ETs, UFOs and Conspiracies Highlight 'Aztec 8th Annual UFO Symposium'

By Debra Mayeux
The Daily Times
4-3-05

AZTEC — Extraterrestrial biological entities, foreign discs and enemy weapons systems are descriptions found in many declassified government reports from the late 1940s and early 1950s.

When the phrases are pieced together with the common knowledge of alleged UFO crashes in New Mexico and the more recent cases of alien abductions, there is a story about government cover-ups and extraterrestrial life possibly living among humans and controlling them. This was the message from Linda Moulton Howe, who spoke Saturday at the 8th annual Aztec UFO Symposium at the Aztec Boys and Girls Club.

Howe, an investigative reporter and expert on extraterrestrial phenomenon, used a number of alleged UFO crashes in New Mexico to tell get her point across. She also told her theories of what happened in Roswell in 1947 and in Aztec in 1948.

It was Howe’s theory that a “foreign disc” carrying “humanoids” was shot down in July 1947 near Roswell. It was brought down with “20 millimeter canon fire,” after the U.S. Army Air Force received orders to fire upon all hostile “foreign weapons systems” or UFOs.

Aztec was a little different.

Howe said an unidentified military agent told her: “We did not shoot that one down.”

Instead the spaceship — a pewter, circular-shaped craft — flew into the path of radar beam. It was brought down in Hart Canyon and discovered by some oil field workers responding to a well fire in the area.

“There were two badly charred bodies, four feet in height” on the craft. The bodies were later described by the military as “dead non-human beings,” Howe said.

These two crashes and possibly two more in New Mexico became a part of the big government cover-up that began in the era of Harry Truman, who ordered those in the know to lie, she said.

“The suppression began as a policy of denial,” Howe said, adding that was followed by a “shoot down” policy implemented by the military.

The “shoot down” policy lasted through the mid-1950s, when according to Howe’s military informant, ended because “We lost so many of our own planes and pilots.”

The aliens were hostile, and people could not know because there would be a “War of the Worlds type of hysteria,” Howe said.

More than 50 people listened to Howe. Those, who purchased weekend passes to the annual event will hear more today with speakers talking about Roswell, showing off UFO photographs and sharing more government conspiracies.

Doreen Chavez of Nageezi said she enjoys UFO lectures and museums. She attended the Roswell UFO event last year and decided to give the Aztec event a try.

“It’s interesting. UFO crashes have happened all over the world,” Chavez said. “I wanted to see what was going on here.”

Caroline Robblee brought her grandchildren to the symposium, because the children — aged 14 months to 12 years old — love ETs.

“They saw the signs and got excited,” said Robblee of Aztec.

She had heard of the alleged Aztec crash and wanted to learn more about it, she said holding the 14-month-old, who was wearing alien antennas.

“If we can be here, why can’t they,” Robblee said. “I’m totally open to life on other planets.”

The symposium opens 9:30 a.m. today with David Rudiak speaking on Roswell. Also on the agenda are Rob Swiatek and John Greenewald, Jr.