the disappearance of
"I spoke extensively with Travis Walton and the other Travis Walton he immediately concludes lhal Ihe boys are
men who were involved, including Mike Rogers," says lying. There is jusl no way he can believe Iheir story. Every
Torme, a Peabody award-winner and screenwriter of instinct tells him a crime has been commitled and he is
"Intruders," a miniseries that also depicted UFO abduc- determined to stick around until it's solved."
tion cases. "Most of the guys had not seen each other in the Walters' lead suspect is the hard-nosed crew chief,
past ten years. I questioned them individually and their Mike Rogers (Robert Palrick). Even ihough he was
answers always held up. Each man believed he was telling Walton's besl friend, Rogers finds himself under suspicion

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

of having killed Walton because of Walton's desire to marry "Where's Travis?" The scene was filmed during Walton's
Rogers' 17-year-old sister. visit to the "Fire in the Sky" set for a few days with his wife,
Comments Patrick, "Mike Rogers is saying, 'Hey, you Dana, who is portrayed in the film by Georgia Emelin.
all know me. I grew up here . . . I've lived here all my life. Now a father of two boys and two girls aged seven through
You're supposed to be my friends. How can you not believe 14, Walton continues to live in Snowflake, leading a normal
me? I've never done anything wrong. Why won't you listen life but never entirely free from the notoriety brought to him
to me?' " by his experience.
Patrick identifies the men as ordinary people in an extra- "I ran away from this for years but could never escape it.
ordinary circumstance: "Mike didn't ask for this to happen to No matter how much we try to avoid certain things in our
him and certainly didn't benefit from it. He become lonely life, they always seem to come back," says Walton. "I final-
and isolated because the people he believed in didn't believe ly chose to confront it. I'm not hiding anymore. An extra-
him. It tore apart his family and friendships." ordinary thing happened to me but it hasn't changed my
Craig Sheffer plays Allan Dallis, a restless and trouble- faith or my obligations or my character. I'm still like every-
some member of Rogers' crew who refuses to be affected body else. I have a job and a family. I have to live my life."
by events or the opinions of others. Did Walton undergo one of the most remarkable ordeals
"Dallis is a drifter who gets in trouble a lot and always in human history? Or did he perpetrate a truly infamous
has," comments Craig Sheffer. "The last thing he wanted to hoax?
do was bring public attention to himself. He knows that no Says producer Joe Wizan, 'Travis is an articulate and
one is going to believe him and the other guys." thoughtful man. He is devoutly religious and remains loyal
Dallis is reluctant to agree to Rogers' orders to "stick to to his church, despite the fact that many of its members
our story" when the exhausted loggers arrive at a diner to rejected his claim. He does not appear to be a man living a
report the incident to police. lie. But at the same time there is no substantial proof of his
encounter. It is an utterly fascinating, unanswered ques-

P eter Berg plays a soft-spoken and devoutly religious

man, David Whitlock, who Berg describes as "very
introspective and (someone who) listens more than he
tion."
"You have to wonder why Would someone want to
make up a story like this and who would want to subject
speaks. When he does talk, his opinions are respected and himself to the derision that would obviously come from
given more credence than someone who talks constantly. making such a claim," says Lieberman. "I think anyone
David is deeply disturbed by guilt and confusion because witnessing something that incredible would dread having to
what he witnesses that night challenges everything he explain it. Because that's when the ordeal begins ... when
believes in, everything his faith is built on." you have to get someone to believe you."
"I'm skeptical of most things, but I am convinced of the When asked what he hopes the film will achieve, Travis
validity of Travis Walton's story," Berg comments. "I think Walton replies "I hope it will allow people to put themselves
it is utterly naive to think that reality is limited to only where I was to the extent that they can be open-minded on
what we can see and hear." the subject.. .the most I can expect in all fairness is for peo-
Sheriff Davis and Lt. Walters expect the youngest mem- ple to allow the possibility."
ber of the crew, 16-year-old Greg Hayes (Henry Thomas),
to be the first to crack under questioning.
Says Thomas of his character, "Greg is scared and Best of the Journal
somewhat ashamed. The police lean on him pretty hard Votes for the favorite article published in the
because they think he wants to confess. And in a way, Greg Journal during the 1992 calendar year are now in.
and the other guys do feel guilty, because they let Mike go The winner is John White's "Aliens Among Us — A
back alone to find out what happened to Travis." UFO Conspiracy Hypothesis in a Religious Mode,"
Speaking of his own character, Bobby Cogdill, Bradley which appeared in the February 1992 issue.
Gregg relates that he is withdrawn and silent during Walters' Other authors and articles receiving nominations
intense questioning, too stunned to make sense of the ensu- include (in alphabetical order) Ann Druffel ("Resisting
ing events. "The characters we play in this film are simple, Alien Abductions: An Update," March 1992), William
hard-working, blue-collar guys," says Gregg. "They lived in G. Hyzer ("The Gulf Breeze Photographs: Bona Fide
a small town and were not really aware of how much the or Bogus?" July 1992), Anne MacFie ("Return to
police and the media would hound them once the word got Roswell," April 1992), and Dennis Stacy ("The
out." Circles of Summer," September 1992), among others.
In a scene set in a local Snowflake Mormon church, John White will receive a check from MUFON in
sheriff and townspeople discuss the variety of problems the amount of $100 as a token of our appreciation
that Walton's disappearance has posed. Walton himself for his contribution.
makes a cameo appearance as the attendee who asks

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 THE WALTON EXPERIENCE REVISITED
With a new movie and book under his belt, an Arizona woodcutter takes time to address his critics

By Travis Walton

S
eventeen years ago I got out of a crewtruck in the
national forest and ran toward a large glowing object
hovering in the darkening Arizona sky. When I made
that fateful choice to leave the truck, I was leaving behind
more than just my six fellow workmen - I was leaving
behind forever all semblance of a normal life and running
headlong toward an experience so overwhelmingly mind-
rending in its effects and so devastating in its aftermath
that life would not - could not - ever be the same again.
Nothing in this naive country boy's life up to that moment
could've prepared me for what followed. But what I didn't
know then, I think I know now. It's been a real education! And
with the new book I try to share those insights. It's my hope
that the release of Paramount Pictures' movie, "Fire in the
Sky," about my experience will help me to do that.
When I wrote The Walton Experience (Berkley Books.
1978), the book that the movie is based upon, I stated my
desire that the book would put the reader where we were
when it happened. My hope was that if people could some-
how experience it from my point of view, that perhaps they
could take a more open and objective approach to their
evaluation of it all.
However, there is nothing that approaches the goal of
allowing people to live someone else's experience nearly so
well as does a movie. I think most people know better than
to expect a documentary, but I have a feeling that "Fire in
the Sky" is going to succeed in dropping the core essence of
what I've been through right into the audience's lap. So
hang on to your seats!
I am rewriting The Walton Experience to be released
under the same title as the movie, "Fire in the Sky." Since
the movie can do so much more to impart the vicarious The author, with clunnsaw. as he appeared in 1975.
experience of the events of November 5, 1975, the empha-
sis of my expansion, revision and updating of the book, Fire
in the Sky, will be on other areas. People need to know attacks were so ridiculously baseless that 1 naively believed
more about the prior lives of the people involved and the that a cursory rebuttal was sufficient. I thought that those
community in which it happened in order to understand inclined to doubt could easily be pointed in a direction that
the impact and the aftermath. And the 17 year aftermath is would lead to discovering that there was no truth in the
a story unto itself, a story so excruciating that my memories alleged scenarios that had me or my co-workers halluci-
of what I have lived through because of some people's nating on drugs, hoaxing, suddenly becoming psychotic, etc.
reaction to what happened was a hell that nearly overshad- I wrote as if all could be as easily refuted as the charge that
ows the experience itself. the report was a cover story for a gory chainsaw murder.
One of the most neglected areas in the earlier book I could not have been more mistaken. It not only did not
was the controversy surrounding the whole thing, the attacks go away, it grew. Refuted claims were continuously resur-
by people who for various reasons felt compelled to try to rected and, like a child's game of gossip, became embell-
deny that it had ever really happened. So many of these ished with each telling.

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 Therefore, I devote my greatest efforts in the new book,
Fire in the Sky, to critical analysis of all the myriad attempts
To religious fanatics it was either Satan's
to explain away what was otherwise recognized as the most minions in disguise or fiery chariots of the
spectacular, best-documented such incident ever. gods. To an atheist/humanist it was the
You know, when I step back and take a look at all the quasi-religious UFO fanaticism of "true
attacks made on me in the media over the years, I am dis-
turbed by the simple fact that some of this stuff was ever
believers." To astronomers it was a misiden-
seen as fit to print. To be fair, I have encountered some tified planet
excellent journalists, even some skeptical ones, who did
their best to verify their facts and present an objective, bal- space or time to. If I were as biased as this "debunker", I
anced view. These seem to be the ones who actually do could claim the opposite of what he does. However, my
leave conclusions to the reader and not just pretend to. own view, which I think is the objective perspective, is that
This is the ideal towards which I have come to feel I should those in the media, for reasons often unconnected with any
strive. I used to be offended, even outraged, not just at "slant", don't always give equal time to rebuttals, retractions
false "evidence," but at disbelief itself. I now realize that a or information contrary to an earlier story.
certain degree of this disbelief is perfectly understandable Besides wondering how such baseless attacks could
because, after all, people are trying to judge a truly incred- make it into print, I am further amazed at how things
ible report in what I frankly acknowledge is the absence of already disproven just kept on being recycled over the
indisputable proof. years. Not only was a lot of this stuff indisputably refuted
Therefore, in reviewing these issues, I play the devil's long ago, it was incredibly absurd on the face of it right
advocate in places. Rather than say flatly "this ain't so from the start. As I demonstrate, a moment's thought would
'cause I was there and know how it really was," I tried to have immediately removed a lot of this stuff from consid-
take'the difficult (for one in my place) neutral position that eration. The credentials and credibility, methods and
considers rather than dismisses negative "evidence" for motives of my advocates were microscopically scrutinized
purposes of discussion. I tried to present what is needed for while those of my detractors went unchallenged. I show that
an informed evaluation by an objective outsider. if even a fraction of the skepticism applied against me and
I entered this area of discussion with mixed feelings my proponents had been applied to the nay-sayers, my life
because here I am in the midst of finally having my own say would have been a lot less miserable.
about it all and I'm inadvertently providing an extended There is a misconception so common that it warrants
forum for a lot of crap that never should have been said in being ranked as a classic logical fallacy. This is the belief that
the first place. There is a post-Watergate mentality that if there are so many different attacks heard so many times
seems to assume that public denials (or even allegations from so many different sources, that there must be some
alone) are in themselves evidence of wrongdoing. This is a validity to them. The truth, of course, is that a billion false-
situation that leads many public figures to use the tactic of hoods told a billion times by a billion people are still false.
avoiding comment altogether. Not me. I'm no longer going What makes this reasoning especially illogical is when
to let this litany of innuendo, this tissue of lies and ad hoc the various allegations starkly contradict each other. The
assumption to d o m i n a t e the floor u n c h a l l e n g e d . most fundamental test of validity is the law of contradiction,
Nonetheless, I drag this dreary stuff up with some hesi- i.e., a thing cannot be both "A" and "not A." It is irrational
tancy, even though I believe my rebuttals in most cases to take a collection of theories that are mutually exclusive
are totally devastating. and act as if they add up and give weight to each other. Yet
my foremost critics did exactly that. One man even said that

O ne general rule about the media I've learned is that

the retraction usually gets a smaller hearing than the
original error, (if it gets heard at all). One prominent UFO
it was a hoax and a drug hallucination in one breath!
Logically speaking, not only does a collection of incom-
patible accusations not have compounding strength, each
"debunker" (I always put that word in quotes in this context cancels the others to the point where the collection has less
because the guys I'm referring to are pretenders to that title merit than any one would have if made alone.
and do not remove bunk, they make it) actually devotes
one of his ten cardinal anti-UFO "principles" to stating that
the news media are overwhelmingly biased in that they give
great prominence to UFO reports when first received, but
T his is especially true when the disparate allegations
are all put forth by a single individual. Why? Because
it becomes apparent that the accuser is not being moved by
then virtually ignore prosaic explanations put forth after- the force of evidence for a specific theory but instead by
wards. This "debunker's" criticism of the media is slanted by some motive that precedes his flurry of tactics. Which
his skeptical bias. So much of the initial coverage of my brings up the question of just what is his real motive?
experience was false evidence against the UFO incident, the So the irony is that when one's foremost detractor makes
subsequent disproof of which the media gave little or no an internally inconsistent scattergun assault, he is actually

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

making a perverse sort of endorsement because it says loud the gods. To an atheist/humanist it was the quasireligious
and clear that the detractor himself doesn't believe that any UFO fanaticism of "true believers." To astronomers it was
one of his attacks has sufficient merit to stand alone. a misidentified planet. To one psychiatrist it became child-
Especially revealing is when an attacker is forced to hood mental trauma culminating in a "transitory psychosis."
abandon previous positions as evidence prevails and invents And to some, especially UFO "debunkers", it was most of
a succession of new scenarios to shore up his "conclusion." these simultaneously! As we shall see, these various theories
How can a so-called "debunker" maintain any claim to are at complete odds with each other and, more important-
legitimacy when only his conclusion remains the same, ly, at complete odds, with basic, easily verified facts.
but his justification for it is constantly shifting? It's almost as if people were saying "anything but that!
One self-appointed "debunker" did this in regard to No matter how farfetched, ad hoc, or poorly fitting of the
the UFO phenomenon in general, i.e., when his "most evidence - anything but that!"
UFOs are really plasmas" bunk was ridiculed and debunked I think I've figured out what made things turn so inex-
by plasma physicists, he dropped the plasma nonsense (his plicably vicious and I discuss these factors in the book.
personal brand of "swamp gas") and went on to attack Also, I now have a wealth of eye-opening evidence against
some of the same incidents with an entirely different set of my detractors and their nonsense. It's going to be a whole
charges. His campaign against me is following the same pat- new ball game. After all that I've been through, I've lost my
tern. When his contrived edifice first started to crumble as naive vulnerability and acquired a little savvy — with an
I began refuting him, he was already showing signs of important new difference — I can afford to fight back now.
wavering and edging away from his prior claims. When I'm A certain few individuals who think they can heap calumny
done, I predict he'll be forced to make a full retreat from the and character assassination on me without serious conse-
collapsing ruin of his previous "convictions." And I predict quences are definitely in for some surprises.
that he'll come to act as if he never really said any of those I harbor no ill will toward those who are merely doubt-
things. After some vain attempts to defend the old non- ing, especially those who make a sincere attempt at an
sense, he'll espouse some new nonsense with the same fer- objective viewpoint. Disbelief is not my beef. Rational
vent certainty. He rather refutes his own position and minds will sometimes disagree. I reserve my wrath for
impugns his own motives. Like the Bard says, methinks he those who use false reasoning, sophistry, doctored data and
doth protest too much. outright falsehood in an attempt to dupe others into adopt-
The "debunkers" were not the source of all the criti- ing a disbelieving view.
cisms and there were a lot of supportive and corroborative Of all the people and organizations that were excluded by
voices out there, too. But still we have this hail of dispar- Aerial Phenomena Research Organization from the early
agement against what on the other hand has been acclaimed investigation of my case, I believe that MUFON was one of
by the top people in the field as the most proven, best doc- the most admirable in their success at cutting through the mis-
umented case of alien abduction in the history of scientific information, the disinformation and the politicking that cloud-
UFOlogy. ed things back then. The fairness, objectivity and thorough-
So, what gives? What is it about this incident that drew ness MUFON displayed helps explain why they are still
so much fire? Could it have simply been a natural reaction around when groups like APRO, NICAP and GSW are not.
to the bizarreness of the report? Perhaps in part. But I've As much attention as I give to the controversy issue, I
seen my experience critically dissected in a magazine along- would not want the most beneficial consequences of all
side a sympathetic, credulous report of bare claims of this to be overlooked. The tremendous insight into human-
attacks by gigantic birds which offered no multiple wit- ity I believe I've gained from my experience is but one of
nesses, no polygraph tests, no physical evidence, virtually these. It's when we resolve the meaning of all this, the
no documentation at all. phenomena in general and my experience in particular, that
I believe we will have finally acquired the paydirt, the ulti-

D on't misunderstand. There were many people who

never doubted the reality of the story and many news
reports gave unbiased accounts. But on the other hand,
mate point of it all.

MUFONET-BBS NETWORK
absolutely every conceivable alternative explanation has Member's Communication Link
been proclaimed at some point. Attempts to explain it all Call for the BBS nearest you! Data No. 901 -785-4943
8-N-1 Australia — U.S. — Canada
away had a predictable knee-jerk correlation to the nay-say-
ers' own particular specialty. To lawmen it was a cover
story for murder. To newsmen it was a publicity stunt. To a MUFON 1992 INTERNATIONAL UFO
substance abuse worker it became a drug hallucination. To SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS
a geologist it became escaping underground gases or ball- "UFOs: The Ultimate Mystery of the Millennia"
lightning generated by plate tectonics. To religious fanatics Price: $20 plus $1.50 for postage and handling.
Order From: MUFON, 103 Oldtowne Rd., Seguin, TX 78155-4099
it was either Satan's minions in disguise or fiery chariots of

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

ABDUCTION NOTES "Science should be the investigation of the
John Carpenter 0 -r-™o— unexplained, not the explanation of the
uninvestigated."

T he professional health and science journals have

been notoriously conservative - practically to the
point of avoidance or censorship - in regard to pub-
lication of challenging and credible data from UFO
safe and secure in a predictable environment. Does that
increase the need to publish explanations for anomalous
events before proper data collection and analyses?
research. The same avoidance seems evident in the realm of A recent letter to the editor of the Journal of Scientific
nationally televised news. We can all note the startling Exploration (Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 291-294, 1992) by James
absence of coverage of the British Crop Circle revelations Wilson of Business Technology News Services proposes yet
on all the major networks. In four years only a handful of another explanation for many abduction cases:
documentaries have brought forth credible data on the mys- "Recollections of Surgical Experiences." Wilson proposes
terious patterns occurring in fields worldwide. Most of us that recollections of surgical procedures have created dis-
will not forget the day that the national media suddenly turbing misperceptions that are interpreted as alien con-
broke their eerie silence on this puzzling mystery to quick- tacts. He suggests that this confusion is a result of the
ly and decisively denounce the phenomenon with the intro- increase in outpatient surgeries which he describes as dis-
duction of pub buddies Doug and Dave, who could explain orienting to the individual who does not get sufficient time
it all by simply claiming they were responsible. It was as if to adjust to being in a hospital setting. He says these short-
the national media did not want to touch the story until it er stays, along with the effects of anesthesia, create distorted
could be explained in an easy and earthly manner. memories. An inpatient hospital stay has many "rituals"
However, unknown to 99% of the American public, and memorable procedures whereas the outpatient process
the Doug and Dave story began disintegrating within 24 is devoid of these expected activities and "customs."
hours as British journalists, researchers, and scientists began "One minute the prospective outpatient is riding in his
digging deeper, uncovering many flaws and distortions in car on his way to the hospital. Minutes later he is flat on his
the process. But as the mystery returned, so did the media back under the influence of a powerful tranquilizer that
silence; there was no follow-up on the American news net- has left him conscious but unresponsive to the strange
works. The American public was deliberately left to believe activities taking place around him. By the time he has fully
that the mystery was dead with the uninvestigated confes- recovered from the effects of the anesthesia he is in his
sions of two English pub buddies. As scientific efforts car or home in bed. Fragments of memories of the operating
began to produce a growing list of astounding discoveries in room become merged with recollections of more mundane
the labs and under the microscopes, the media seems to con- activities."
tinue to avoid the hard data that is now perpetuating the
mystery rather than explaining it.
Similarly, a local television station prepared a report
last winter on the odd cattle mutilations that local ranchers
W ilson unknowingly deals his own theory a serious set-
back as he claims it is the combination of new surgi-
cal procedures, fast-recovery anesthetics, and the dramatic
were discovering during a brief but heavy wave of UFO increase in the number of outpatient surgeries — all of
sightings. The report concluded with a veterinarian's decla- these factors occurring after 1980 — which supposedly
ration that a disease was the obvious culprit — prior to any account for the distortions that mislead people into thinking
lab results or sample analysis! Later, the state's crime lab they were abducted. This would come as a great shock to
could not identify any known cause of death or support for Betty and Barney Hill, Charles Hickson, Travis Walton,
the veterinarian's explanation. MUFON's investigative efforts Betty Andreasson, and others who reported experiences
properly placed samples in the competent hands of patholo- long before these advances of the 1980's.
gist Dr. John Altshuler; he found precise incisions made by a He also clearly fails to account for multiple witness
form of highly focused energy or heat. When I approached cases. Even if the Hills had had mutual outpatient surg-
the television station with this medical data, I was informed eries in 1961, how would Wilson explain the simultaneous
that they were not interested in any evidence which would two-hour periods of "confusion" they experienced while rid-
perpetuate the mystery. "No more UFO stories." ing in their car? How could he account for any multiple
What does any of this have to do with research on abductee cases in which they report seeing each other
UFO abductions? Plenty. I have begun to notice that pro- aboard an alien craft doing specific things in a particular
fessional journals are beginning to publish "explanations" to order and sequence that matches between their independent
their devoted subscribers prior to any proper presentation, accounts? What about children and others who have never
description, or consideration of the credible cases, data pat- had surgery? Furthermore, he attempts to explain particular
terns, or challenging scientific questions. It is human nature aspects of abduction reports in the following ways:
to desire to remain in control of our world in order to feel

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 ABDUCTION EXPLANATORY SURGICAL lead us closer toward a truth-based in reality — not just the-
MEMORY EVENT ory. As TV journalist George Knapp wisely noted in his
Abductee recalls being Tranquilizers are administered to award-winning documentary, UFO's: The Best Evidence.
levitated by a beam of surgical outpatients before they are "Science should be the investigation of the unexplained, not
light. wheeled into the operating room. the explanation of the uninvestigated."
These drugs dilate the pupil, mak-
ing lights appear brighter. The illu- Next column: "Reptilians and other Unmentionables."
sion becomes complete as the
patient is lifted onto a brilliantly
illuminated operating table. MUFON "PREMIERE"
Aliens have large eyes Surgical hoods create the appearance "Fire in the Sky," a full-length movie from Paramount
and atrophied noses of an enlarged crania. Surgical masks Pictures, will open in theaters nationwide on Friday,
and mouths. compress the cheeks obscuring the March 12, 1993. Ufologists probably know the story
nose and mouth. j better as the Travis Walton case, from the 1978
Berkley paperback. The Walton Experience.
Aliens speak telepathi- Surgical masks obscure lip move- Starring Robert Patrick, D. B. Sweeney and James
cally. ments. Garner, "Fire" is directed by Ron Liebennan and pro-
duced by Joe Wizan and Todd Black. Tracy Torme is
Female abductees re- Two of the more common same-day the screenwriter. Torme's previous credits include the
port gynecological ex- surgeries are curettage and tubal lig- CBS mini-series "Intruders," based on the Budd
aminations. ation. Hopkins book of the same name, and a stint as story
Female abductees re- Women patients awaiting admission editor for "Star Trek: the New Generation."
call seeing babies. often look at newboms in the hospital In co-operation with Paramount Pictures and
nursery. Senior Publicist Gregg Brilliant, MUFON will par-
ticipate in seven advance screenings of "Fire in the
A large needle is in- Surgeons place incisions in the navel Sky" on Thursday evening, March 11. Premieres will
serted into the navel. to minimize visible scars. be held at multiplex theaters in the New York City,
Washington, D. C., Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis,
Other abductees are Outpatients are placed in the same Dallas and Los Angeles areas. A MUFON panel will
present. recovery room. appear on stage after each screening to answer ques-
tions from the assembled press media and audience.
Abductees notice unusu- Many antibiotics increase a patient's Participants will include various members of the
al scoop-shaped scars. sensitivity to the sun, producing a
sore-like irritation. MUFON Board of Directors, State Directors, Staff
Specialists and State Section Directors. MUFON lit-
Recollection of icons or Federal law requires virtually every- erature will be available and each host organization
written symbols. thing in a modern operating room to will receive 75 free tickets for MUFON members,
be marked with graphic warning the latter to be distributed by the local MUFON team
labels. Icon-like shapes identify com- chairperson.
bustible and oxidizing gases, toxic MUFON is honored to cooperate in this matter
substances, etc. with Paramount Pictures in terms of both publicity and
public education. Help make your local premiere a
Although Wilson's efforts may seem amusing or even success!
far-fetched to most researchers, I wish to commend him for — Walt Andrus
being willing to construct a hypothesis for consideration.
Sadly though, it seems he only has a superficial under-
standing of abduction claims (I note that his four refer- MUFON Amateur Radio Net
ences do not include any studies of actual abduction data)
80 meters — 3.978 MHz — Saturday, 8 p.m.
and no apparent contact or interviewing of any abduction
participants. Wilson is correct in proposing an analysis of 40 meters — 7.237 MHz — Saturday, 8 a.m.
abduction data to distinguish between abductees who have 20 meters — 14.264 Mhz — Thursday, 8 p.m.
and have not had prior surgical experiences. But note that 10 meters — 28.470 MHz — Sundayt 3 p.m.
once again "explanations" find their way into publication Alternate if 10 meters is dead
and public notice rather quickly — before a careful analysis 20 — meters 14.264 MHz — Sunday, 3:15 p.m.
of actual data takes place. We shall keep pushing profes- All times Eastern Standard or Daylight
sional journals toward acceptance of data-rich studies that

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 . or cars. The total number of such cases is now well over
1,000, with scores more reported in 1992.
An extensive survey by the Roper Organization was
released in July, and an analysis of it by some of the top
"abduction" investigators and therapists suggests that as
FUND REPORT many as one percent of Americans may have experienced
1992: The UFO Year in Review this phenomenon.
The steady increase in interest among mental health
The 45th year of the "UFO Era" has been completed, and professionals continued during the year, and a major con-
the mystery remains. Strange flying objects continue to be ference was held for them at the Massachusetts Institute of
seen by average persons and by airline and military pilots. Technology in June.
The U.S. Government continues to stonewall. Hundreds Among the projects currently receiving financial sup-
of new cases of "alien abductions" were reported. But after port from the Fund for UFO Research are a continuation of
almost a half century, UFOs are still the mystery of the the study of a large number of cases by Thomas Bullard,
age. Ph.D.; the expansion of a referral service to assist victims;
and the creation of a computer database for future studies.
UFO Sightings
Crop Formations
The approximate number of UFO sightings during 1992 is
impossible to estimate, due to the refusal of most persons to While there is still no solid link between the strange for-
report their sightings because of the fear of ridicule, and mations found in fields of grain (mainly in southwestern
because most people have no idea how to report a sighting. England) and UFOs, the possibility remains high enough to
There were, at the very least, hundreds of sightings in the justify continued support of studies by the Fund. Hundreds
U.S. and many more in other countries. But the numbers more formations were found in 1992, including some of the
simply are not available. largest and most complex ever.
Of those that were reported to private agencies, most In early 1993, the Fund expects to publish the results of
were "low grade," meaning few of them contained much in laboratory analyses of grain inside and outside many such
the way of detail. With the great majority of sightings being formations. In England, a contest was held to create a com-
at night, all that could be seen was lights that behaved plex formation, and the winner displayed surprising skill in
oddly. This is not enough to enable analysts to determine the creating some features previously thought to be difficult or
source in most cases. impossible by hand.
Government Activity Journalism Award
The U.S. Government continues to insist it has had no The Fund for UFO Research also sponsors an annual cash
interest in UFOs since it shut down the U.S. Air Force's award, named in honor of the late Major Donald E. Keyhoe,
"Project Blue Book" in 1969. At that time, it claimed that no for the best articles or stories published or broadcast during
sighting reported to it had shown any evidence of advanced the previous year concerning the subject of Unidentified
technology, nor of alien origin, nor of posing a threat to Flying Objects. Three winners shared last year's $2000
national security. Off-the-record comments by current mil- cash prize. Final entries for 1992 are now due.
itary persons strongly suggest that government interest and Any journalist working for a newspaper, magazine,
activity remain very high. radio or television station whose story on UFOs was pub-
lished between January 1 and December 31, 1992, is eligi-
Crashes and Retrievals
ble to enter the competition. Copies should be accompanied
While no new crashes of UFOs have been reported, the by an entry form. Contact the Fund of UFO Research, Box
level of interest in old ones (New Mexico in 1947 and 277, Mt. Rainier, MD, 20712. for further details.
Pennsylvania in 1965) remains high. Additional witnesses to
the New Mexico activity were found in 1992, and the search
continues for bits of wreckage rumored to exist. The current
official line is that nothing at all happened in July 1947 near UFOs, MJ-12 AND THE GOVERNMENT:
Corona, New Mexico. A Report on Government Involvement in
"Allen Abductions" the UFO Crash Retrievals (113 pages)
by Grant Cameron and T. Scott Grain
This is still the most bizarre aspect of the entire UFO sub-
Price: $19 plus $1.50 for postage and handling.
ject: the possibility that many innocent Americans have
Order From: MUFON, 103 Oldtowne Rd , Seguin, TX 78155-4099
been taken against their will, subjected to peculiar medical
procedures by odd beings, and then returned to their homes

MLFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 CANADIAN PHOTOS ANALYZED
Curious lights captured on film; the real McCoy or a McDonald's advertizing blimp?

By Jeff Sainio
Background details: The five photos analyzed were orig-
inally taken by an individual (name known to MUFON) liv-
ing in Lincolnshire, England, while visiting family in
Ontario.
Location: Near Belmont, Ontario, Canada.
Time: May 5, 1992, approximately 2100 hrs.
Witnesses: Photographer's parents and three family friends.
Photos: Five photos taken before film ran out. First photo
through a wet pane of glass. Last four from outside.
Camera: Miranda A-X, autofocus, Kodak ASA100. Lens is
a 34mm wide-angle.

Photo 1: Shows a rural area with a gazebo with weather-

vane on the right and a silo in the distance on the left. Low
branches are on the horizon, with gray cloud cover except
for some pink sunset at the right. There are a pair of white
dots on the horizon on the right, possibly auto headlights or
streetlamps. These could serve as a brightness standard if
identified. They appear motion-blurred to the upper-left; if
they are stationary lights, this would indicate the photo is
motion-blurred, about 20% of the UFO height.
A 3-millimeter-wide UFO is 8mm above the horizon
(on a 150x 100mm print). It appears to be a white disk with First photograph of a sequence of five.
a 1.25x.85mm cupola on top. The lower part of the cupola
facing the camera is reddish. The UFO is about 50%
brighter than the brightest sky in this photo, somewhat than the blue brightness of nearby sky. This would not
brighter than in the other photos. Several unfocused spots occur in the case of a lens flare, double-exposure, or reflec-
are presumably waterspots on the windowpane through tion-on-glass, and shows that the UFO is a solid rather
which this photo was shot. than transparent object. Film defects do not typically recur
The left side of the disk is slightly obscured by a branch, in successive photos, so again the witness testimony is cor-
which appears as a vertical line in the enclosed montage; the roborated
contrast of the branch is over twice as much against the
UFO as against the sky. This would be expected for a real Photo 3: The UFO is against bright sky, limiting the con-
object, but not for a waterspot, lens flare, film defect, dou- trast and therefore the visibility. The image is blurred some-
ble-exposure, reflection-on-glass, or nearby object. A near- what, possibly due to camera motion.
by object would obscure the branch, while the other possi-
bilities would have no effect on the absolute contrast, and Photo 4: This photo is underexposed, and there is clear, evi-
would lower the relative contrast. This is confirmation of the dence of vertical camera motion which smears the weath-
witnesses' testimony of a distant object. ervane image. The vertical post of the weather vane is
clear, but the horizontal arm is poorly discernable. The
Photo 2: The UFO has moved against a brighter part of the UFO image is similarly smeared vertically, indicating the
sky; the shape is similar to photo 1. Witness testimony image was exposed simultaneously. This argues against a
gives a northeasterly direction to the UFO although this double-exposure, since separate exposures would not be
can't be verified by the photos. The blue color of the cupo- expected to smear the same direction and amount.
la, at its extreme in the reddest part, has over 25% less

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 Photogrammetry, using the formula of object size equals
print size divided by print magnification times distance
divided by focal length (in this case 50mm) yields a theo-
retical size of 24 meters per kilometer; wildly guessing
that the UFO was 2 kilometers away, the UFO was then 24
times 2, or 48 meters (about 155 feet) across.

T he UFO position between shots is roughly 22, 24, 30,

and 33 mm. The witness stated that the photos were
taken as soon as the camera cycled, except in running out-
side after the first shot. (This changes the arrangement of the
background, so the first number's usefulness is doubtful.)
I could not identify this camera; perhaps it is only pop-
ular in the UK. I will assume it is an autowind, and that the
limiting factor was flash recharging. (The last photo shows
evidence of flash, but it could be house lighting: I'm not cer-
tain flash was even used.) Flash is useless for distant shots,
but probably had the useful side effect of limiting the cam-
era exposure. Otherwise the camera would probably have
Final photograph of sequence. overexposed the UFO, which was reported as quite bright
by the witnesses.
If the typical scenario occurred where the flash recharge
slowed, due to repeated firing straining the batteries, the
Photo 5: The UFO image has shrunk to 2mm, presumably lengthening of distances between exposures makes perfect
due to motion away from the camera. Other image sizes are sense, assuming a smoothly-traveling UFO.
unchanged, contradicting the notion that the lens magnifi- The UFO moved about 10 times its own diameter
cation zoomed. The red of the cupola is less evident and is between shots. Assuming 5 seconds between shots and a 2-
most prominent on the right, perhaps because the UFO has kilometer distance, this is 280 meters in 5 seconds or about
turned away. Despite the small size, it is the clearest of the 3 kilometers per minute, or 200 kilometers per hour. Note
photos. this figure is based on several wild assumptions and should
only be used as a framework for more accurate calculations

E dge-sharpness checking of the UFO versus a distant

tree-branch verifies that both have similar focus, indi-
cating that both are distant objects.
based on further witness testimony. If the camera cycling is
slower, the UFO speed is slower. If the UFO distance is fur-
ther, the UFO speed is faster.
Brightness-check of the sky around the UFO showed Ontario was quite rife with UFO reports at this time,
evidence for glare, about 30% further-out than the visible notes MUFON's Provincial Section Director Tom
edge of the UFO. This would be expected from atmos- Theofanous. Many of the sightings have been traced to a
pheric dust, but can also occur from a dirty lens. The lack of small, internally-illuminated blimp employed in a
glare would be suspicious, but its presence is not conclusive. McDonald's pizza-promotion campaign over southern
Overall, this is a highly credible set of photographs, but Ontario. (Yes, pizza!) The blimp carries only a single pilot
of what? The clarity of the photos contraindicates that some and is described as much smaller than the typical Goodyear
earthly object is partially occluded, causing misidentifica- blimp seen in this country. "I'm 99 percent certain the
tion. The possibility of the UFO being, say, some cone of object photographed is the McDonald's blimp," says
light from a spotlight on a helicopter, is eliminated because Theofanous. "It was in the right location at the right time."
this cone of light would not block skylight like a solid
object. Multiple photos and witness testimony eliminates
various mechanical or film defects from consideration. Mr. Sainio is manager of Imaging Research and
(The majority of submitted photos involve witnesses who Development at the Quad/Tech Division of
saw nothing unusual.) Quad/Graphics. He is also State Director for
Fakery is doubtful, since homebrew methods could not Wisconsin and MUFON's Research Specialist in
create these photos in any way I can think of. Sophisticated Photo Analysis.
equipment and expertise, or incredible luck, would be
required. Such touches as the branch in photo 1 are most
useful in this regard, since a faker who managed to repro-
duce this feature might be expected to brag about it.

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 CURRENT CASES
Donald M. Ware

The following summarizes some reports recently also said the witness was "missing" for several hours at a
received from Donald M. Ware, Eastern Regional time, at age five, with no explanation as to where she was.
Director. Unless noted, no sound, vibration or odor
was detected. All times are local. • Log #930102E: On April 18. 1992 at 11:05 PM a 29-
year-old nurse's assistant (same as case #93010IE) saw
• Log #920903: On July 4, 1992 about 9:30 PM a 32- the same 31'x3l'x3r gray triangular craft she encountered
year-old self-employed man and his brother photographed two weeks earlier; investigators, Vincent Esposito. Sandy
nine red lights that appeared to be on a triangular-shaped Lapore and Daved R u b i e n . She was d r i v i n g west at
object off route 302 near Pinebush, NY; investigator, Cushman and Pawtucket Avenue in East Providence. RI
Dana M. Schmidt. The object made a hissing sound. The when the craft, several times, displayed knowledge of exact-
witnesses had a new Cannon Elon camera, 100-300 mm ly where the witness was heading. She had the distinct
zoom lens with 1600 speed Kodacolor print film; they feeling she was being watched. She stopped as the craft hov-
were looking for UFOs at a local "hotbed of UFO activi- ered 50 to 75 feet from her. She turned around to see if it
ty." Shutter speed was automatic, and estimated at 1/15 would follow her, and it paced her on Pawtucket Avenue.
second. Four photos were taken, and the best three were She turned around again, and the craft crossed the road
analyzed using a PCD Film Scanner Model 2000 and put several times directly in front of her. When she slowed, it
on a photo Compact Disk using a Model 2400 Work slowed. The craft displayed brilliant white, blue, and green
Station. The three largest lights were mostly white on the lights, slightly pulsating! The craft passed under the 100.000
film, apparently caused by overexposure. The tops of the volt power line crossing Pawtucket near the Dunkin Donuts.
lights appeared flattened on the most distant photo, indi- She started feeling panicky and increased speed to well
cating possible shielding from structure. The witness over the limit when the craft flew to the area of her April 4.
reported having a vision of Jesus in 1982 and seeing a 1992 sighting four miles away. The craft was never more
UFO w h i l e w i t h his girlfriend on a n o t h e r occasion. than 5 or 10 feet above any building or tree during its
Hypnosis is being considered. Nothing could be seen in flight. The witness felt it was showing her that it knew
the photos suggesting they are faked. who she was and where she was going.

• Log#930101E: On April 4. 1992 at 11:10 PM a 29-year- • Log #930103E: On June 1. 1992 at about 8 PM five
old nurse's assistant was on her way home in East retired folks driving from Milton to Lewes, DE saw three
Providence, RI when a triangular-shaped UFO approached bright white lights in a triangular formation: investigator.
and hovered 30 feet above a tee intersection and the grassy Kevin Reynolds. They were apparently stationary at an
shoulder ahead of her: investigators, Vincent Esposito, elevation of about 45°. After about 20 seconds the lights
Sandy Lapore, and Daved Rubien. She stopped. The craft "went out," one at a time.
was about 30 feet on each side and was below the tops of
the 40-foot trees beyond. It emitted a distinct low-frequen- • Log#930104E: In the summer of 1980 at about 6:10 PM
cy hum. She felt she was being watched. The craft appeared a mother and her two daughters saw strange reddish lights
to be dark metal with "lines" or "seams" on the bottom at from Gaylord's parking lot in Elsmere, DE; investigator,
distinctly staggered positions, and there was a light on each Raymond Gurczenski. They watched it for about five min-
corner; one white, one green and one blue. There appeared utes before driving home. The UFO followed them. When
to be a small dome on the top front. She slowly drove they got out of the car in the driveway, they were amazed to
under it. and she saw the craft leave as she hurried home. find a disk, with a silver convex bottom and red and orange
She felt that the craft moved to that position and waited for flashing lights on a flatter rim, hovering directly over their
her. During a later rain storm, the investigators noticed a house. The lights or rim seemed to be rotating. It was just
"dry" area where the craft had hovered. Soil samples are above the treetops. The object shot up the street about a
being analyzed. Also, on July 30, 1992 the road surface block and then repositioned itself directly over the house.
there was torn up to replace an electrically-operated water They ran in to get the husband, and when they came back
pump. Reports of intermittent water pressure in that area out it was gone.
started in mid June. A friend of the witness also reported
seeing the same craft at a different time and place. The • Log #930105E: On September 10. 1992 about 4 AM a
witness may have had long-term involvement, because her 36-year-old landscaper and a 25-year-old publisher's
mother saw several craft over her home in April 1991. She research assistant saw what appeared to be two triangles

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

connected by a cylinder heading NNE over Fenwick Island,
DE; investigators, Steven Rosiak, Hugh Horning and Elaine A man driving west on Highway 11, near
Douglass. The leading triangle was smaller than the trailing Union Grove, Wisconsin, had his car engine
one, and they seemed to be illuminated by the moon. Ten to stalled by a large UFO three football fields in
12 starlike white lights seemed to be attracted to the object length. It made a "weird, windy, whistling
and flew out of sight with it. One witness reported some of noise, like a high-pitched musical note." The
the points of light were connected by more faint bars of
light. The object was in sight less than a minute, and a
object then glowed brighter and his car
roaring sound was heard briefly as it went out of sight. restarted.
About 15 minutes later a second unknown object was seen
following the same path.
Hwy 11, heading to Union Grove to pick up his sister. A
• Log #930106E: On September 30, 1992 at 9:15 PM a 38- very large UFO, about "three football fields" in length,
year-old mechanic saw a bright, yellowish cone-shaped approached his car from the front side as he drove. It
light surrounded by four misty-white cigar-shaped lights glowed brighter and his car's engine went dead. He coasted
near Stanley, NC: investigator, George Fawcett. The lights, to a stop and put the car in park. He got out of the car and
thought to be quite large, were observed for about three watched the object for about 3 minutes. He felt that he
minutes heading northwest. This was within five minutes could not look away from it. It made a "weird, windy,
and five miles of an independent UFO sighting described whistling noise, like a high pitched musical note." The
differently, Log #921202E. object then glowed brighter and his car restarted. He felt that
had he not put the car in "park," it might have rolled off
The following case summarizes were received from when it restarted. He drove on to Union Lake to pick up his
George A. Coyne, Central Regional Director. sister. She asked why he was late. He estimated he was
about 20 minutes late. Subsequent to the sighting the wit-
• Log #061092C: November 1990, Rosdale, OK near ness discovered a rash on his arm (triangle shape) and 3
Hwy 59 South. Investigated by Ginna Meyer of Norman, scars.
OK. The firearm deer season had opened and a 14-year-old
boy entered a wheat field to sit under a tree. He was seated • Log #072092C: February 6, 1992, Calumet, OK, near
so that he was looking west but could watch to the south and Hwy US 270; investigator Chuck Pine, Tuttle, OK. On the
north of his position. He was looking south when he noticed morning of February 6, near Calumet, OK, a farmer and his
a bright white light moving north toward him at a very son found a young steer lying dead in a pasture. The
low altitude. The light appeared to be about a mile away. He wounds were dry and bloodless. His son was so amazed by
thought that it might be an airplane that was going to crash what had happened to the steer that he took his girlfriend to
but it sustained a level flight. He then thought it could be an see the animal that same evening. As they neared the pas-
ultra-light plane but knew it was unlawful to fly them dur- ture, both saw a large, round white glowing object above the
ing hours of darkness. The sun had not risen so it was still pasture. When they got closer, they could see red, blue,
dark. The light continued to fly in a northerly direction, get- green, yellow, and white lights flashing around the rim of
ting closer to him. When it was 100 yards directly west of the object. The girlfriend was frightened so they went back
him, he lifted his rifle up to his shoulder so he could get the to his home and then to her aunt's house. He returned home
object in his scope. He realized that there was no sound after which he and his father went back to the pasture in the
associated with the object. He thought about "squeezing the truck. The large white object was gone but they both saw a
trigger to let off a shot at it," but reconsidered; "no, if it is an moving "star" that stopped. They drove two miles beyond
alien craft from another planet that wouldn't be a very the pasture before turning the truck around and heading
friendly hello." Then, "If it's a top secret Air Force plane, I back. The "star" sped off to the SE. Two days later they
don't want to kill anybody flying it, whether human or found the second mutilated steer just like the first one in the
other." He continued to watch the disc-shaped object in same pasture. The second steer had a triangular cut on the
his scope. He estimated it to be 30-40 feet in diameter, 7 feet scrotum and a 2' x 2' pool of bright red blood at the rectal
high, with white lights along the sides and it appeared to be end. What does this pool of blood indicate? Was it an inter-
spinning. A blue-green light coming from the bottom of the rupted mutilation...did someone get careless or what?
object lit up the wheat field. The object continued to fly Samples of the tissue from the mutilated steers were sent to
north at a steady altitude of 40-60 feet, at 20-30 miles an Dr. John Altshuler in Denver, CO but there was no evidence
hour. He kept watching until it was a blur in the north. of heat being used to make the cuts.

• Log #080392C: Feb. 2, 1992, Union Grove, WI, 10:47 • Log #050492C: Feb. 25, 1992, Bath County, East Fork,
p.m. : investigator Mark Giese. A man was driving west on KY; investigator Anne MacFie. A farmer and his hired

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 helper were in a pickup truck, climbing [Link] rocky hill, moving at a high rate of speed and descended behind some
on the back of the farmer's 87-acre farm. The helper spotted trees. On both occasions his first thought was that it was a
something that looked "Well, it looked like a flying saucer." meteor or some type of space junk. As a side note: A female
It was moving through the air, coming in from the northeast newspaper route carrier who was north of the witness
about 100 ft. above the ground. He pointed it out to the observed a very bright light going over the lake about the
farmer, who made a joke about it. They watched the small same time as the witness had his sighting on August 11,
object move toward a stand of trees in the hollow. It land- 1992.
ed in the trees, then turned on its side or unfolded or some-
thing, until it looked like a very bright aluminum circle • Log #1205920: September 16,1992, 12:30 a.m. near the
that was flashing the brightest blue, green, and yellow city of Elk River, MN. Investigators, Gary Thrash and Bill
lights. They drove on over the hill to feed the cattle. After McNeff. Mr. "T" was driving east toward County Road
the cattle were taken care of, they went back to find out just 70, which is NE of Elk River. A thunder storm was in full-
what the strange object was. The farmer got out of the swing with lightning flashes all around. As the lightning
truck and headed for the hollow. The helper also got out of flashed he could see a huge white disc formation against the
the truck but got right back in. Nothing was found at the dark clouds. Each time the lightning flashed the disc would
landing site, not even a broken tree limb. The object was "stick out like a sore thumb." The man turned north on
first sighted as a dull gray, slow flying object with a dark County Road 70 and when he had driven about two and one
stripe or edge through the center of the walnut shape. There half miles he came to a bend in the road. As he rounded the
were two black spots or holes on the underside of the bend he got the surprise of his life. "There hanging over a
object. semi-open area in the woods was a huge UFO. It was about
the size of a large passenger jet." He could see that the
• Log #101992C: First sighting occurred August 11, 1992 object was disc shaped with a dark color outline. No win-
at 5:10 a.m. at Forest Lake, Minnesota. The second sighting dows were noted but the perimeter of the bottom edge of the
took place on August 19, 1992 at 5:45 a.m., at New craft was fully lit. There were four round white lights
Scandia. Both sightings were investigated by Robert E. spaced evenly around the outside of the bottom. Between
Engberg, RE. each white light, smaller green and red lights, were spaced
On August 11, a 55-year-old man was delivering news- so that there were white-green-red-green-white lights. All
papers going east on North Shore Trail, which runs beside lights were steady and unblinking. Mr. "T" said the craft
the lake. He was driving a "mail Jeep" that has the steering was beautiful to look at as it hovered silently. 'The rain was
column on the right side. He was looking out the right win- coming down and the wind was blowing at a good clip. It
dow when he noticed a glow on the water. Looking up he struck me odd that the rain seemed to stop about a foot
saw an object moving from his right to left. The early above the craft." He drove very slowly as he watched the
morning sky was clear as the object moved from NW to SE. object as it hovered 100 feet from the ground, 200 feet
The man could see the object glowing white on the front from the road. He watched the object for more than a
and trailing a bright blue flame from the back. It was mov- minute and a half.
ing very rapidly at an estimated speed of 800 to 1000 miles
per hour, at an altitude of 3000 to 5000 ft. He lost sight of it The following current cases have been summarized
as it descended behind some trees. by Indiana State Director Francis Ridge or Deputy
At 5:45 a.m. on August 19, 1992, the witness was dri- Director of Investigations Ron Johnson. Unless
ving north on Joliet Ave. near 223rd Street in New Scandia, noted, no sound, odor or vibration was detected. All
when he saw the object again. This time, the object passed times are local.
in front of him. It was glowing white on the nose and
trailed the bright blue flame. After the "flame-out," the • Log #921203J: A male of unknown age was in his bed-
witness could make out a long "squarish" shape that had room, early morning in July 1988, when he noticed a "blink-
four windows along its side. He estimated that the object ing" light on his bedroom wall: investigator Norma Croda.
was 200 ft. long and much bigger than a 747 jetliner. He At first he thought the lights may have been coming from a
stopped the Jeep, jumped out and yelled to a man that was police or fire vehicle. He looked out his bedroom window to
walking nearby, "Did you see that?" The man said that he see five objects 1.5 to 2 feet in diameter "floating" approx-
had not. He was walking in the opposite direction so that the imately 5 to 6 feet away from the window and about 6 to 7
object was at his back. On both occasions the witness saw feet off the ground. Somewhat frightened, he watched the
the object as glowing white on the front, with a bright blue objects change from white disks to "big bubbles" with
flame. pulsing blue lights coming from within the objects. The
When the flames were present the object appeared to be objects then changed color to orange and back to disc
about 500 feet in length. When the flames died out it shapes with a "flash." They then "shot up" and took off at a
appeared to be about 200 feet in length. It was always high rate of speed. This occurred at Plainfield, Indiana.

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

• Log #921201J: One winter evening in 1957, a lady and grass had appeared nine feet apart. Samples of the grass and
her husband were returning home in Crawfordsville, soil were collected.
Indiana, walking up the front walk, when they observed a
bright light to the northeast: investigators Roger Lamberson, • Log #921204J: On 11 October 1990, a 28-year-old
K. O. Learner and Francis Ridge. It appeared lower than woman was driving with an unnamed family member along
tree-top level and was coming down an alley, heading south, rural roads near Monterey, Indiana at about 9:00 p.m. when
making a loud grinding noise, "maybe a roaring would they sighted "a white ball UFO": investigator K. O. Learner.
better describe it." It was evening and there were plenty of "As we proceeded slowly toward the east more white balls
lights in the area, a filling station, etc., so the object was were over the treeline to the north. We stopped the car ... I
very bright. "Then I recall seeing a cigar-shaped object got out with binoculars...wanted a closer look." Over the
with round, window-looking things. Through the windows next ten minutes the witnesses counted five or six "white
I could see heads on necks. They looked like the silhouettes balls," several red ones, and three "lighted triangles" mov-
people used to cut out. I don't recall any features,or any hair ing at various speeds "very close and very low ... almost
... just that they were people-like heads on thin necks." overhead." The triangle-shaped objects were described with
The interior was flame colored. In an instant the object white lights at each point and along the borders, and indi-
was gone. There was 1.5 to 2 hours of missing time. (Note: vidual red, green and blue points of light covering the
same year as abduction of Antonio Villas-Boas in Brazil.) underside. These lights were steady-burning, but a "faint,
white light blinking only every so often" was seen off the
• Log #921209J: A 52-year-old female was driving her car lead point of the triangle through the binoculars. The red
west on U.S. 40 between the towns of Plainfield and and white balls proceeded in a line formation, five abreast,
Belleville, Indiana on March 3, 1992 at 8:10 p.m.: investi- and all objects eventually moved out of sight to the west.
gator Norma Croda. The witness saw a large triangle-shaped "Wished I would have had my camera," said the main wit-
white light, with a small square red light attached at the bot- ness," a veteran of several such sightings in the area.
tom, and a green glow around the base, off in a cornfield,
hovering at 50 feet altitude and perhaps 500 feet away.
The object was as large as a full moon and as bright as the Calendar of UFO Conferences
sun. The witness stated she was unable to hear the air-con- for 1993
ditioner in the car or traffic passing her as she pulled over to
March 17-21 —TREAT V Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
watch. The light hovered in the southwest then moved to the For information contact TREAT, P.O. Box 728, Ardsley, NY
east and disappeared: "poof, it was gone!" The witness 10502.
stated the light laid down horizontally and gave off green April 2-4 — Fifth Annual Ozark UFO Conference, Inn of the
sparks when it moved. The witness was concerned that Ozarks, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. For information call (501)
354-2558.
other cars had passed by without seeming to notice the April 10-12 — Seventh European Lyons Congress, Hotel de
bright object. Congress, Lyons, France. For information in the U.S.A. please
contact W.P. LaParl, 19 Wood St., Hopkinton, MA 01748-1132 or
telephone (508) 435-4961.
• Log #921207J: A 29-year-old delivery truck driver and
April 16-18 —The Fourth UFO and Abduction Conference, The
father of two told law enforcement authorities that an alien Days [Link], New Jersey. For information contact Pat
spaceship came to his backyard in Centerville, Indiana the J. Marcattilio at (609) 888-1358.
night of 8 June 1991: investigator Don Worley. He said he July 2, 3, & 4 — MUFON 1993 International UFO Symposium at
Hyatt Richmond Hotel, Richmond, Virginia. For information
was transported instantly in a bright light on board the 30 please contact Mark E. Blashak, P.O. Box 207, Manakin-Sabot,
foot long, 10-foot high, roughly triangular craft into a tri- VA23103.
angular room with two, very tall (nearly 7 feet) aliens hav- July 24 & 25 — The Seventh International UFO Congress spon-
ing flat features and slanted eyes. When one of the aliens, sored by BUFORA, University of Bristol, School of Chemistry,
Cantocks Close, Bristol, England. For further information contact
who never spoke but seemed to transfer calming telepathic BUFORA Congress, The Leys, Suite 1, 2c Leyton Road,
thoughts, put out its hand, the abductee gave it a $20 bill Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2TL, England.
from his pocket, which the alien kept (!). They applied a August 1-5 — Ancient Astronaut Society 20th Anniversary World
pen-sized black object to his right arm which left three 4- Conference, Imperial Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada. To register
contact Ancient Astronaut Society, 1921 St. Johns Ave.,
inch marks still visible weeks later, and applied a small, sil- Highland Park, IL 60035-3105 or call (708) 295-8899.
ver box near the abductee's right temple causing him to lose August 14 & 15 — International UFO Conference, "UFOs: Fact,
consciousness. He awoke in his home, in his bed some 13 Fraud or Fantasy." Sheffield Polytechnic, Main Building on Pond
hours later with an itching arm, a painful shoulder, and Street in Sheffield, So. Yorkshire, England. For information
please contact Independent UFO Network, 1 Woodhall Drive,
"reeling" as if recovering from drunkenness. He also had a Batley, West Yorkshire, England WF17 7SW.
bloody nose. In the yard where he stood watching the flying October 9-10 — The UFO Experience, Holiday Inn, North
object come near, and from where he was enveloped by its Haven, Connecticut. For information contact John White (203)
272-2151.
beam of light, two 16-inch circular patches of dead, brown

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 MUFON FORUM quite incredible lengths to persuade everyone that what he
Letters to me journal said in this taped conversation was untrue: "it was just a
send up; a piece of light-hearted fun"
But seriously, if this was a "send up", why such frenzied
efforts by Schnabel and his associate Irving to deny the
FIRE IN THE SKY tape's authenticity and suppress a commentary and tran-
script of it which were to have appeared in "The Circular"?
Dear MUFON Members: All other hoaxes, even circular ones, are always left for
the victims to accept and then make fools of themselves.
Thank you for participating in the release of "Fire in the This "hoax" is called back in and strenuously denied!
Sky." The purpose of this letter is to inform those involved Double bluff? Well, if you believe that one, you'd believe
about some of the fictional aspects of our film, and the anything! One should of course listen to the actual tape,
reasons for them. rather than read the transcript, to appreciate the ring of
For the most part, "Fire in the Sky" remains truthful to truth in what is said. Initial voice stress analysis of the tape
the Walton incident in fact and spirit. However, it was nec- certainly indicates Schnabel is not lying.
essary to use some artistic license in a few areas. "What taped conversation?" asks the puzzled reader
To begin with, there are six woodsmen instead of seven of the Journal. "Where has a transcript of this been pub-
— three taken directly from real individuals, while the lished and what does it contain?" The answer to this is that
other three are composites. Some of the law enforcement nothing had been published at the time Schnabel's denials
officials are also composite characters. appeared in the Journal. It will, of course, be published —
"Fire" was in the early stages of pre-production when if that is allowed — but, so far it has been censored: it was
the CBS mini-series "Intruders" first aired. Paramount was physically removed from 1700 copies of an already printed
alarmed at the similarities between classic abduction expe- magazine, "The Circular" (which I happen to edit), during
riences and the beings Travis reported seeing. They insist- my absence in the U.S.A. There really must be something
ed that we fictionalize the alien sequences — something I which Mr. Schnabel wants to hide then...
wouldn't entirely agree to — so a compromise was reached Almost none of Schnabel's first telephone conversation
which maintains the thrust of Travis' abduction but also with Victorian is reproduced in the MUFON Journal article;
includes some new angles inspired by other, more unusual only snippets from a later conversation and from a different
abduction cases. tape produced by Irving. Most of what is said by Schnabel
It should also be noted that the director created a couple on the original tape is unsurprising since it concerns things
of UFO experts at the last moment who were meant to add which are hardly disputed. These include the fact that "a
a "David Lynch" quality to the film. These characters are number of agencies throughout the world have taken an
not in any way meant to represent any specific individuals interest in this (the crop circle phenomenon)."
or organizations in the UFO movement. We know of the British Government's interest, despite
denials of the many occasions where the military have been
—Tracy Torme
involved in surveillance and photography of the circles and
Cheyenne 7 Productions
from a report we have of an unpublicised ministerial meet-
Los Angeles, CA
ing in London in September 199O. At this meeting, during
which it was acknowledged that the cause of the circles was
CROP CIRCLES REVISITED completely unknown, there was talk of "disinformation" as
a possible counter measure.
The reaction of MUFON Journal readers to James The interest of the U.S. government was first made
Schnabel's extraordinary piece in the November issue will apparent to me when I was asked out to lunch to meet four
surely be: "What on earth was all that about?" And they will gentlemen from the CIA in Arlington, Va., in April 1992,
probably also ask: "Who is James Schnabel?" and "Who are shortly before I was due to present on the crop circles at the
A, B, C, D... X, Y and Z?" They might also wonder how he Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Was their
gets to write five pages in the MUFON Journal at the drop interest just a casual whim? I hardly think so. Two other per-
of a hat! sons who attended this lunch appointment with me and the
Perhaps I can cast some light on these mysteries. If CIA are also mentioned on the tape.
indeed Schnabel is a "spy" (his description, not mine!) he A written application under FOIA for information from
really has a lot to learn and should probably go straight back CIA files on crop circles had earlier been met with the
to graduate school in Langley, Va. Rule Number 1 is that reply "...we have determined that the information regarding
you shouldn't talk to strange men on the telephone and crop circles that you seek from Agency files would not
certainly not ones with odd-sounding foreign names! contribute significantly to the public understanding of the
Having made this slip, Schnabel then seems to have gone to operations or activities of the United States Government."

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

More recently I have presented to the US Department of So what's a clean-cut American from the environs of
Agriculture in Beltsville, Md., on the English circles and Washington, D.C., sometimes describing himself as a Ph.D.
pictograms —which Schnabel seems so anxious to tell us student at Bath University and sometimes as a freelance
are no more than man-made hoaxes. journalist, doing carrying on a crusade against the circles
Schnabel expresses the view (on the tape) that the cir- phenomenon in England? Despite all his huffing and puff-
cles are something "very sinister", and "bringing about ing in the MUFON Journal, and his farrago of extraordinary
changes in world consciousness...for evil." Now, why claims and embellishments regarding what other people
should he deny this perception, which corresponds closely are supposed to think or to have said, there are still many
with what he has been known to opine in private? It also questions that should be asked about Mr. Schnabel and his
corresponds to an officially expressed, view of some reli- activities over here.
gious denominations, including the Catholic church, that No one has actually said that he belongs to CIA, XYZ,
things such as the circles, UFOs and abductions are the or any other organization, but his curious behaviour might
"works of the Devil." If this is what he believes, as a well make one think so. Since he and Mr. Irving have
Catholic, why is he ashamed to admit it? Then there is a ref- offered us little but hoax and deception in 1992, it is hard to
erence to "spiritual warfare." a viewpoint frequently see his denials and disclaimers in the Journal article as
expressed in connection with the UFO topic in the U.S. being different from what he has given us already.
Well maybe it is not just his disclosure that the U.S., the
British and the German governments are involved in a — George Wingfield
campaign to disparage the circles phenomenon that is so Editor, The Circular
embarrassing to him, but the fact that he, Schnabel, says on Somerset, UK
the tape that he is taking "active measures."
One must say that many knew about this too, although SCHNABEL'S RESPONSE
there is barely a whisper of it in Schnabel's article in the
Journal. During the summer of 1992, he and Irving, togeth- George Wingfield's letter is an occasion for sadness. I fond-
er with a number of other people whose names I have, ly recall my first meeting with Wingfield in the summer of
faked a series of at least 15 crop formations, principally with 1991, when I was writing an article on the circles for a
a view to fooling and discrediting researchers from the British magazine and he was holding court with the
Centre for Crop Circle Studies. Now this might appear no Beckhampton Group at the Waggon and Horses pub in
more than a piece of mischief, but rest assured that it was a Wiltshire. He allowed me to place my tape recorder beside
great deal more insidious than that. These operations were his pint glass for most of an evening, and although I did not
carried out like a military operation and many of these agree with all of his views, I was impressed by his eloquent,
fakes were produced with expert attention to detail. witty, and entertaining storytelling style — which only got
This was not just good-humored circlefaking. Much better with every refill of that pint glass. Now for him the
of it seemed specifically aimed at disrupting and confusing laughs are over and spies and wreckers are everywhere.
the results of the scientific testing of crop circle by CCCS's Even his own colleagues within the Centre for Crop Circle
Project Argus, which was being carried out in the vicinity of Studies have come under suspicion for their role in re-edit-
Alton Barnes. Indeed, Robert Irving referred more than ing the CCCS magazine issue which was to have detailed
once to "this ridiculous so-called scientific exercise." Listen The Plan.
to this taped conversation and one gets a very clear indica- But let me respond directly to some of his charges.
tion of Schnabel's motives; "active measures" seems to Firstly, Wingfield states that I am a Catholic and insinuates
sum up precisely what he has been engaged in, and his that I consider crop circles and other strange phenomena to
antipathy towards the crop circle phenomenon and CCCS. be "the works of the devil." Despite my repeated denials of
Schnabel has already admitted to his circlefaking on a this and his utter lack of evidence to the contrary, he has
British TV program. However, direct evidence of his been levelling this charge at me for the past year; indeed, as
involvement has appeared more recently on one of two I wrote in my article, Wingfield's claim that I am an anti-
well-edited tapes produced by Irving in desperate but uncon- paranormal zealot formed the basis for much of the so-
vincing attempts to prove that Schnabel knew he was talk- called Plan — in the same way that his own expectations
ing to Victorian on the original tape. Irving inadvertently left concerning crop circle evolution regularly form the basis for
on the reverse side of one tape a further recorded telephone the designs that actually appear in the fields.
conversation describing his and Schnabel's faking of a par- Wingfield's insensitivity to evidence which contradicts
ticular crop formation at Alton Barnes. This may be used in his beliefs is so great that I sometimes wonder if he has sim-
evidence when charges of criminal damage are brought by ply become cynical about the whole thing. When I tele-
farmers against them (though doubtless we shall be told that phoned him to tell him that Irving's and my taped conver-
this tape is just another "send up"). sations with Victorian had been a hoax, I said that to assure
himself that this was the case, he need only listen to

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

Victorian's taping of his first conversation with Irving, in turing on the subject. As we go to press, he may or may not
which it is abundantly clear that Irving is having a laugh at be the acting editor o/The Circular, the in-house Journal of
Victorian's expense. Should that tape fail to appear from his the Centre for Crop Circle Studies, having once resigned out
source, I added, his suspicions should be aroused. It didn't, of protest over the alleged suppression of the Victorian-
and yet Wingfield continued full speed with his conspiracy- Schnabel tape. Schnabel is an American living in England.
mongering. — Editor
Wingfield also makes certain allegations about my CIA MISSION
cereological artistry. I don't deny having acquired a modest
talent in this area, but I am annoyed that Wingfield (who Jean Sider errs in his article in the Dec. 1992 issue when he
ignores the activities of circlemakers who promote his own writes that the National Security Council issued a directive
cereological views) would pretend to have any inside saying that "The Director of Central Intelligence shall for-
knowledge of it. At one point he implies that he has solid mulate and carry out a program of intelligence and research
evidence that I and my fellow covert operatives have pro- activities required to solve the problem of instant positive
duced "at least 15 crop formations," at another he mentions identification of unidentified flying objects."
"direct evidence" via yet another tape-recorded conversa- What Sider quotes is a draft version, prepared by H.
tion. In fact, Wingfield has no evidence of any circlemaking Marshall Chadwell, Asst. Director for Scientific Intelligence
activities on my part, other than my brief and vague com- and submitted to Director of Central Intelligence Walter
ments on a British TV documentary, and my participation in B. Smith with Chadwell's memorandum of Dec. 2, 1952.
the Cerealogist's circlemaking competition. The tape to Two days later, Dec. 4, the Intelligence Advisory
which he refers does not include a description of anyone's Committee—with top intelligence experts from the CIA, Air
circlemaking activities, at Alton Barnes or anywhere else; Force, Navy, Army, FBI and other government agencies
one has only to listen to the tape to know that Wingfield's met. One of the items discussed was UFOs. The committee
allegations are disingenuous. endorsed the CIA's proposal to "enlist the services of select-
Wingfield says he has subjected the tape of my con- ed scientists to review and appraise the available evidence
versation with Victorian to "voice stress analysis," initial in the light of pertinent scientific theories." Also to draft and
results from which (what about final results?) indicated circulate for comments the proposed NSCID (National
that I was not lying about The Plan. Leaving aside the fact Security Council Intelligence Directive).
that voice-stress analysis is generally considered to be unre- The now famous "Robertson Panel" of top scientists,
liable (especially when unequivocably "true" and "false" chaired by Dr. H.P. Robertson of the California Institute of
voiceprints, on the same tape, are not available for com- Technology, convened Jan. 14-17,1953, to consider the
parisons), let us suppose that under the appropriate condi- USAF's most impressive UFO cases. All members signed a
tions, I am allowed to speak some uncomplimentary final report which said the Panel concludes: "That the evi-
remarks about Wingfield into his stress analysis machine. dence presented on Unidentified Flying Objects shows no
Will Wingfield agree in advance to abide by the results? indication that these phenomena constitute a direct physical
Finally, Wingfield implies that the CIA showed its threat to national security. We firmly believe that there is no
hand by taking him to lunch. I can only be agnostic on the residuum of cases which indicates phenomena which are
question of current government interest in crop circles or attributable to foreign artifacts capable of hostile acts, and
UFOs, but I understand that this mysterious lunch invitation that there is no evidence that the phenomena indicate a
arose when a group of circles enthusiasts who happen to need for the revision of current scientific concepts."
also be CIA employees, and whose affiliations with the On Jan. 28,1953 Marshall Chadwell, who had originally
Agency are overt and far-removed from any field opera- prepared the draft NSCID for submission to NSC, wrote to
tions, wished to extend some hospitality to Wingfield dur- the Director of Central Intelligence. After highlighting the
ing his visit to Washington. Had they truly been part of conclusions of the Robertson panel, Chadwell wrote:
any anti-cereological conspiracy, they would have known "Accordingly, it is recommended that no further considera-
Wingfield better, and would have realized what wild rumors tion be given to preparation of an NSCID on this subject."
their welcoming gesture would allow him to set loose. So the Intelligence Advisory Committee was in-formed
by letter dated Feb. 18,1953 that: "The results of the
— Jim Schnabel
[Robertson] panel's studies have moved the CIA to con-
Oxford, England
clude that no National Security Council Intelligence
Schnabel's original article, "Confessions of a Crop Circle Directive on this subject is warranted." (Emphasis added.)
Spy, " appeared in the November 1992 [Link]
— Philip J. Klass
by Armen Victorian and Graham Birdsall, editor of Quest
Washington, D.C.
International's UFO Magazine (UK) followed in the
January 1993 issue. George Wingfield is a well-known Address your letters and comments to Dennis Stacy,
English cereologist who frequently tours [Link] lec- Box 12434, San Antonio, Texas 78212.

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 READER'S ' ABDUCTEES SPECIAL RESEARCH: Have you ever had Men in
Black, Plastic Faces, the Hooded Ones, black limos or other autos,
or helicopters show up? I seek your data confidentially at no cost
to my questionaire and later learn from me. Don Worley, 1051
Beech St., Connersville, IN 47331.
FREE READING LIST and other sources of reliable information
on the UFO phenomenon, including more than 50 book titles, UFO CURIOUS CONTACT SERVICE! Meet others like yourself!
organizations and publications. Also lists 45 publications (books, Coded names, info, SASE to: Mutual Interests "MU3," Box 10041,
reports, videotapes and government documents) offered by the Scottsdale, AZ, 85271.
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postage. Send to Richard Boylan, Ph. D., 3009 O Street, INTERNATIONAL UFO CENTER: We stock one of the most
Sacramento, CA 95816. complete lines of MUFON and UFO-related products anywhere.
1992 MIDWEST CONFERENCE ON UFO RESEARCH: Catalog $1, refundable with first order. Now accepting Visa,
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Friedman, Harry Jordan (Mars Mysteries), Bruce Maccabee Tel: (407) 351-4306. Mon.-Sat.. 12 to 8 p.m., EST.
(video analyses — 2 tapes), Jorge Martin (Puerto Rico), and the The Houston UFO Network Inc is sponsoring Stanton Friedman,
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COLLECTOR'S ITEMS: Former NICAP Assistant Director's
personal files. Audiotapes of classic sightings, personalities, pro- READERS' CLASSIFIEDS: To place your ad in this section sim-
grams; rare documents and reports. Send $2.00 for catalogue ply enclose a check for $15 for each issue of the Journal in which
(price deductible from any order over $10). Personally inscribed you wish it to appear. Limit 50 words please. Authors advertising
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AMATEUR UFOLOGY NEWS: 10-page monthly newsletter. ment by the Mutual UFO Network, its Board of Directors or the
Sightings (mostly Central U.S.), plus in-depth articles, book Journal itself. Mail ad and check, made out to MUFON, to Dennis
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foreign. Send check or money order along with your name and
address to: AUN, P.O. Box 440, Lockwood, MO 65682.
ONLY LANDED UFO VIDEO: Part of 2-hr video shot in Canada
UNITED NATIONS VIDEO
in 1991; oval craft, flashing strobe on dome, similar to Gulf Breeze On October 2, 1992. a UFO presentation was made to
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historic event. Only three other countries have this video. the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium at the United Nations
Guardian, Code Shotvideo. Send $50 to Jim Gialpis, Landed, 50 in New York City to reopen Decision GA33/426 previ-
Sleepy Hollow Rd., Niantic, CT 06357, shipping & handling ously enacted by the General Assembly on December
included. 18. 1978. MUFON has produced a video tape depicting
ALIEN BEINGS SCULPTURES: miniature to full life-sized the most significant aspects of this important meeting.
being. Call or write for catalog: Jann L. Bach (719) 475-7778 or The two-hour VHS video tape is composed of the
3120 Bonne Vista Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. opening and closing remarks of Mohammad A. Ramadan
UFO ENCOUNTERS: Worldwide coverage of the entire UFO (Egypt). "The Cosmic Watergate: Basic Facts" by Stanton
phenomenon - sightings, abductions, crop circles, animal mutila- T. Friedman. M.S.. "Medical and Scientific Evidence"
tions, government cover-ups, interviews, book reviews, plus much by John F. Schuessler, M.S., and "An Open Letter to the
more! Twenty page monthly publication. Yearly subscription Secretary-General and the UN Committee on the Peaceful
$17.95 U.S.. $30 Foreign. Don't miss out! Make check payable to Uses of Outer Space" by Robert H. Bletchman. J.D. The
Aztec Publishing, P.O. Box 1142. Norcross, GA 30091. latter three speakers are all members of MUFON's Board
UFO'S DECEPTION/DANGER: A reason for the ET's coming to of Directors.
Earth. The reviews have been outstanding on this small but pow- MUFON has initially ordered 500 copies of this mon-
erful booklet. Send $7.00 ppd to CFT Promotions. P.O. Box 14221, umental UN presentation to be made available immedi-
Kansas City. MO 64152. ately. Orders may be placed by mailing a Postal Money
UFO QUARTERLY: One-hour documentary of a Michigan- Order or personal check made payable through a U.S.
MUFON meeting. Guest speaker Linda Moulton Howe elaborates bank for $19.95 plus S2 for postage and handling to
on animal mutilations & the 1947 dual crash in New Mexico using MUFON. 103 Oldtowne Road, Seguin. Texas 78155-
slides, video & Gerald Anderson drawings. Benefits Michigan 1
4uyy.
4099.
MUFON PR fund. VHS, $25, includes p&h. Joe Tackett, 837
Q. .
Marshfield, Ferndale, MI 48220. (313) 541-2315.

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 The NIGHT SKY
Walter N7 Webb °
William K. Allan
March 1993 1906-1992
Bright Planets (Evening Sky): Bill Allan left us on December 1, 1992. This
Venus remains well up in the WSW at dusk early in the sadly marks the passing of yet another True Pioneer
month, thereafter, it drops rapidly toward the Sun, of ufology. Bill was a seasoned veteran of those
decreasing in magnitude from -4.6 to -4.0 and becoming days when it was difficult at best to admit to an
more difficult to find. The 2nd half of March affords an interest in UFOs, much less attempt to study them in
unusually good opportunity to glimpse our planet neigh- a scientific manner, which he most certainly did.
bor's thinning and expanding crescent phase in binoculars His passing leaves a huge void in ufology, and in
and telescopes as it orbits closer to Earth. During the last Canadian ufology especially.
few days of the month, Venus is visible as both "evening W. K. "Bill" Allan was born in Manitoba in
star" and a "morning star" on the same night. 1906. He held a B.A. in Honors Mathematics and
A fading Mars (midmonth magnitude 0.2). in Gemini, Physics, and a M.A. in Teaching of Physics. He was
stands high in the S at dusk and moves westward during a life member of the I.E.E.E., a member of the
the night. American Physical Society, the A.A.A.S., and the
Jupiter (-2.5). in Virgo, rises in the E about 2 1/2 hours Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
after sunset early in March. By the 30th, the giant world Bill was a field investigator for the Aerial
reaches a point opposite the Sun and at that time rises at Phenomenon Research Organization (APRO). and
sunset, remaining visible all night. later for MUFON. He contributed articles to major
Bright Planets (Morning Sky J.- UFO publications, and was one of the first UFO
researchers to devote considerable time to the inves-
Mars sets in the NW about 3 a.m. in mid month.
tigation of what is now known as the abduction phe-
Jupiter shifts westward all night, setting in the W at sun- nomenon. He worked closely with Dr. J. Allen
rise (on the 30th). Hynek on many occasions, and contributed many
Moon Phases: of the case studies cited in Dr. Hynek's book. The
First Quarter - March I UFO Experience, which to this day is considered the
definitive textbook on UFOs.
Full moon - March 8* O Bill Allan is survived by his wife, Yvonne, and a
Last quarter - March 14 daughter.
He will be sorely missed.
New moon - March 23
First quarter - March 30.
* Nearest Moon of 1 993, producing extra high tides
for several days. UFO NEWSCLIPPING SERVICE
The Stars: The UFO Newsclipping Service will keep you informed of
all the latest United States and World-Wide UFO reports
As spring approaches on March 20, Leo the Lion creeps (i.e., little known photographic cases, close encounters and
ever closer to the celestial meridian in the S. The lion is landing reports, occupant cases) and all other UFO reports,
rather easy to make out. A reverse question-mark of stars many of which are carried only in small town and foreign
or sickle outlines the beast's head and mane. The dot in newspapers.
Our UFO Newsclipping Service issues are 20-page
the question-mark, the star Regulus. is Leo's heart. A monthly reports, reproduced by photo-offset, containing the
stellar triangle E of Regulus indicates the lion's rear latest United States and Canadian UFO newsclippings, with
haunches and tail. our foreign section carrying the latest British, Australian,
Behind Leo. Virgo the Maiden (look for a big "Y") and New Zealand and other foreign press reports. Also included
is a 3-5 page section of "Fortean" clippings (i.e., Bigfoot and
Bootes the Herdsman (kite-shaped) ascend above the other "monster" reports). Let us keep you informed of the
eastern horizon. Virgo's brightest luminary (overlooking latest happenings in the UFO and Fortean fields.
Jupiter) is bluish-white Spica, while Bootes has orange For subscription information and sample pages from our
Arcturus, 3rd brightest star in the night sky. service, write today to:
The brilliant stars of Orion, and the sparkling Sirius. are UFO NEWSCLIPPING SERVICE
still prominent in the SW. Route 1 - Box 220
Plumerviile, Arkansas 72127

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

MESSAGE - Continued from Page 24 desk that your reservations are for the Ozark UFO
Conference in order to obtain the special room rates.
MS, IN, IL, WI, MN, IA, MO, AR, LA, TX, OK, KS, NE, The registration fee for the conference is $35 per person
SD and ND. This is an elected office to the Board of if paid in advance (through March 27, 1993) or $40 per per-
Directors by all of the members living in the designated son at the door. Payments for conference registration should
states through a ballot enclosed with the MUFON UFO be made payable to "Ozark UFO Conference Fund" and
Journal prior to the election. Anyone living in the above may be mailed to: Ozark UFO Conference, Route 1, Box
states is eligible to be a candidate for this prestigious posi- 220, Plumerville, AR 72127. The conference will begin at
tion, however only State and Assistant State Directors may 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 2nd and conclude at noon on
officially nominate candidates. If you are interested in being Sunday, April 4th. Additional information may be obtained
a candidate, please write to your State Director, expressing by calling (501) 354-2558.
your desire and include a resume of your qualifications. The The scheduled speakers will include Dr. John Mack of
date for receiving nominations in Seguin, Texas, has been the Harvard University Medical School (UFO abduction
extended to February 28, 1993, with the election occur- cases), Norman Oliver (UFO Cases from England), Linda
ring early in the spring of 1993. Moulton Howe, George Wingfield, Antonio Huneeus,
After a miraculous recovery from a three-month ill- Forest Crawford, and a few surprise speakers, plus a panel
ness, we are very happy to report that Mr. Coyne is again discussion featuring "abductees" and abduction researchers.
fulfilling his director's duties and responsibilities and has Computerized Reports Patterns
expressed a sincere desire to run for reelection to a second David Spencer, Staff Computer Specialist, has noted a
term. Shirley has confirmed this diagnosis of his overall few preliminary trends in an initial group of reports entered
health. They will be attending the Ozark UFO Conference
into his computer. A time distribution indicated that the
in Eureka Springs, AR, in April and may drive to Chicago greatest number of reports occurred at 2100, followed by
for the special screening of "Fire in the Sky" on March 1900 and then 2300 local time. Incidentally, none were
llth. reported at 0900. The months of October to December and
Another qualified person has been nominated by the January to March were nearly equally distributed for the
Missouri State Director as a candidate for this important number of sighting reports. This small sample was based
post. He is William E. "Bill" Jones, J.D.. Assistant State upon 175 reports, therefore it must be treated as only pre-
Director for Ohio and State Section Director for Franklin liminary information. Mr. Spencer has been working close-
and Fairfield counties, living in Columbus, Ohio. Bill is a ly with Ron Johnson, Deputy Director, Investigations, in
veteran ufologist, however he has become far more involved Austin, Texas.
in the last few years in his endeavor to revitalize MUFON in
the Buckeye State. A lawyer by profession, he is employed
at the prestigious Batelle Memorial Institute in Columbus.
A third candidate has allowed his name to be submitted
for nomination. He is Walter L. "Barney" Garner, Jr.
(Baton Rouge), Louisiana State Director. Mr. Garner retired
from the USAF in 1972 as a Lt. Colonel and from the fac-
ulty of Louisiana State University in 1988. Since becoming
State Director in 1989, Barney has organized the state
investigative team through Parish State Section Directors
and three geographically located Assistant State Directors.
He produces a very professional state newsletter.
We are seeking other competent candidates in the
Central Region of states. If you have a serious interest in
serving MUFON in a management capacity, please contact
your State Director.
Ozark UFO Conference
The Fifth Annual Ozark UFO Conference will be held
on April 2-4, 1993, at the Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka
Springs, Arkansas. A minimum of 125 rooms will be allo-
cated for people attending the conference, with special
room rates of $36 for single occupancy and $42 for double
occupancy. Room reservations may be made by calling the Forest Crawford - Illinois State Director
Inn of the Ozarks at (501) 253-9768 or writing to the Inn at
P. O. Box 431, Eureka Springs, AR 72632. Please advise the

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993

 DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE f Czarnik, B.S.E.E. (Lake Saint Louis) to become the
r Assistant State Director for Missouri.
F Walter Andrus 0 ^ °;' John F. Amadon and Diane L. Conrad, Co-State
Directors for Vermont recently appointed new State Section
NEWS FROM AROUND THE NETWORK Directors to strengthen their state investigative team. They
MUFON 1993 Symposium are Barbara E. Mills (Hartland) for Windsor County,
The theme for the MUFON 1993 International UFO Stephen J. Smith (Sheburne) for Chittenden County, f

Symposium is "UFOLOGY: The Emergence of a New Raymond D. Hathaway (Ripton) for Addison County,
Science." Hosted by MUFON Virginia, the conference will William J. Chapleau (Rutland) for Rutland County and
take place the weekend of July 2, 3 and 4. 1993. at the Ford Marden (Worcester) for Washington County.
Hyatt Richmond Hotel. 6624 West Broad Street, Richmond, New Hampshire State Director, Peter R. Geremia,
Virginia 23230. Virginia State Director Mark E. Blashak is elevated the following people to serve as State Section
the symposium chairperson and Walt Andrus is the pro- Directors: Walter E. Friesendorf (Milford) for Cheshire
gram chairman. Other committee chairpersons are Mrs. County; Robert W. Heslop (Warner) for Sullivan and
Lisa Blashak, Treasurer: Bruce Hauser. Transportation; (Western) Merrimack Counties; Kenneth E. Foster (Deny)
Eve and Ted Preciado, Registration; and Michael for (Southern) Rockingham County; Sandra G. Black
Hutchison, Public Relations. (Colebrook) for Coos County; Ruth E. Michaud
The list of confirmed speakers reflects the internation- (Hooksett) for Belknap. (Eastern) Merrimack and
al scope of the symposium and the theme. Speakers from (Northern) Rockingham Counties: Rick Twombly
foreign countries are Vincente-Juan Ballester Olmos (Somersworth) for Strafford County; and Cheryl L. Powell
(Spain), Colin Andrews (England). Cynthia Hind (New Boston) for Hillsborough County.
(Zimbabwe), Illobrand von Ludwiger (Germany), and Charles D. Flannigan, Florida State Director, selected
Hoang-Yung Chiang, Ph.D. (Taiwan). Other featured the following new State Section Directors: John W.
speakers on the agenda are John E. Mack, M.D.. George Shelburne (Panama City) for Bay, Calhoun, and Gulf
Knapp, Linda Moulton Howe, John F. Schuessler, Counties; and Melvin H. Tennis, M.A. (Miami) for Dade
Wesley E. Ellison, Jeffrey W. Sainio and Jorge Martin and Monroe Counties. Other new State Section Directors
(Puerto Rico). volunteering their services this month were Steve Valentine
Three-hundred and fifty rooms have been blocked for (Mt. Judea) for the Arkansas Counties of Newton, Boone,
July 2 and 3 at the Hyatt Richmond Hotel for attendees at a Searcy and Pope; Paul L. Colley (Linden, PA) for
special rate of $62 per night for single, double, triple or quad Lycoming and Clinton Counties; Dwight Huffman
occupancy by calling the reservation desk at (804) 285- (Atascadero, CA) for San Luis Obispo County; Victoria
1234 or FAX (804) 288-3961 and advising the desk that you (Lacas) Alexander, (Santa Fe, NM) for Santa Fe County:
are attending the MUFON 1993 UFO Symposium. A lim- and Joseph K. Long. Ph.D. (Greenville) for the Kentucky
ited number of rooms have been reserved for July 1. 4 and Counties of Muhlenberg, Butler, Daviess and Ohio. Dr.
5 for those arriving early or staying over for a few days at Long is also a Consultant in Anthropology.
the same rate. Consultants and Research Specialists
Advanced registrations may be obtained before June 1, Consultants volunteering their expertise this month
1993, by mailing a check or money order for $45 per person were Russell W. Johnson, Ph.D. (Columbia. MD) in
payable to "MUFON 1993 UFO Symposium" to the fol- Communications; Thomas E. Lowe, Jr., M.D. (Houston,
lowing address: Virginia MUFON. P.O. Box 207, Manakin- TX) in Medicine: Timothy F. Conway, Ph.D. (Montecito,
Sabot. VA 23103. After June 1st. the registration fee will be CA) in Psychology; and Donald B. Flitman, M.D.
$50 or $10 per session. (Coconut Grove, FL) in Ophthalmology. New Research
New Officers Specialists are James S. Hatem, M.A. (Chatsworth, CA) in
New leadership volunteering during December and Anthropology and author of the book We Called Them
January matched the increase in membership which ex- Gods ( 1976 ); William D. Murphy, M.S. (Dallas, TX) in
ceeded 4.300. Roger E. Zamora. (San Jose) a pilot, was Geology; Erick Schwartz, M.S.W. (Soquel, CA) in Social
appointed the Representative for Costa Rica. Ricardo Pesar Work; and Michael J. Pacana, M.S. (Boothwyn, PA) in
Calderon Bernal ( M e n d o z a ) was reassigned to the Environmental Engineering.
Argentinian States of Mendoza, San Luis and San Juan by Central Regional Director Election
Juan Eduardo Failla. National Director for Argentina. George R. Coyne will be completing his first four-
Former Assistant State Director, Forest Crawford year term on the MUFON Board of Directors on June 30,
(Collinsville), was promoted to Illinois State Director to fill 1993, as Central Regional Director. The central region is
the vacancy created due to the passing of Thomas P. Stults. composed of the following states: MI. OH, KY, TN, AL,
Bruce Widaman, (St. Charles) selected Marvin R.
Continued on page 23

MUFON UFO JOURNAL No. 298 February 1993