THE UFO CHRONICLES

Saturday, August 01, 2015

UFOs Hovered Over Lake County – Where Were You?

By Dan Moran
www.chicagotribune.com
7-31-15

Where were you when the cigar-shaped Unidentified Flying Object appeared over Beach Park on Aug. 7, 2008?

Or when a fireball-style UFO was witnessed by at least seven people in Volo on Sept. 8, 2011?

If you don't recall your whereabouts on those critical dates, then you are obviously participating in the conspiracy of silence. Or maybe you were just sitting in a windowless basement watching "Breaking Bad" reruns.

Whatever the case, you obviously were not among the people who reported those incidents to the "National UFO Reporting Center," a Washington-based organization . . ..

Continue Reading . . .

See Also:

UFO Sphere Captured On Video in Illinois | VIDEO

Police Officer Reports Sphere UFOs Over Niles, Illinois

UFOs Emitting Beams of Light Reported Over Illinois | PHOTO

Continue Reading . . .

See Also:

Radar Shows Stephenville UFO Heading Toward President's Ranch | 7th ANNIVERSARY of THE STEPHENVILLE LIGHTS

Anniversary of 'Stephenville UFO Incident' Passes without Fanfare

Eyewitness, Steve Allen Recounts Stephenville UFO Incident| 7th ANNIVERSARY of THE STEPHENVILLE LIGHTS

Friday, April 24, 2015

Remember When The President's Ranch Got Buzzed by a UFO?

Remember When President's Ranch Got Buzzed by a UFO?

By Christopher Carson
www.americanthinker.com
4-23-15

. . . At around 8:00 pm [January 8, 2008], an enormous, hovering craft with ridiculously bright lights, at least 1,000 feet long (though some witnesses said a mile long), was tracked on multiple radars heading straight for the president's ranch at low speed. The craft lacked a required transponder, was totally unidentified, did not respond to any attempts at communication, and was flying through restricted airspace.

The craft had been observed during the previous hour and a half by a multitude of witnesses, including a constable, a former air traffic controller, the chief of police, and a private pilot. It was apparently doing the impossible. The object was alternately hovering, slowly cruising at low altitude, and suddenly accelerating to over 2,000 miles per hour. No known aircraft of any nation is remotely this size or can perform maneuvers like this.

The private pilot, Steve Allen, told the local paper that "[w]e all flipped out. I didn't sleep a wink last night." Allen had been at the home of Mike Odom in Selden about 6:15 p.m. when they suddenly noticed flashing lights about "3,500 feet above ground level." Mr. Allen estimated the speed of the craft at "about 3,000 miles per hour," heading toward Stephenville. . . .

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Anniversary of 'Stephenville UFO Incident' Passes without Fanfare

Editor's Note: With all the hubbub and erroneous reporting about John Greenewald's new web-site (another) housing the Air Force's Project Blue Files, it seems for the first time, the anniversary of what is now known as The Stephenville Lights has come and gone with nary a peep. In that vein we present some of the original reports that came out after the events of January 8, 2008 in and around the town of Stephenville, Texas–FW

Possible UFO Sighting

By ANGELIA JOINER
Stephenville Empire Tribune
1-10-08

Four area residents witness mysterious object, lights in Selden sky

Steve Allen, Mike Odom and Lance Jones were out admiring a beautiful Texas sunset Tuesday evening when they saw something none of them can explain.

Allen called it an unidentified flying object. And, because he's been a private pilot for more than 30 years, he has a little more experience judging air speeds and distances than most.

“We all flipped out,” Allen said. “I didn't sleep a wink last night.”

Allen was at the home of Mike Odom in Selden about 6:15 p.m. when they suddenly noticed flashing lights about “3,500 feet above ground level,” he said.

“The ship wasn't really visible and was totally silent, but the lights spanned about a mile long and a half mile wide,” Allen said. “The lights went from corner to corner. It was directly above Highway 67 traveling towards Stephenville at a high rate of speed - about 3,000 miles per hour is what I would estimate.”

Allen said the lights were not those of a normal aircraft. He said they were more like strobe lights, and while they were all watching, the lights reconfigured themselves from a single horizontal line into two sets of vertical lights.

“The two sets were approximately one-quarter of a mile apart,” Allen said. “Then they turned into dirty burning flames. The flames were not blue. They were white in color. About two seconds later it disappeared completely.”

Allen said they were all scratching their heads and talking about what it could have been, when approximately 10 minutes later, the object flew overhead again.

“This time it came from the west traveling east towards Glen Rose,” Allen said. “And it was about two or three miles south of 67, and two military jets, possibly F16s, were in pursuit.”

“I was asking, “Are you guys seeing that?” Allen said. . . .

Continue Reading (Multiple Reports). . .

See Also:

Radar Data Shows Stephenville UFO Heading Toward President Bush’s Ranch

Radar Reports Confirm Eye Witness Accounts of Stephenville UFO!

'Stephenville' Investigator's Report

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

UFOs Captured on Video Over Phoenix – What's Old is New Again

UFOs Over Captured on Video Over Phoenix – What's Old is New Again

Editor's Note–The news report above originally appeared five years ago this month and was quickly determined to be a hoax perpetrated by a man who tied road flares to four large helium-filled balloons using fishing line. The prank made national news and caused quite a stir locally, evoking memories of the real UFO events of March 13th, 1997, known as The Phoenix Lights.

For whatever reason, NBC news has the incorrect date (year) for the video in their video playlists, and said video is currently making the rounds (as new)–FW

SHARE YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Sunday, January 16, 2011

3rd Anniversary of The Stephenville Lights Incident | Don’t Bother The Media with Science

By Billy Cox
De Void
1-5-2011

It’s broken-record time again, but there’s no getting around it. Three years ago this Saturday, the arguably most well-documented UFO drama of the 21st century unfolded above the Stepheville region of central Texas. With residents reporting a Hollywood-sized thingamajig shadowing the sleepy cow town and provoking a high-speed jet fighter chase, national and international media scrambled to the scene. After initially stating eyewitnesses were wrong because there weren’t any warplanes in the local skies that night, Carswell AFB near Fort Worth admitted days later that 10 F-16s were conducting the proverbial routine training missions, even as they strayed out of their military operating area. But its explanations never confronted the UFO head-on.

What made this incident truly exceptional was the subsequent analysis posted by Mutual UFO Network investigators. Using FOIA-acquired data from five civilian ground locations, Glen Schulze and Robert Powell recovered 2.8 million radar hits between 4 and 8 p.m. that profiled the object’s journey along a route that ended just outside the no-fly zone surrounding President Bush’s Western White House in Crawford.

So let’s see a show of hands. How many of you have bothered to read this 77-page report? You really should. It’s a demanding document, highly technical and detailed, but that’s the whole point, and it made a sick joke of a military PIO’s attempts to dismiss it as “speculative.” Caught with their pants down, multiple air bases refused to answer direct questions — “Did you have aircraft flying within 50 miles of Stephenville, Tex., on Jan. 8, 2008?” — with yes or no answers and uniformly replied “We have found no records responsive to your request.”

De Void has since approached UFO skeptics who decry a lack of evidence — from former NASA historian Steven Dick to SETI astronomer Seth Shostak — to comment on MUFON’s exhaustive research. Invariably, not a one is familiar with it. And the mainstream media, so eager to interview eyewitnesses three Januarys ago, ignored the MUFON analysis when it went online the following July.

Three years later, co-author Powell, the semiconductor engineer and MUFON research director who requested but received nary a shred of military radar data, sounds resigned to America’s inept mode of media inquiry, whether it’s UFOs or anything else.

“The media isn’t big on details, and it buys into authority figures way too readily,” he says from his home in Austin, Tex. “A good example is the Patriot Act. They bought into the title, but it has nothing to do with patriotism. It takes away the civil liberties of Americans.”

With the absentee press unable or unwilling to shine a light on the MUFON data, there’s no incentive for scientists like Shostak and Dick to become conversant, either. And, according to Powell, the lack of accountability enables the extended complacency of a world view that UFO data increasingly appears to contradict.

“I think there’s two things going on,” Powell says. “For a certain percentage of scientists, simply looking at the evidence equates to a belief in little green men. But we’ve discovered more than 500 extrasolar planets, and inevitably we’re going to find those with water and all the conditions for life as we know it. So we have your Seth (Shostak)-like guys who say, well OK, but we don’t have the faintest possibility of traveling to the nearest star, so nobody else does, either.

“It reminds me of the arguments they were having about whether the Earth was the center of the universe.”

Will this constipated impasse never end?

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

MY UFO EXPERIENCE:
Couple Spots Two UFOs Outside Their Home in Rural Georgia

Reader Submitted Report
[Unedited]
1-7-09

My husband and I live in a rural, wooded area in Chauncey,Ga., about an hour from Macon. This was the summer of 2008.We had just finished watching a movie on t.v., and my husband got up to take the c.d. out of the player. The curtains were open, and he said to me, "What in the world is that?" And I said, "What?" and he said "That bright light, is that a plane?" We rushed outside, and flying very low, almost belowthe power lines were two unknown objects. There was absolutely no sound coming from either one. This was over the farmer's field across the road from us. The one in front was a bright white light. I really couldn't make out any shape. The second one was following the first one in a straight line. It had a long vertical rectangular tail and a square horizontal front section with colored lights on the top tail portion and the front.The first one traveled up the road, then banked off to the right behind houses and trees very quickly, with the second
right behind it, and then were gone.

We were so shocked we both just stood there for a while going "Oh my God, we actually just saw 2 U.F.O.s" I checked all the news on the web to see if there had been any reports in the area, but there hadn't. This is a very religious, small town community where everyone knows everyone, so there probably wouldn't be any reports even if anyone had seen anything. But we know what we saw was no plane. I hope to see one again someday.

Friday, January 02, 2009

2008: Worst UFO Media Year Ever!

By Billy Cox
De Void
1-1-09

2008 started out as just another mediocre year for the mainstream media’s ineptitude with UFO issues. But boy, did that ever change.

It began reliably enough early last January, when Editor & Publisher, the exhausted industry watchdog monitoring the extinction of newspapers and their advertising revenues, found time to chide The Wall Street Journal for wasting 1A real estate on UFOs. The WSJ actually played that story straight by tracking down fellow eyewitnesses to Dennis Kucinich’s 1982 UFO sighting. The E&P was just doing what it's supposed to do. Zzzz.

A few weeks later, the libertarian Cato Institute — those stalwart sentinels for government transparency — decided to terminate the services of adjunct scholar Dom Armentano for writing an op-ed piece in the Vero Beach News-Press. The economics professor’s crime? Advocating the declassification of federal records on UFOs. Had Armentano gotten the hook for writing about racism or some other more conventional corruption, this would’ve been news. But it was only UFOs. So who cared?

And as the months went by, UFOs continued to provide the media intelligentsia with easy rhetorical devices in which to gauge the stupidity of the American people. Eric Alterman flogged the horse in March: “Vastly more Americans believe in flying saucers and 9/11 conspiracy theories than believe in the notion of balance – much less ‘objective’ – in the mainstream news media” Nicolas Kristof took a whack in April: “There’s this embarrassing fact about the United States in the 21st century. Americans are as likely to believe in flying saucers as in evolution.”

So 2008 was shaping up as a garden-variety yawner. Until the drama over Stephenville, Tex., shook down. And as a result of the MSM’s evaporation in the aftermath of this still-unresolved national security fiasco, De Void has proclaimed 2008 as The Media’s Worst UFO Year Ever.

To be sure, there was an initial stampede to the Stephenville region shortly after Empire-Tribune reporter Angelia Joiner’s accounting of the Jan. 8 UFO incident made the wires. TV crews came from as far away as Japan to get the story, and why not? There were plenty of loquacious witnesses to the lit-up, bigger-than-an-aircraft-carrier flying machine that glided silently over the little cow town and reversed its course. Eyewitnesses included cops and a pilot. Better yet, several reported military jet fighters scrambling after it.

An Air Force Base at nearby Fort Worth denied it had planes in the air that night, which was good enough for Newsweek. The emaciated weekly magazine didn’t waste any precious print on the story, but it did run a “Web Exclusive” by a “lecturer in English at Yale University” who attributed the suppertime sighting to sleep deprivation.

But then, not quite two weeks after the incident, as the hoopla subsided, Carswell Field made the surprise announcement that yes, it did indeed have warplanes in the air on the 8th. Not one or two, but 10. Ten F-16s. “Routine training missions.” Its press release said nothing about the UFO. Which raised another question – why bother with issuing a press release at all? Why not just let the event die a natural death? The official statement went against the USAF's own interests. It meant the eyewitnesses were credible.

Carswell’s reversal generated another brief wire-service cycle, but it had nothing to fear from the media.

In May, Dateline NBC promoted a UFO ratings-month special called “Ten Close Encounters Caught on Tape.” Host Hoda Kotb was more into rhymes (“Tonight, an extraterrestrial creature feature!”) and lame cliches (“The experts can argue until they’re as green as the little men whose existence they debate”) as she reviewed UFO cases from as far back as half a century ago. This lady had network resources to work with. And she said nothing about Stephenville. Zilcho.

The reason for Carswell’s embarrassing press release became clear in July when the Mutual UFO Network uncorked an online bombshell – a 77-page evaluation of radar records from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 8 near Stephenville.

In response to MUFON’s Freedom of Information Act request, the FAA produced a 139-meg CD tracking 2.8 million radar hits during that time span along the UFO flight corridor on a southeast beeline toward Crawford, site of President Bush’s “Western White House.” The timeline tapered off at 8 o’clock sharp, the end of MUFON’s request window – with the UFO just 10 miles from Bush’s ranch, and six miles from its restricted air space.

Although the F-16s ventured into unauthorized civilian air space and pulled to within a mile of the object, which carried no transponder and flew at speeds between 49 mph and 2,100 mph, they were nowhere near the craft when it reached Crawford. Neither Carswell nor any other Defense Department entity released radar data, but the former turned over its flight logs for that evening, all of which had been redacted.

“Four days after our FOIAs hit the FAA, they (the military) knew we’d show they had planes all over the place that night,” MUFON investigator Glen Schulze told De Void. “They didn’t have much choice. Fort Worth radar data shows the F-16s from takeoff the landing at Carswell Air Force Base.”

This was an incredible story. Especially the non-responses from various military bureaucracies. There was a brief allusion to the MUFON report on Larry “non sequitur” King. But no wire service coverage. Not even The Wall Street Journal. During the first public presentation of the data in San Jose, Calif., in July, the San Francisco Chronicle showed up, but its reporter didn’t have a clue.

“A chart full of purple dots and black arrows that may or may not indicate aliens flew over President Bush’s Texas ranch in January,” wrote Steve Rubenstein. “The dots and arrows on the chart are as plain as day.”

Schulze, a resident of Littleton, Col., couldn’t even draw ink from the hometown media. But he pointed out that the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News managed to cover Denver rez Jeff Peckman’s press conference, which advocated spending municipal funds on an extraterrestrial liaison committeee.

During the September sweeps, ABC Prime Time aired a rehash of Peter Jennings’ “Seeing Is Believing” report from 2005. There was a brief mention of Stephenville, but reporter David Muir didn’t bother to question military authorities about the FAA records. Which appear to have documented a serious breach of national security. Just for the record, when contacted by De Void, Carswell PIO Maj. Karl Lewis says his employer has no comment on what he describes as MUFON “speculation.”

Finally, in November, during the last ratings period of 2008, CNN’s Miles O’Brien filed a week-long UFO series (pre-empted by the terror attacks in Mumbai) without mentioning the Stephenville case once. Internet cassandras charge O’Brien was terminated immediately thereafter because he dared to venture into The Great Taboo. CNN said it canned O’Brien and its entire science staff as a cost-cutting measure, and there’s no reason to doubt that. No sinister government agency could've possibly been threatened by O’Brien’s UFO reporting.

Stephenville was the only UFO story that mattered in 2008, because it was one of those rare instances where federal records supported eyewitness accounts. It showcased a military response to a threat against the home of the United States president. And the Air Force got away with its lack of accountability (again) because the press wasn’t interested.

Which raises another question: If the MSM’s stunning financial collapse hits critical mass this year, will anyone notice?

Saturday, December 06, 2008

UFO Hunters is Back (The Other One) with a New Name and Station

INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY (ID)

PRESENTS:

NY-SPI INVESTIGATES

DECEMBER 13, 2008 @ 10 PM EST

By investigation@ny-spi.com
12-4-08

In this special presentation, NY-SPI INVESTIGATES chronicles ufologists using cutting-edge technology to investigate claims of UFO sightings and otherworldly experiences. Co-founders Oliver Kemenczky and Ted Davis of the New York Strange Phenomena Investigators (NY-SPI), along with researcher/investigator DennisAnderson, pursue, review and reveal their findings throughout this special.

Originally aired as UFO HUNTERS on SciFi Channel, the program has been uniquely modified for Investigation Discovery (ID). This new "director's cut" version contains never-before-shown scenes so shocking, the other channel was unwilling to broadcast them. Tune in as you see firsthand the passion, dedication and professionalism that drives the NY-SPI team to uncover the truth and to help those affected by the UFO phenomenon.

Discovery Channel Investigation Discovery

NY-SPI INVESTIGATES airs on Saturday, December 13 at 10 PM EST on Investigation Discovery (ID), a Discovery network focused on fact-based investigative content about culture, history and the human condition.

Web site address: http://investigation.discovery.com/tv/ny-spi/ny-spi.html

AIR TIME AND DATE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS FOR PROGRAM DETAILS AND STATION IDENTIFICATION!!!

Thursday, July 03, 2008

On The Road To Roswell 2008: A Discussion With Donald Burleson

By Thomas Horn
RaidersNewsNetwork.com
6-9-08

Editors note: This is part of a special series of Raiders News Network interviews focusing on the 61st Anniversary of the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico UFO Incident. RNN is joined by Donald Burleson, New Mexico State Director of MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, and author of "UFOs and the Murder of Marilyn Monroe."

RNN: Donald, thank you for once again participating in the Road to Roswell. Of course this series involves the subject of UFOs and related phenomena. You have said in your book The Golden Age of UFOs that sometimes the old “classic” UFO cases are the best. Why is that?

BURLESON: The old cases from the late 1940s through, say, the late 1950s, or even a bit later, are often the best because they happened in a different age, in some ways a more ‘innocent’ age if I can put it that way. If someone has a photo purporting to be of a UFO from back then, it’s pretty hard for that to have been faked so well that modern computer image analysis couldn’t tell. Half a century ago the technology for faking things didn’t exist the way it does today.

RNN: You’re speaking at this year’s UFO Festival in Roswell on some of the old cases you’ve worked on, particularly the Lubbock Lights and the Levelland, Texas case. Why those?

BURLESON:Those are extremely important UFO cases for a number of reasons. There were numerous witnesses, for one thing, and official denial and silly cover stories for another.

RNN: What kind of official denial or cover stories?

BURLESON: In the case of the Lubbock Lights—and I have new witnesses from all over west Texas who saw these things in late August of 1951—the government and military people said the lights were the reflection of streetlamps on the bottoms of ducks. Never mind that I have a new witness who saw them out in the country where there were no lights, and never mind that I’ve estimated the airspeed of the objects at between 1,300 and 1,600 miles per hour, a bit too fast for ducks unless you shoot them out of a cannon.

RNN: What about Levelland?

BURLESON: In Levelland, Texas, on the night of November 2-3, 1957, a large oval object landed on the roadways around the town in several spots and was seen by several motorists, as well as by Sheriff Weir Clem. The government and military people said that this one was ‘ball lighting,’ but told the sheriff to ‘drop it’ and in fact warned him in very harsh terms never to talk about what he had seen. Pretty strange if all these people saw was lightning.

RNN: How do you know they threatened the sheriff?

BURLESON: Well, in effect I reopened the case, when my wife Mollie and I spend several days there finding new witnesses, and as part of this process I located and interviewed one of Sheriff Clem’s daughters, who told me in no uncertain terms that they told her father to keep his mouth shut if he knew what was good for him.

RNN: So you feel that both these cases are strongly supported by witnesses, and not likely to be hoaxes or ordinary circumstances misinterpreted?

BURLESON: That’s exactly right. In the end we have a choice in the field of UFO studies. We can believe the government cover stories, or we can believe well-correlated, thoughtful testimony of intelligent witnesses. I’ll vote for the witnesses.

RNN: In your estimation are there modern UFO cases that may be as important as these old classic cases?

BURLESON: In spite of the fact that we have to be very careful about what we believe nowadays, I would say yes, there are still very important and very well-attested cases happening. Certainly in 1997 the Phoenix Lights would be a prime example. Another would be the Stephenville, Texas sightings of January 8, 2008. Both of these cases had many hundreds of witnesses, and the events described can’t be mundanely explained away, even though the authorities have tried. They insult our intelligence by trying to do that.

RNN: Three years ago during the anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death, a Los Angeles County prosecutor who investigated her case said the he wanted a new autopsy done on the Hollywood sex symbol because large doses of barbiturates found in her body may have been administered "by someone else." John Miner, 86, told the Los Angeles Times that Monroe's psychologist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, had allowed him to listen to secret audiotapes made by the star during one of her therapy sessions just before her death and that a "key revelation of the alleged tapes" was that "Monroe was not depressed." She was in fact anything but suicidal according to Minor--very happy, and actively planning her future. What did Minor believe happened to Monroe? He wasn't exactly saying, but he indicated she had been "suicided" by the CIA. You are the one man who may know the real story behind Marilyn Monroe's death and whether or not Miner was right, or partly right, since you wrote the book titled "UFOs AND THE MURDER OF MARILYN MONROE". What first suggested to you that the death of Marilyn Monroe was connected to UFO secrecy?

BURLESON: It was the now famous Marilyn Monroe CIA memo, which has circulated for a number of years now since its being released by FOIA request.

RNN: The infamous libido of the Kennedy boys, as well as in a bigger sense how often other famous men have gotten in trouble over beautiful women, is nothing new. Why else would foreign and domestic government intelligence agencies spend so much time and money recruiting femme fatales as spies in order to bring us dumb men down, right? But the purported CIA document you have mentioned in the past, dated 3 August 1962, which surfaced in the early 1990’s may reveal that Marilyn Monroe was 'suicided' over something even more intimate; her knowledge of the Roswell UFO crash and the recovery of alien bodies -- information she allegedly was told during pillow talk with John F. Kennedy. If you can, tell us what this document actually says and also whether the legitimacy of the document has ever been authenticated.

BURLESON: Basically it says that the government is worried about John Kennedy's having told Marilyn classified information, and given that it mentions the President's visit to a secret air base to view "things from outer space," it's clear that that means UFO information. Yes, the CIA document has been authenticated -- I tricked the CIA into authenticating it themselves, because I put in a FOIA request for Marilyn's wiretap transcripts, and when the CIA refused to release them (or even admit they had them) I filed an appeal based on the famous memo, and the appeal was accepted, which would be clearly contrary to Agency policy if they didn't themselves recognize the memo as legitimately one of their own as I had specified.

RNN: Following Vatican chief astronomer Father Jose Gabriel Funes interview saying it's okay for Catholics to believe in Aliens, Tom Horn wrote an article called Is the Vatican easing humanity toward alien disclosure? In it he pointed out how Funes was just the latest in a string of Vatican authorities including Guy Consolmagno, Monsignor Corrado Balducci, the now deceased Father Malachi Martin and others who in recent history provided carefully crafted language that almost seems to be designed to help church faithful face the possibility of ET contact. Consolmagno went so far as to the say the chances of finding ET are now better than not. Do you think the Vatican has ET evidence of some kind or knows that governments do and that it will someday be released?

BURLESON: It's conceivable. The Vatican is a vast fortress of secrecy itself in many ways, and it's pretty nearly as hard to know what's going on there as it is what's going on in black-budget government outfits.

RNN: In the several interviews we have done with Jesse Marcel Jr. on radio and news print, we asked him a question that often comes up about UFOs and religion. Jesse is a devout Catholic and like some of the high profile church astronomers that have been in the news recently talking about the possibility of intelligent alien life, he agrees that contact with extraterrestrials or some other proof of their existence is not in conflict with church's teachings. Have you given any thought to this question concerning the spiritual or psychological ramifications of what Roswell may represent with regard to people's religious ideas?

BURLESON: I'm an atheist myself and have never had any conflict between UFOlogy and any other corners of my mind, but frankly I don't see why religious people should have any conflict either. It may be psychologically somewhat unsettling, though, for some, if we end up having to admit, universally, that we're a young and relatively undeveloped species compared to some of our visitors.

RNN: What do you make of the latest Indiana Jones film and its ties to Roswell.

BURLESON: I haven't seen the film yet, but in general filmmakers do sometimes seem to have interesting inside tracks, somehow. The classic film THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL for example uses the character-name "General Cutler," and it's interesting that someone in that production must have been aware that there really was a UFO-involved Cutler (a former general) on the Truman and Eisenhower staffs.

RNN: Well then I won't ruin the film by telling you the plot, but it does involve Roswell and 1947. Have you worked on the Roswell case itself?

BURLESON: Yes, I've done decipherment work on the famous Ramey Memo, have interviewed witnesses, and have done mathematical-physics trajectory studies of the crash.

RNN: What do you see for the future, in the field of UFO studies?

BURLESON: As a professional mathematician, I'm delighted to see the whole field of UFO studies moving very solidly in the direction of scientific rigor. I've always been one of the "hard science" guys in this field, and I'm glad to see us moving away from mysticism and nonsense and into disciplined fields of study. UFOlogy deserves to be thought of as a respectable science itself, and that's coming.

RNN: Are you giving a lecture during the Roswell Festival this year? If so, tell us what it's about and when and where people can hear it.

BURLESON: Yes, I'm doing a talk on July 4th (don't know what time of day yet) titled "Lubbock, Levelland, Roswell, and the Reality of Extraterrestrial Visitation." I've been privileged to work on some of these classic cases, and I want to describe some of what I've been able to find out, via a PowerPoint slide show.

RNN: Donald, thanks for taking time to discuss this research with us during The Road To Roswell 2008 series. Please tell us how people can learn more about your research.

BURLESON: Go to my publisher website www.blackmesapress.com where you can see some of my books, and also some mathematical research I've been engaged in.

Roswell UFO Festival Begins Thursday

By KOAT.com
7-3-08

ROSWELL, N.M. -- Thousands of people from around the world are heading to southeastern New Mexico on Thursday for the first day of the Roswell UFO Festival.

The annual event pumps hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy, with hotel rooms booked solid for miles around the community.

Many people believe say a flying saucer crashed 61 years ago on a ranch near Roswell. Some accused the government of covering up the incident. Widespread interest in that event led to the creation of the UFO Festival.

Weekend events include a parade, alien costume contests and UFO-themed movie showings. The festival lasts through Sunday

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Tourists invade Roswell for UFO Festival

By Heather Burke & Todd Dukart
krqe.com
7-2-08

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE-KBIM) - As Roswell's annual UFO festival approaches, tourists and television networks are headed to town in droves.

The theme this year: "Absolutely everyone will be here." And that's just what organizers are banking on.

"We've always wanted to come here," said Erin Files. "We're very interested in science fiction."

Roswell, of course, is where a mysterious object crashed in early July 1947. While some believe it was just a weather balloon, others think the object was an alien ship.

Either way, about 8,000 humans are expected to converge on the city through the weekend.

The UFO Museum, its gift shop and other area businesses are also getting ready for the expected rush.

The festival kicks off Thursday at 5 a.m., when Dave Price of the CBS "Early Show" broadcasts live from the Roswell Convention and Visitors Center.

From there, shows, vendors and lecturers will take off - at least figuratively.

The whole kit and caboodle ends Sunday at 7:30.

The CBS "Early Show," as is standard for network morning news, is tape-delayed in New Mexico. It airs at 7 a.m., right after KRQE News 13 In the Morning.

Friday, April 18, 2008

MY UFO EXPERIENCE: Couple Reports V-Shaped Craft Cruising Low 'n' Slow Over Arizona Neighborhood

Reader Submitted Report
4-15-08

Editor's note: Intrigued by yet another report of a "V-Shaped craft" over Arizona skies, I posed some questions to the witness, who was quick to provide answers, see below--FW

I live in Power Ranch in Gilbert Arizona. About a month ago my husband and I saw some type of craft in our neighborhood. We tried to follow this craft but it vanished in thin air. We were not the only cars following this object. It made no noise and almost seemed like it was just floating very close to the tops of houses in our neighborhood. We have not talked about it with anyone for the obvious reasons but saw the pic’s on your website and really it took my breath away.

I really would like to know if anyone else has reported this to you?

FW: Thanks for taking the time to share you very interesting "UFO experience." If you don't mind, I have several questions:

Let's start with the date, and time.

Wit: 2nd week in March / sorry cannot remember the exact day really just tried to forget about it. Time was around 7:15

FW: Location?

Wit: Germane & Baseline

FW: Describe the weather . . . light, clouds, wind etc.

Wit: Clear night / clearly see the stars/ calm night

FW: Description of the object?

Wit: Triangle in shape / almost as if it was floating just feet from the houses in our neighborhood

FW: Speed?

Wit: It was moving a little faster than a blimp would

FW: How did you notice it?

Wit: The lights at each point of the object caught our eyes/ we thought it may have been a rescue chopper at first but as we moved close you could see the outline of this object and there was no noise

FW: Anyone else see it?

Wit: As we followed it to a field at Rittenhouse road and Baseline there were a line of cars behind us (about 8) and we all ended up having to make a u turn as the street ended. We did not want others to think we were crazy and had thought something would have been on the news about this. My husband and I are very skeptical of things and we believe on fact and evidence but we are speechless over this experience and at times still question ourselves.

FW: Did you report it to anyone at the time?

Wit: I called my daughter when it happened but I don’t think she believed me so we did not speak with anyone else.

FW: Using a quarter at arm's length, how big was the object in relationship?

Wit: Half dollar would be more accurate

FW: What angle was at in relationship to your position?

Wit: Slightly to our left as we turned into our neighborhood.

FW: How exactly did it disappear . . . did it fade out? Did it shoot away? Details please.

Wit: It was all very strange how it just seem to float across the road and above the rest of the neighborhood. When it got close to the field it just faded out. It’s really unexplainable we are still in shock and at this time it really seems like a dream. The image is stuck in my head and every night I’m looking in hopes to find out what this could possibly be.

FW: How did you feel at the time of your sighting?

Wit: Curious, disbelief, confused and disoriented toward the end. My husband and I did not speak a word after the object disappeared.

FW: What picture are you referring to on the web-site?

Wit: The triangle shape one. I do not believe the one on the website is real but a very close resemblance. I cannot even believe I’m talking about this since I still cannot believe it.

FW: Is there anything else you can add that might be pertinent to your experience?

Wit: Nothing else I can think of at this moment. Please let me know if anyone else contacts you about this.

Friday, March 28, 2008

The Aztec UFO Symposium 08: The Stage is Set!

By Frank Warren
© 3-23-08

This weekend (28th-30th) will mark the 11th anniversary of the Aztec UFO Symposium. The event was borne as and continues to be a fund-raiser for the “Aztec Public Library,” sponsored by the “Friends of The Aztec Public Library.”

Aztec Crash Site
The quaint town of Aztec, New Mexico is located in the scenic Four Corners Area, where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona meet; given its small size, and “out of the way” local, some might have reservations about the caliber of an event being held there, in contrast to larger cities e.g., Las Vegas or the San Francisco Bay Area etc.; however, Aztec doesn’t disappoint, and never has since it’s inception—it (the symposium) is grandiose by merit!

The premiere Symposium featured speakers such as, “Dr. Roy Craig,” chief field investigator for the "Condon Report," The Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects; best-selling author, and UFO investigator, “Jim Marrs” shared the mic, along with former State Representative, “Andrew (Andy) Kissner (to name a few).

Over the years Aztec has seen the likes of such keynote speakers as: Edgar Mitchell, Jan Aldrich, Peter Gersten, Peter Davenport, John Schuessler, Dr. Bruce Maccabee, Wendy Connors, and Karl Pflock for example; additionally, renowned Ufologists, Stanton Friedman and Dennis Balthaser have called Aztec a second home in regards to speaking engagements, the latter often times MCing the event, as is the case this year.

Although this article’s focus is of the speakers, and the event that has precipitated the symposium, there is a host of other activities that compliment the occasion, for full details visit the official “Aztec UFO 2008 Web-site.”

As mentioned previously, the Aztec Symposium has built a reputation for attracting keynote speakers; this year’s line-up maintains that tradition:

Returning as Master of Ceremonies is respected researcher, “Dennis Balthaser”; his work regarding the “Roswell Incident” is heralded among veteran Ufologists and abecedarians alike. The repercussions of said efforts encouraged an invitation to join the advisory board for the “Great Pyramid of Giza Research Association,” another area of research he thoroughly enjoys.

Given Dennis’ vast knowledge of the “Roswell Incident” he has become the “go to guy” by the media on the subject having done over 350 TV, radio and other media interviews related to the event, most recently appearing on the “The Today Show” (weekend edition) hosted by, “Lester Holt.”

Early on, the “Friends of The Aztec Library” were quick to realize the great asset they had in Dennis Balthaser as an emcee; he is a great facilitator and keeps the conference running like a fine tuned engine; his laid back and charismatic style offer a perfect transition between speakers.

Another long time friend to the Aztec Symposium is none other then renowned Ufologist, “Stanton T. Friedman”; in order to do justice to his long list of accolades another article would be obliged; however, for me given his long time service in the field, as well as his many accomplishments, I have nicknamed him the “Godfather of Ufology!

There is a bit of irony with Ufology in general, and the union between the subject matter and Stan himself; that is to say, most folks don’t give it much thought, but there are a good many well known researchers that may have been content to never ask, or inquire about UFOs if not for Stan; people forget he was the one who broke the Roswell Incident wide-open!

Had it not been for his research, the definition of “Roswell” would have remained “a little town in New Mexico” opposed to the notion of disc-shaped craft and extraterrestrial beings it conjures today; there wouldn’t have been any TV shows, movies, books or probably the very symposium I’m addressing now, as well as many others that have followed suit.

Although Stan’s name will forever be melded with UFOs in general and Roswell in particular, his work and background as a nuclear physicist has certainly lent credence to the field of research, and definitely been an asset in his approach to the UFO enigma.

Stan took an interest in UFOs in 1958, to date he has lectured at over 600 colleges he’s addressed 100 professional groups in 50 states, 9 provinces, and 16 other countries. He has published more than 80 UFO papers and appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs; he has been tasked to present written testimony to Congressional Hearings; his expertise was requested twice during “UN proceedings” regarding the UFO phenomenon.

His pioneering efforts have adorned not only Roswell, but other categories of UFO related research such as “MJ-12, the Barney and Betty Hill abduction case, and the Marjorie Fish Star Map in the aftermath to name a few.

His books include:

"Crash at Corona: The Definitive Study of the Roswell Incident."

TOP SECRET/MAJIC

"Captured: The Betty and Barney
Hill UFO Experience"

Later this year, we’ll see his latest contribution: "Flying Saucers and Science,” what Stan deems his Magnum Opus.

Flying Saucers and Science By Stanton Friedman

Staying in a Roswell vein, “Dr. Jesse Marcel” will make his first appearance at this year’s symposium. Jesse Jr., “just like his father” is a true patriot; having joined the Navy in 1962, he was at the front door so to speak when the world held its breath during the “Cuban Missile Crisis.”

In 1973 he joined the Montana Army National Guard, went through helicopter flight training as a flight surgeon at Ft. Rucker, Alabama and earned his wings in 1981.

In that capacity, he was eligible to be called for duty in Iraq, which took place in 2004 at the age of 68! He flew 225 hours of combat missions while “in country” as a flight surgeon for the 189th Attack Helicopter Battalion; eventually being discharged at the end of 2005. He’s currently in the “Ready Reserve.” “Honor and duty” flow heavily in the Marcel bloodline!

Of course both Jesse and his father are “icons” in Ufology, but for those turning the first page, as a young boy Jesse was awoken by his father late one night in the summer of ’47 to share in something that would change his life forever; the story his father would tell, and the exotic material that lay before him would be the formation of a legacy that he would inherit decades later.

That “legacy” has culminated in a book of a similar name, i.e., “The Roswell Legacy.” Jesse’s oratory will explore parts of the book, but having read it (in one sitting) I can say with great fervor it is a “must read” for the UFO maven and enthusiast alike.

Choosing Aztec to make his “speaking debut,” producer, writer and editor “Duane Tudahl” will offer his perspective from a filmmaker’s point of view regarding the UFO phenomenon.

Duane, most recently identified with the “UFO Files” shows on the “History Channel” will discuss what happens on the “other side of the camera” while making a UFO documentary. He’ll share his “inside information” concerning the politics of programming directly relating to UFO shows.

Duane’s work is an asset to Ufology; with so much “noise” out there on the subject, he’s a breath of fresh air! Recently branching out on his own, he founded “Mariner Point Productions” and we look forward to his upcoming endeavors.

From across the pond, a rare treat will be bestowed upon attendees at this year’s symposium; best selling author, accomplished musician and long time Ufologist, “Timothy Good” will grace the stage. His groundbreaking work in Ufology is praised by all, and his books have become mandatory works in one’s UFO library.

No stranger to dissertation, Timothy has addressed audiences in a myriad of venues such as: the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, the Royal Canadian Military Institute, the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Naval Air Reserve Branch, the House of Lords All-Party UFO Study Group, and the Oxford and Cambridge Union societies.

His presence has been requested at the Pentagon as well as the headquarters of the French Air Force; his expertise was employed in several U.S. Congressional investigations.

He has been interviewed by media from various countries including Russia, and has been involved on the “other side” of the camera as well, having co-produced several documentaries on the UfO subject.

His best-selling books have included:

Above Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Cover-up

Beyond Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Security Threat

Alien Liaison: The Ultimate Secret

Alien Base: Earth's Encounters with Extraterrestrials

Following in those same standards is his latest penscript entitled, NEED TO KNOW - UFOs, Military and Intelligence; this book as is its predecessors is simply superb! His upcoming oratory will summarize this latest work, but again having had the luxury of getting an “early copy” (British version) I cannot overstate my enthusiasm for Timothy’s latest efforts!

For many of the uninformed, and or pyrrhonistic minded folk, “evidence” is always on the forefront; the ignorant assume the UFO phenomenon is about distant lights and blurry pictures; the pyrrhonist says, “show me the evidence” then ignores it! This is where another “UFO luminary” comes in:

Ted Phillips, aside from being an engineer, professional photographer, and musician, is also the director of the “Center for Physical Trace Research,” which was borne in 1998.

Although CPTR was established in ’98, the body of evidence that it holds spans 38 years, and was culled from more then 90 countries; the files encompass almost 3200 trace/landing cases (physical evidence).

Ted began his UFO trek in the early 60’s, and that venture would connect him with Allen Hynek before the end of the decade; he would remain a close friend and colleague until Hynek’s death.

It was Hynek himself who prompted Ted to focus on “physical trace evidence” associated with UFO sightings. Under that advice, Ted has personally investigated more then 600 UFO cases, and become the largest repository for physical trace evidence in support of the UFO phenomenon on the planet.

Much like Friedman his accolades are numerous; he has made presentations to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerospace Sciences Meetings, the United Nations Secretary-General at the UN in New York, the First International UFO Congress to name a few . . ..

He’s no stranger to the media either, having been on a host of television shows, documentaries and radio interviews; additionally, he has authored two books: Physical Traces Associated with UFO Sightings - A Preliminary Catalog and Delphos: A Close Encounter of the Second Kind, while having his work employed and or cited in dozens more. When Ted takes his turn at the podium you’ll notice the other speakers sitting in the front row!

Another newcomer this weekend will be police office and UFO investigator, “Ken Storch”; a veteran of the force for over 25 years, currently residing/working in Aurora Colorado, Ken became interested in UFOs in the late 60’s after having had a mind-numbing experience! While assigned to the Strategic Air Command in the Air Force, 5 UFOs were being tracked, and it was feared they might be “Russian ICBM’s”; the realization that this was not the case came shortly after the objects changed course in unison. According to Ken this caused such a commotion, a “DEFCON-4 status” was put into effect!

These objects were directly over U.S. airspace heading north into Canada; our pursuit aircraft were scrambled, and offensive and defensive measures were initiated. The objects were never engaged, and were soon lost and curiously the incident was never publicized.

No surprise that Ken has been involved in the investigation and research of the UFO phenomenon ever since. Ken applies his investigative skills garnered from his years on the force to Ufology; this pragmatic approach will be explained in his oratory, as well as his views on the government’s refusal to disclose information pertaining to UFOs.

The UFO personage mentioned thus far would make any promoter of like conferences more then a little giddy; however it doesn’t end there; MUFON International Director, “James P. Carrion” will be addressing this weekend’s audience as well.

James’ interest in Ufology began at the tender age of 11 while living in Puerto Rico; during that time the island was experiencing a UFO flap.” Young James began clipping newspaper articles on the events, and it’s been in his blood ever since.

Moving to Colorado in ‘96, James joined the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) and worked as the state section director for both North Eastern and North Western Colorado. Having a “computer background,” James proposed an idea to electronically archive all MUFON’s UFO case files; consequently, the “Pandora Project” was borne.

James methodically moved up the ranks in MUFON, first serving on the International Business Board for three years before being elected as the MUFON International Director in 2006.

In his allocution, he will cover the new challenges of the UFO researcher, particularly the benefits and pitfalls of the Internet in regards to UFO research and will offer some recent cases as examples.

Bringing up the rear this year is husband and wife team, “Scott & Suzanne Ramsey”; the Aztec UFO Symposium is a special event for them in more then one way as it was the common denominator that precipitated their marriage.

Moreover, it’s a safe bet to say that without Scott Ramsey the “Aztec Symposium” probably wouldn’t exist today, or at least in the measure that we know it.

The distinguished speakers that participate year after year are there in no small part due to the efforts of Scott; the dedication he has to the event is admired by all, which coincides with the respect he has earned amongst other researchers.

Additionally, his investigation into "The Aztec UFO Crash of 1948" is the essence of the symposium itself; picking up where researcher, “Bill Steinman” had left off, Scott has uncovered new witnesses, documents etc., in support of the notion that a “flying disc of extraterrestrial origin” crashed at Hart Canyon just outside of town.

Suzanne, who before moving to North Carolina with her husband hosted her own local radio show, she will revive that roll as the Ramsey’s make their presentation in a “Q & A” fashion.

The summation of the Ramsey’s work, including, but not limited to, 18 years of research, traveling to 29 states, interviewing 60 + 1st and 2nd hand witnesses will be realized in a book coming out later this year.

Their oration will be an overview of the Aztec crash and surrounding events, as well as some exciting new developments.

On a final note a great debt of gratitude must be paid to event planner “Katee McClure”; without her efforts the Aztec UFO Symposium would not be possible—thanks Katee girl!