Jeff Ritzmann: Husband, Father, Paranormalist, Radio Host, Artist, Musician – In Memoriam

"Jeff could be crafting a customized Steampunk Guitar early in the morning, then go to work creating fantastic Artwork for George Lucas, come home and research on whether or not a 'UFO' photograph was real or not and then do a podcast on the Paranormal that happens to also showcase his music that he composed."–JA

Just attended the virtual memorial (see below). Heard some great stories including one about Jeff Creating Artwork for George Lucas and George is over his shoulder making suggestions to it. Other stories were from Actors and his work with Lodge-49. Such a gifted, creative and kind soul that the World lost waaay too soon. Jeremy Vaeni who was Jeff's partner on Paratopia for many years, he hosted the Virtual Memorial. (Small back-history, Jeremy and I back in 2004-05 were trying to get permission to camp a few nights at the SkinWalker Ranch. This is while I was investigating Marc Olson's ongoing UFO's in Sonora Calif).

By Johnny Anonymous The UFO Chronicles 2-28-21

He shared a story (with his wife) about how Jeff and Jeremy had both agreed that whomever died first would try to pass a message ... that 'they' had made it over to the otherside.

On the evening of Jeff's passing lights (that were shut off by his wife) came on, other lights were flickering... Both Jeremy and his wife thought this was odd. The following day they learn of his passing was at around the time of the flickering lights.

Anyway cool stories and it was neat to see how many people were moved by him and his work.

Hopefully his adventures now will be more rewarding as he doesn't have the constraints of a human body any more.

See The Thread For Jeff at ATS ►

See Also:

	Angelia Joiner: Journalist, Ufologist, Radio Host, Animal Advocate – In Memoriam
	Project Moon Dust, Operation Blue Fly and Clifford Stone (RIP)
	Veteran UFO Researcher, Larry Bryant Has Died - 2/26/1938 – 10/12/2020

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Project Moon Dust, Operation Blue Fly and Clifford Stone (RIP)

Clifford E. Stone, known for his relentless pursuit of UFO documentation through his use of FOIA died on February 10, in Roswell, New Mexico. Stone rose to fame in the field with his chase of Project Moon Dust and Operation Blue Fly, two Air Force missions that dealt, in part, with UFOs and the recovery of material of either foreign manufacture or of unknown origin. Many of the documents he recovered hinted at secret programs, which the Air Force, at first, denied existed. With the help of United States Senator, Jeff Bingaman, Stone forced the military to admit that the programs did exist.

By Kevin Randle A Different Perspective 2-14-21

But Stone was also a figure of controversy. He claimed, repeatedly, that he had been involved in some of the biggest UFO cases and said that he had been a member of a secret crash retrieval team. As a teenager, he said that he had been near the Kecksburg UFO crash and had seen the military flatbed that removed the object from the woods near the Pennsylvania town. Later, he would say, that as an enlisted soldier, he had glimpsed part of the Alien Autopsy film when it was shown to high-ranking officers on the military post where he had been assigned. The film was later admitted to be a hoax.

Stone spent 22 years in the Army, entering right out of high school, and was trained as a clerk typist. He was deployed to Vietnam and claimed four tours, though his military records showed that he had been overseas for 37 months and not all of it in Vietnam. He said that on arrival in Vietnam, he had asked for an assignment to a combat unit, but that the first sergeant rejected his request. Instead, he would sneak out at night, according to him, to hunt the enemy. There is nothing in the record to support that claim.

I met Stone in February, 1989, in Roswell. He joined Don Schmitt and me, at the Burger King on North Main. For some reason, he appeared in uniform. We eventually, retired to his house where he paced up and down, smoking a big cigar and lecturing Don and me about UFOs. His knowledge was extensive, demonstrating a long and deep interest in the topic.

It was later that he would tell us about his brushes with government agents, who harassed him repeatedly. He would say they would call at all hours and demand he meet them in some deserted location for interrogation often threatening him with firearms. There was no proof that any of this took place.

Later he would say that his involvement on a crash retrieval team gave him inside knowledge of UFOs and that alien beings from 57 different worlds were visiting Earth. The documents he had did not prove this, but did suggest a continuing US interest in UFOs.

After Stone retired from the Army, he worked for a time as a security guard at the Roswell Mall, which would be irrelevant here, except for a tragic circumstance. He was called to the scene of a motorcycle accident not knowing that the victim was his son. I can think of no more horrific circumstance than arriving to assist only to see that it was his son who had been killed.

Stone made the rounds of the talk shows, the radio programs, documentaries and UFO conventions and symposiums, describing his activities with crash retrievals. While his tales were met with an enthusiastic response, there was little in the way of evidence that what he was saying was grounded in reality.

Although I enjoyed talking with Stone, visited him at his home many times, I found his tales to border on the incredible.

Cliff Stone was 72.

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

	Moon Dust and the 4602nd AISS
	Project Moon Dust Revisited
	UFOs, the AISS, and Air Force Interest After Blue Book

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Larry Bryant (RIP) Courts UFOs Whistleblowers and Routinely Files FOIA Requests with the Government (Redux)

The long-distance runner

You’ve probably never met Larry Bryant but chances are you know somebody just like him, a guy with so much time on his hands, he spends a lot of it making neighbors’ lives miserable. But instead of snapping photos of the derelict boat in your driveway or tape-measuring for easement code violations, Bryant courts UFOs whistleblowers and files Freedom of Information Act requests with the government. And if, as researcher/author Robert Hastings contends, F.E. Warren

By Billy Cox De Void 6-23-11

AFB is ordering its folks to shut up about alleged UFO event unfolding near its nuclear missiles on 10/23/2010, chances are Larry Bryant had something to do with it.

After Hastings began fishing around for sources late last year, Bryant took out an online ad aimed at convincing Warren personnel to man up and jump-start a congressional investigation “charged with overseeing our military’s readiness to cope with any other current or future such events.”

For the 73-year-old Alexandria, Va., resident, needling federal bureaucrats comes as naturally as breathing. “It’s a crusade for openness, accountability and fair play. It’s something that, as Americans, we shouldn’t consider a luxury item. But most people don’t have the time for this. I do. I’m retired, I don’t have much of a social life, but I do have some skills.”

Retirement’s not an excuse; Bryant’s been agitating forever. He got the flying saucer bug in 1957, when he joined the venerable and long defunct NICAP civilian investigation group. He was 19. That was 54 years ago. You’d stand a better chance of convincing Tarzan to give up the vines.

Seriously, check out this guy’s blog. Bryant files FOIAs like most people sling rice at weddings. He knows all the right acronyms and all the right lingo, and he’s all over the board. From “a hostile encounter with a group of malevolent UFOnauts” at Fort Benning in 1977 to “any and all NRO-produced reports of spy-satellite interference from alien spacecraft,” Bryant trolls for minnows and tarpon alike.

His latest project: a deathbed confession form, offered to closeted gatekeepers as a way to clear their conscience on the way out the door. Like so many of his solicitations, this one is posted at classifiedads.com

“I view these ads as political poetry,” he says, “and I intend to keep it up.”

Bryant decided to help Hastings after meeting him for the first time last year during the USAF veterans UFO/nukes press conference in Washington. “He’s a grownup nerd like me, and he’s doing very useful work,” says Bryant. “I admire his stamina. He’s in it for the long run.”

Bryant is still waiting for the USAF to satisfy his FOIA request for an incident report on the 50 nuclear missiles that went offline at Warren last October. He doesn’t expect much to come of it. What he’d really like to get his hands on is military gun-cam footage of a UFO. He’s offering a $2,000 reward, but says the figure is arbitrary, that a video of that nature could probably fetch millions. He wishes porn king Larry Flynt would pony up.

“I don’t know why they’re not putting this stuff out there,” Bryant complains. “These UFOs aren’t hostile, the Air Force already says there’s no national security at stake, so what’s the big deal, right?”

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

Langley UFO Reports: Young Larry Bryant of The Air Research Group Says, "Public is Not Receiving Complete Information . . ."

'UFO Cover-up' Add Submitted To Classifieds at 'Robins Air Force Base'

Request for Congressional Assistance/Oversight

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Stanton Friedman, Famed UFO Researcher, Dead at 84

Stanton Friedman, the famed UFO researcher based in Fredericton, has died. Friedman was returning from a speaking engagement in

By Colin McPhail www.cbc.ca 5-14-19

Columbus, Ohio, when he died suddenly at the Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday night, according to his family.

He was 84.

[...]

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

Longtime UFO Researcher, Stanton Friedman is Retiring

The City of Fredericton is Proclaiming Today as Stanton Friedman Day

Pentagon's Secret UFO Search, Stanton Friedman Weighs In | INTERVIEW – VIDEO

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Remembering Mike Fortson – Witness To The 'Phoenix Lights'

Editor' Note: Today, on his birthday (2-24-1953), and in honoring my dear friend, colleague, regular contributor here at TUFOC and direct eyewitness to the large v-shaped craft that flew over Arizona in ’97 (AKA The Phoenix Lights), Mike Fortson, we present his original report below–FW

I awoke from a brief nap in my recliner and leaned over to tell my wife that I was going to bed. I glanced to the clock on the television, it was 8:30 pm. As I walked down the hallway to the master bedroom, I noticed the bedroom window was open.

By Mike Fortson The UFO Chronicles © 1997-2019

The weather was most pleasant this March 13 evening, temp. 75 degrees, clear and no wind.(Jim Schnebelt Fox 10 weather) Typical Arizona spring evening.

As I pulled the window closed, my eyes were attracted to the three huge, bright white lights angled down and very low to the ground. "Plane crash!" I thought. These lights were way too low and angled in a way nothing I know of could pull out of.

I ran down the hallway, grabbed my glasses off the bar and yelled to my wife, of 25 years, "get outside right now!" Without hesitation she followed me out the back arcadia door to the edge of our patio. (I have timed this since and it took app. 8-10 sec)

Standing at the edge of our patio, facing west, and looking north, confussion struck me. For there was no plane crash, but coming from the north and heading south was one, single structure that looked like a giant boomerang. (the description of boomerang, chevron (best), and V shaped object all apply). This object stuck out like a sore thumb in the evening sky due to the fact we were looking north towards the Phoenix metro area, and the city lights gave us a grey background in which to view this huge black V shaped object. It was so low to the surface we could not believe it. I remember saying, "what the hell is that?"

The huge V shaped craft was moving slowly to the south. At this point, still northwest of us, we both saw a 737 in landing approach pass over the object. The plane was coming in from the west heading east. The V shaped craft was heading south from the north. As the 737 passed over the V shaped object, I said, "did you see that! Why didn't the plane get the hell out of there?" But it didn't. The pilot nor the planes computers saw nothing. (Just like the radars at Sky Harbor and Luke AFB. Nothing was detected.)

I would like to explain more on this incident. We live app. 23 miles ESE of Sky Harbor in Phoenix. Planes coming in to land (most of the time) will come out by us, bank to the north (left), proceed for app. 10-12 miles, bank left again (west) and land at Sky Harbor. This is normal landing pattern. I have talked to airline pilots, tower operators, and investigators about the altitude of planes coming in to land at Sky Harbor, at the point of the first bank north where we live. The altitude..1200'. The massive V shaped craft we saw was under 1200' altitude!

As the huge V shaped craft proceeded south, it was almost in front of us, when my eyes followed the left wing to it's end. We live 1/2 mile south of Chandler Blvd. The end of the wing was well past that and at least half way to Ray Rd. (1 1/2 miles north!) I remember saying to my wife, "that son-of-a-bitch is a mile long! As it passed in front of us all we could see is the left wing. That's how low it was. At arm's length the object was at least 30"+ long. I reported it was app. 1 1/2 mile west of us, going down Alma School Rd. But the closest part of the huge V, the end of the left wing was much closer. Maybe within a 1/2 mile. One thing that I remember the most is how this craft "floated" app. 30-40 mph. There was no visual means of propulsion and absolutely no noise. The altitude and speed of the craft never changed.

On March 13, 1997, at app.8:31 pm mst., there was a bright bottom quarter moon setting in the western horizon. I said to the wife, "we're gonna get more detail, look, it's going right into the light of the moon." But instead of greater detail of this huge V shaped craft, what we saw still amazes us. As the front of the V shaped craft entered the light of the moon, this black chevron shaped object became translucent in bright light! We could still see the bottom quarter moon thru the object, but instead of bright white, it (moon) was a dingy yellow. As the V shaped craft exited the bright moon, it became a solid black object again. We watched as the entire craft passed thru this. Seeing a solid object going into and coming out of, was black. But as the craft passed between us and the bright, white moon, it was translucent.

(Something about bright objects...witnesses who had this pass over their heads claim that as the craft passed between bright stars, it was like looking thru...water)

By the time the end (left wing still) was passing thru the light of the moon, the front of the craft was disappearing into the night sky to our south. It never changed course, speed, or altitude. Just faded off into the night sky to the south of us.

During the whole sighting we never moved our feet. We never considered getting a camera. We never thought of yelling for a neighbor. There was no question in our minds that what we saw was not of this Earth. Our total sighting was app. 1 minute and 45 seconds.

See Also:

Remembering Mike Fortson – 'Phoenix Lights' Witness | Interview on ATS Live

Mike Fortson, Direct Eyewitness To The 'Phoenix Lights' Craft Has Died

Vintage Interview with Tim Ley, Mike Fortson, Frances Barwood and Richard Motzer

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

The Errol Bruce-Knapp Phenomena – RIP

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Credit: www.knappsworldwide.net

Editor's Note: As a tribute to Errol, we offer an article penned back in January of '08–may he rest in peace.–FW

The Errol Bruce-Knapp Phenomena
Strange Days Indeed!

As it is with UFOs, Errol Bruce-Knapp is an ongoing phenomena unto himself, and believe me—we’re much better off for it! For those not in the know Errol is a veteran of broadcast media, and those erudite in Canadian AM Newstalk Radio are no doubt aware of his last roost at Newstalk 1010 CFRB in Toronto, with his program entitled, Strange Days Indeed,” having aired on Saturday's, at 9:00 - 12:00 pm.

By Frank Warren The UFO Chronicles © 1-10-08

Sadly that broadcast came to an end recently, much to the chagrin of his regular listeners; however, just like the ever-elusive UFO, Errol keeps coming back!

Barely, skipping a beat, Errol has reinvented himself via a Podcast and for those who require their Strange Days fix, it can now be accessed 24/7!

His most recent podcast features dialogue with mainstream journalist, as well as friend to Ufology, Billy Cox, along with regulars, Dave Furlotte and wordsmith, Alfred Lehmberg.

I found the interview with Cox most fascinating, and although he would undoubtedly deny it, he (Cox) is a Ufologist in his own right.

Cox offers his views on the mainstream media’s, what I call the “wide-berth effect,” as well as how he is able to write UFO pieces (for the Herald Tribune) from time to time. Additionally, current UFO matters were covered e.g., Kucinich’s recent comments, and the UFO Conference at the “National Press Club” etc.

Although Cox was Errol’s most recent interview, many familiar voices have stopped by to talk UFOs; of late, Leslie Kean, UFO icon, Dick Hall (a regular), fellow Canadian, Don Ledger, Stuart Miller, Frank Feschino, Wendy Connors (another regular) to name few.

Errol’s laid back style as well as his upbeat personality puts his guests at ease, and casts an aura that one might find in talking to one’s favorite uncle. That said, given his knowledge of Ufology, he also knows what questions to ask, which elicits some very stimulating privities, and captivating colloquies.

Errol’s widespread erudition of the UFO phenomenon stems in part because he is the architect and repository for the UFO Updates mailing list, which is one of the greatest, if not the greatest asset a Ufologist could hope for via the Internet!

Ufology’s elite, as well as its abecedarians have been drawn together as a result of Errol’s efforts for the past 11 years.

Access to the archives is a must for any researcher, novice and or seasoned veteran alike; not only does one discover the collected input from the best in the business, one will also find accounts of practically every UFO event of the last 11 years, as they happened, as well as discussion about major events in UFO history.

Against the advice of many, the wealth of information, as well as the untold hours of Errol’s time & labor were bestowed upon the public without compensation for over a decade; his toils were given freely, and his expenses absorbed without complaint; however, in these increasingly difficult pecuniary times to ensure that this great benefaction continues a small pittance in the form of a subscription is in place to help off-set some of the operating costs.

For readers and truth-seekers alike with a keen interest in Ufology, and those who prefer to “hear it from the horse’s mouth" as events happen, a subscription is a worthwhile investment (to say the least); for researchers, investigators and or journalists, the UFO Updates Mailing List, along with the SDI Podcast is a must have tool in the inventory!

See Also:

UFO UpDates Passes Ten Year Mark!

In Defense of UFO Updates

The 100 Most Influential People in Ufology Today

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Remembering Ufologist Dee Andrew – RIP

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It is with extreme sorrow I report the passing of long time Ufologist, former host of The Eye To The Sky radio show; friend and colleague, Dee Andrew. She lost her battle with cancer yesterday. Her beloved husband, David shared the sad news at FaceBook in part writing: My angel, the light of my life passed from this world at 2:57 pm today. She was in my arms when she passed and her daughter was sitting next to her and holding her hand. Our grandson was standing beside us as well so she was surrounded by people who love her when she moved to the other side.

By Frank Warren The UFO Chronciles 3-7-16

When Dee's show was in its prime her bio read:

Dee Andrew has been an avid UFO researcher for over forty years. Her personal journey as a UFO researcher began at age ten when she came across the book, “Flying Saucers-Serious Business” by Frank Edwards at the school library. As a voracious reader, she has amassed a huge collection of UFO related books and material.

Included in her research efforts, Mrs. Andrew is also the National Director for the International Community for Alien research (I.C.A.R.). Because she has researched and collected so much information on so many cases she is considered ICAR’s ufology historian as well as its resident expert on the Roswell incident.

As a trained abduction investigator she has worked many abduction cases for ICAR. UFO sightings are nothing new to her because she has had several sighting experiences of her own. She has been interviewed for a local television news story on UFO’s and was featured in an interview in UFO Magazine. Having published several online articles, her research and her efforts with the Eye to the Sky radio program have led to many of the top researchers in ufology being familiar with her work and her name.

It was my great privilege to be a guest on her show back in 2009, and as a tribute to her we present it below:

-part 1-

-part 2-

-part 3-

-part 4-

See Also:

Robert Hastings Joins Host Dee Andrew On Eye To The Sky

Frank Warren Talks UFOs, Aztec, Roswell & Paradise Valley Incidents with Dee Andrew on 'Eye To The Sky' (Redux)

Robert Salas Sheds Light on UFOs & Nuke Missile Sites with Dee Andrew on Eye To The Sky

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Remembering Mike Fortson – 'Phoenix Lights' Witness | Interview on ATS Live

By Frank Warren
The UFO Chronicles
6-14-15

     In the aftermath of Mike’s passing we present a snippet of an interview with Mike recorded back in March of 2012 concerning the Phoenix Lights via ATS Live. Also featured was Dr Bruce Maccabee who called into the show.

* Special Thanks To ATS and the crew at ATS Live

Continue Reading . . .

See Also:

Mike Fortson, Direct Eyewitness To The 'Phoenix Lights' Craft Has Died

Remembering Mike Fortson – The 'Phoenix Lights' Original Report

Phoenix Lights:
Vintage Interview with Tim Ley, Mike Fortson, Frances Barwood and Richard Motzer

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Remembering Mike Fortson – The 'Phoenix Lights' Original Report

Eyewitness Sighting Of Flyover of Arizona 3/13/97, Called "Phoenix Lights"

By Mike Fortson
The UFO Chronicles
© 1997-2015

     I awoke from a brief nap in my recliner and leaned over to tell my wife that I was going to bed. I glanced to the clock on the television, it was 8:30 pm. As I walked down the hallway to the master bedroom, I noticed the bedroom window was open. The weather was most pleasant this March 13 evening, temp. 75 degrees, clear and no wind.(Jim Schnebelt Fox 10 weather) Typical Arizona spring evening.

As I pulled the window closed, my eyes were attracted to the three huge, bright white lights angled down and very low to the ground. "Plane crash!" I thought. These lights were way too low and angled in a way nothing I know of could pull out of.

I ran down the hallway, grabbed my glasses off the bar and yelled to my wife, of 25 years, "get outside right now!" Without hesitation she followed me out the back arcadia door to the edge of our patio. (I have timed this since and it took app. 8-10 sec)

Standing at the edge of our patio, facing west, and looking north, confussion struck me. For there was no plane crash, but coming from the north and heading south was one, single structure that looked like a giant boomerang. (the description of boomerang, chevron (best), and V shaped object all apply). This object stuck out like a sore thumb in the evening sky due to the fact we were looking north towards the Phoenix metro area, and the city lights gave us a grey background in which to view this huge black V shaped object. It was so low to the surface we could not believe it. I remember saying, "what the hell is that?"

The huge V shaped craft was moving slowly to the south. At this point, still northwest of us, we both saw a 737 in landing approach pass over the object. The plane was coming in from the west heading east. The V shaped craft was heading south from the north. As the 737 passed over the V shaped object, I said, "did you see that! Why didn't the plane get the hell out of there?" But it didn't. The pilot nor the planes computers saw nothing. (Just like the radars at Sky Harbor and Luke AFB. Nothing was detected.)

I would like to explain more on this incident. We live app. 23 miles ESE of Sky Harbor in Phoenix. Planes coming in to land (most of the time) will come out by us, bank to the north (left), proceed for app. 10-12 miles, bank left again (west) and land at Sky Harbor. This is normal landing pattern. I have talked to airline pilots, tower operators, and investigators about the altitude of planes coming in to land at Sky Harbor, at the point of the first bank north where we live. The altitude..1200'. The massive V shaped craft we saw was under 1200' altitude!

As the huge V shaped craft proceeded south, it was almost in front of us, when my eyes followed the left wing to it's end. We live 1/2 mile south of Chandler Blvd. The end of the wing was well past that and at least half way to Ray Rd. (1 1/2 miles north!) I remember saying to my wife, "that son-of-a-bitch is a mile long! As it passed in front of us all we could see is the left wing. That's how low it was. At arm's length the object was at least 30"+ long. I reported it was app. 1 1/2 mile west of us, going down Alma School Rd. But the closest part of the huge V, the end of the left wing was much closer. Maybe within a 1/2 mile. One thing that I remember the most is how this craft "floated" app. 30-40 mph. There was no visual means of propulsion and absolutely no noise. The altitude and speed of the craft never changed.

On March 13, 1997, at app.8:31 pm mst., there was a bright bottom quarter moon setting in the western horizon. I said to the wife, "we're gonna get more detail, look, it's going right into the light of the moon." But instead of greater detail of this huge V shaped craft, what we saw still amazes us. As the front of the V shaped craft entered the light of the moon, this black chevron shaped object became translucent in bright light! We could still see the bottom quarter moon thru the object, but instead of bright white, it (moon) was a dingy yellow. As the V shaped craft exited the bright moon, it became a solid black object again. We watched as the entire craft passed thru this. Seeing a solid object going into and coming out of, was black. But as the craft passed between us and the bright, white moon, it was translucent.

(Something about bright objects...witnesses who had this pass over their heads claim that as the craft passed between bright stars, it was like looking thru...water)

By the time the end (left wing still) was passing thru the light of the moon, the front of the craft was disappearing into the night sky to our south. It never changed course, speed, or altitude. Just faded off into the night sky to the south of us.

During the whole sighting we never moved our feet. We never considered getting a camera. We never thought of yelling for a neighbor. There was no question in our minds that what we saw was not of this Earth. Our total sighting was app. 1 minute and 45 seconds.

See Also:

The Non-Investigation of the Phoenix Lights- My View

The Fortsons Recount Their 'Phoenix Lights' Experience On This Nine Year Anniversary

Phoenix Lights:
Vintage Interview with Tim Ley, Mike Fortson, Frances Barwood and Richard Motzer

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Rich Reynolds; UFOlogy´s Biggest Pain! | INTERVIEW (Redux)

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By Stuart Miller
American Chronicle
6-20-08

Editor's Note: With the closing of Rich Reynold's website, The UFO Iconoclast(s), we present excerpts of an interview done with Rich by our old pal Stuart Miller. The interview appeared in Alien Worlds magazine and Stuart graciously granted us permission to publish the following (originally) on 6-20-08.–FW

A series of extracts from the latest edition of Alien Worlds magazine issue 3

   The Rich Reynolds interview; Rich just just talking………

AW: You were talking a few moments ago about Stan Friedman, and in terms of the way you paid tribute to the guy, I have no disagreements. But, somewhat belatedly recently, Loren Coleman gave a reboot to a previous blog posting of yours which went the rounds again and caused a stir. I refer to it as the "Kill them all" piece (in which Rich postulated that UFOlogy wouldn´t move on until all the older researchers and observers had died. Although he never said it, there was a sense within the article of him urging them to get on with it – Ed). Stan would be a perfect candidate for that category. He is one of the old guard. He´s been there since the year dot and really, surely, its people like him that you just want to sweep away in order to usher in a new way of thinking and a fresh approach.

RR: Stanton Friedman is like Moses, telling the story until we´ve had enough of it. But he´s a venerable kind of guy and he´s up there in years, in fact not much older than me, but I would hate to see anything happen to him. He is the ballast in the UFO ship. I think he´s wrong about the MJ12 documents and a couple of other things, but he musters enough evidence to keep things alive and you can´t discount him totally. So I´d hate to see him disappear from the scene, but he is going to at some point which may end up being helpful.

There was a debate on a forum recently about the cult of personality in UFOlogy and who could take up the mantle of the movement. You´ve had this problem too. When you start dealing with people other than Stanton Friedman, like Richard Hall or Jerry Clark or Rudiak or a number of other people, they can be so belligerent to outside views that differ from theirs, and I think it´s time to clear that slate.

You have this gorgeous young woman, Brittany Babakioff, who maybe represents a new generation. I have this thing, which I know you hate, that the messengers are so homely that when we see them on the air that we tend to discount the message. She´s so gorgeous that we would tend to discount the message from her. I´d say, "Oh my God, here´s a babe who has something to say" but you´re so taken aback by her beauty, her attractiveness that you discount what she´s saying. You can´t go either way. You can´t have people too ugly or too beautiful.

AW: Rich, it might be too late in life to try to get you to do this but; you need to focus on the words!

RR: I know but I just get so distracted. Somebody recently said that the message has to have the right messenger. As a psychologist I think there is some validity to that. The problem is we don´t have anybody who stands apart from the UFO crowd; there are just a lot of people within the UFO community who feed off from each other.

But from the public standpoint, who is the spokesman for UFOlogy? It used to be Donald Keyhoe who I actually adored, he had personality quirks or whatever but I loved the guy and he was the face of the UFO message. Goofy as he looked, he made the point for us.

AW: A lot of people would say that Stan is that face in the United States.

RR: When you see Stan Friedman, you know he is going to talk about UFOs, and you expect that. But there is a lack of dynamism about Stan and there´s some mystical element there that he just doesn´t have. But I can´t name anybody else who does what he does. I don´t know who´s going to come forward to make the case in the public eye. Who could do this that would be reasonable and sensible and have the austerity and charisma to get the message across?

AW: Why do we need a figurehead?

RR: You think UFOs on their own are valid enough to represent the issue? You don´t think we need a messenger?

AW: Well I wonder if we need a messenger or whether we need a number of competent people that can talk in an articulate manner about the subject.

RR: You know as well as I do that when you get those people together in a room then it can become a cacophony of nonsense. Everybody would be trying to get attention. In the UFO community, that is what everybody does. Everybody wants to be recognised among their peers and they don´t care about the public. The biggest self promoter is Paul Kimball, who I actually like very much. But he´s a self promoter and wants to be recognised. He´s so diverse and has so many things going on, and he doesn´t concentrate just on UFOs necessarily, but he wants to be recognised. Everybody wants to have somebody hang their hat in their doorway so they can be seen as worthwhile, and they don´t give a dam about the public.

See Also:

Wither [UFO] Iconoclast(s)? 2006-2014 RIP

[UFO] Skeptics or Debunkers?

The Real Roswell Debris?

UFOs and the Old Geezers


Details of Alleged Photographic Evidence Re Roswell UFO Crash Leaked To The Public!

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Wither [UFO] Iconoclast(s)? 2006-2014 RIP

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By Chris Savia
whofortedblog.com
1-12-14

     The UFO Iconoclast(s) began April 2006, beginning with scrutiny of Lonnie Zamora’s encounter at Socorro, unique UFO theories challenging the status quo of UFOlogy, religious aspects of the phenomenon. All the while slaughtering our sacred cows and provoking spirited discussion in the comments. . . .

. . . I found the Iconoclasts to be one of the more intelligent blogs contemplating flying saucers. As Rich made cogent points about the subject matter, he was usually vicious when it came to the community. If one could get past the unmitigated nastiness, there was a kernel of truth giving pause for reflection on the direction being taken in our field. . . .

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See Also:

Rich Reynolds; UFOlogy´s Biggest Pain!

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The Real Roswell Debris?

UFOs and the Old Geezers


Details of Alleged Photographic Evidence Re Roswell UFO Crash Leaked To The Public!

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