Monday, March 31, 2025

The U.S. Intelligence Community Monitors UFO Researchers’ Activities: (Redux)


Implemented by the CIA in 1953, the Practice Continues Today


"By the early-1980s, the involvement of the FBI, the CIA, and the NSA in the collection of UFO-related data had been firmly established."

(Originally published on Wednesday, July 31, 2013)


     In 1973, when I began interviewing former/retired U.S. military personnel regarding their UFO experiences at nuclear weapons facilities, I didn’t give much thought to the possibility that the intelligence community would take an interest in my activities [ad].

At that point, the CIA’s “Robertson Panel” Report—which recommended surveillance of American UFO-research advocacy groups—was still classified. Indeed, as far as the public knew, the only component of the U.S. government responsible for UFO-related matters was the Air Force.
Robert Hastings - www.theufochronicles.com
By Robert Hastings
The UFO Chronicles
3-30-25

However, that myth slowly faded away as classified documents began to be pried loose for public inspection via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). By the early-1980s, the involvement of the FBI, the CIA, and the NSA in the collection of UFO-related data had been firmly established.

My own naiveté regarding what I considered to be the remote possibility of covert surveillance of my own activities was shattered in early 1982, shortly after I first went out on the American college lecture circuit to report my findings. Those public programs resulted in media coverage by numerous newspapers, including the New York Times, as well as the Associated Press and United Press International.

Apparently, FBI also took notice.

In 2012, veteran UFO researcher and Freedom of Information requestor Larry W. Bryant sent me a letter he had received from the FBI—in response to an FOIA request on my behalf—in which the bureau acknowledged that their records indicated the existence of files on my UFO-related activities. However, according the letter, a search for those files was unsuccessful because they were supposedly “missing”. Neither Bryant nor I believe that to be the case.

The first indication I had that someone was monitoring my research activities came within months of my first national publicity. It was/is my practice to tape record my interviews with the military veterans—who have described observing UFOs maneuvering near or hovering over ICBM sites, nuclear weapons storage areas, or similar locations. Beginning in February 1982, after each and every telephone conversation with one of those individuals, recorded with their permission, it became clear that someone was tapping my phone.

After each interview, only moments after hanging-up, I received a mysterious call from someone who said nothing, even though I could hear background noises, who then hung-up after 30 seconds or so. I stress that this odd pattern only occurred after I had spoken with this or that veteran, who was divulging dramatic information about one nukes-related UFO incident or another. It never happened after one of my calls to my family or friends, or at any other time. The pattern continued for several months.

Obviously, someone was attempting to intimidate me or, at the very least, was just letting me know that they were aware of who I was talking to. As I have repeatedly said over the years, I guess I was too stupid to be scared because I continued with my efforts to learn what the U.S. government was hiding from the public, relating to UFO activity at nuclear weapons sites.

I now have more than 140 U.S. military veterans on-the-record—I just spoke with a new source earlier today, a former Minuteman missile Electro-Mechanical Technician who sighted a UFO at Minot AFB in 1968—and I am happy to report that the FBI has never contacted any of those guys. In other words, regardless of who was tapping my phone, there were no repercussions for the persons who had agreed to speak with me. And, to date, no one has ever shown up at my door either.

That said, in one recent case, someone did learn about my telephone and email communications with a retired Air Force missile targeting technician who had made a few inquiries on my behalf, relating to a widely-publicized missile communications-disruption incident at F.E. Warren AFB, in Wyoming, on October 23, 2010.

That individual was in touch with a few of the active duty missile maintenance personnel who had responded to the problem, during which 50 ICBMs became temporarily unavailable because the base could not communicate with the launch officers who controlled them. Officially, the disruption had lasted 59 minutes and was caused by an improperly-replaced computer card in a weapons-control processor.

However, what my retired Air Force contact learned about the incident, from the missile maintenance techs who had responded to it, was much different: The event involved an intermittent communications disruption that actually lasted more than a day, not a mere 59 minutes, as the Air Force claims.

More importantly, several independent maintenance teams returned to the base reporting their sighting of a huge, cigar-shaped object in the sky above the missile field. My contact was told that the entire missile maintenance squadron had been unexpectedly assembled and admonished by its commander not to speak about “the things they may or may not have seen” in the sky. Clearly, the aerial object was not a blimp.

Unfortunately, I was later informed by my contact that two of those missile technicians, upon retiring in June 2011, were informed by their superiors that a “flag” had been placed in their Air Force service records, relating to their unauthorized disclosures about the incident. Obviously, someone had been monitoring their emailed conversations with my go-between, who later forwarded their comments to me. This development meant that the two men would have difficulty finding work in the aerospace field after leaving the service.

I of course felt very badly about this development, even though my contact has said that the two individuals had been fully informed that he was passing information on to me about an apparent UFO maneuvering above F.E. Warren’s nuclear missiles during the communications-disruption incident.

In this type of situation—where active duty Air Force personnel leak information about UFOs near nuclear weapons sites to outsiders—the Pentagon becomes trapped by its own deceptive policy of claiming that UFOs pose no threat to U.S. national security. (It was this official stance—UFOs, even if they exist, are not a threat—that was used to justify the closure of the Air Force’s UFO study, Project Blue Book, in 1969.)

The two individuals who reported multiple sightings of the huge cigar-shaped craft by missile maintenance teams at F.E. Warren AFB in October 2010—at a time when 50 ICBMs were effectively offline—cannot be prosecuted for divulging classified information because, among other repercussions, the Air Force higher-ups would have to openly admit that they took the UFO reports seriously and went so far as to admonish an entire missile squadron not to talk about the incident.

In short, any open prosecution of the two men would risk turning a media spotlight on the whole affair, thereby raising public awareness about the true nature of the event—something the Pentagon definitely does not want to happen.

And so the game goes on. The Air Force continues to claim that UFOs pose no risk to U.S. national security. Meanwhile, veterans slowly but surely come forward to report UFOs at various nuclear missile bases—as far back as 1962 and as recently as 2010—which often appeared just as some of America’s nuclear missiles mysteriously malfunctioned. Maybe, someday, the public will be let in on the truth.

Last week, Larry Bryant sent me a letter he had composed on my behalf, directed to the National Security Agency (NSA), asking that any and all NSA files containing information regarding my UFO-related activities to be released to me, pursuant to requirements stipulated in the federal law known as the Privacy Act. That missive has been inserted below.

Hastings NSA Letter - www.theufochronicles.com
-click on image to enlarge-

I suspect that, after a lengthy runaround, I will be told by NSA that no such files exist. Or, perhaps, those files will be discovered to be “missing” just like the FBI files on my research activities. Regardless, the agency certainly will not be candid with me, no matter what the facts are.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Scientific Coalition For UAP Studies Announces 2025 Annual Conference

THE SCIENTIFIC COALITION FOR UAP STUDIES  - www.theufochronicles.com


     The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU) proudly announces its 2025 SCU Conference, scheduled for June 6–8, 2025, in Huntsville, Alabama. Attendees can again participate in person at the Von Braun Center or virtually from anywhere worldwide.
By SCU
Press Release
3-25-25

The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU) proudly announces its 2025 SCU Conference, scheduled for June 6–8, 2025, in Huntsville, Alabama. Attendees can again participate in person at the Von Braun Center or virtually from anywhere worldwide.

This year’s conference theme, Foundational Approaches for UAP Studies, continues SCU’s mission to bring rigorous scientific inquiry to the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) study.

“We believe this conversation belongs in the hands of scientists, engineers, and evidence-based researchers,” said SCU Executive Board member Robert Powell. “SCU’s conference is about creating space for interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing public understanding through data and dialogue.”

The 2025 conference features a distinguished lineup of speakers from across government, academia, and the private sector. Retired Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Jay Stratton, former Director of the UAP Task Force, will deliver the keynote address on Friday, June 6, offering a firsthand perspective on the U.S. government’s evolving approach to UAP.

“Jay Stratton’s leadership helped bring unprecedented focus to the U.S. government’s understanding of anomalous phenomena,” said SCU Executive Board member Rich Hoffman. “We’re honored to welcome him as our keynote speaker and excited for the depth of perspective he brings.”

The 2025 conference will feature a robust lineup of presenters from across scientific, academic, and government sectors, all contributing to a growing body of serious research into a global mystery.

Additional presenters include:

· Douglas Buettner, Ph.D., Deputy Chief Scientist, Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC) · Laura Domine, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian · Stephen Bruehl, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist and Pain Researcher · Silvano Colombano, Ph.D., former NASA scientist specializing in artificial intelligence and future technologies · Matthew Szydagis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics, University at Albany SUNY · Keith Taylor, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

“SCU’s goal is to foster critical thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration in pursuit of truth. With so much public and institutional attention now focused on UAP, this is the moment to ground our efforts in science and transparency,” Powell concluded.

Registration and additional information about the 2025 AAPC are available at: https://www.explorescu.org/scu-conference-2025.

About SCU:

SCU promotes and encourages the rigorous scientific examination of UAP, commonly known as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). SCU comprises scientists, engineers, members of the high-tech and defense industries, former military, and other professionals, utilizing scientific principles, methodologies, and practices to advance the study of UAP observed and reported around the globe.

The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions to SCU are tax-deductible.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

UFO Skeptic Simon Holland’s Latest Rendlesham Forest Fantasy

UFO Skeptic Simon Holland’s Latest Rendlesham Forest Fantasy - www.theufochronicles.com

"... in August 1980, a UFO landed near an alarmed building within the WSA complex at Kirtland AFB and only hurriedly left when an armed Air Force security patrol arrived."


     Self-styled “Professor” Simon Holland is a British science filmmaker who also fancies himself an expert on UFOs/UAP. Unfortunately—as several of his YouTube videos clearly demonstrate—he is thoroughly, negatively biased on the topic and has in the past routinely rejected evidence supporting the fact that advanced craft of unknown origin are operating in Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Indeed, based on what I have seen him pontificate about thus far, it seems that any other explanation for what eyewitnesses report in a given case is preferable in his mind to the most likely one—an unmistakable UAP presence at the time of the incident in question.
Robert Hastings - www.theufochronicles.com
By Robert Hastings
The UFO Chronicles
3-21-25

Regarding Holland's recent, highly-imaginative remarks concerning the well-known, well-documented UAP sightings in Rendlesham Forest and at nearby RAF Bentwaters airbase in the UK, in December 1980—which Holland confidently tells us were actually due to the witnesses unknowingly observing events related to a Top Secret paranormal experiment conducted by the US government—I make the following observations:

First, as my UFOs and Nukes book chapter on the incidents reveals, dozens of former or retired US Air Force personnel who were stationed at RAF Bentwaters or nearby RAF Woodbridge have gone on the record regarding what were unambiguous UAP sightings—involving anomalous, airborne, structural craft—during the late December time-frame.

The information presented in the chapter—including that derived from my tape-recorded interviews with a score of those former US Air Force witnesses—convincingly confirms that the multiple incidents reported involved genuine UFOs, some of which were tracked on radar. Therefore, the mysterious events reported were not in any way related to some fanciful, allegedly classified, paranormal experiment in the woods, as Holland claims.

Importantly, key witnesses including RAF Bentwaters Deputy Base Commander, Lt. Col. Charles Halt, a number of USAF Security Policemen (SPs), and one member of the 2164th Communications Squadron, all confirm that one focus of the anomalous activity was the nuclear Weapons Storage Area (WSA) on the base. At one point, a hovering, circular craft with flashing lights directed multiple beams—laser-like in appearance but unknown in composition—down onto one or more of the reenforced concrete bunkers in which large numbers of the weapons were stored.

Although Col. Halt dutifully refuses to acknowledge the presence of nukes in the WSA, in keeping with official USAF policy of never publicly confirming the location of stored nuclear weapons, their presence has been established via the testimony of some of the SPs who were on base at the time, as well as the findings of various researchers.

Specifically, at that time, the Bentwaters WSA held the largest stockpile of US tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. Had war with the Soviets erupted, the purpose of those “battlefield” nukes was to blunt the anticipated, massive Russian tanks-and-troops thrust into Western Europe predicted by US military analysts.

As my book documents, UAP activity at American WSAs extends back to the late 1940s—at the first atomic bomb storage depots located at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, and Fort Hood, Texas—and continued to take place at least into the late 1990s, at WSAs located on USAF ICBM bases, including Malmstrom, Minot, F.E. Warren, Loring, Wurtsmith, Grand Forks, and other locations.

Indeed, in August 1980, a UFO landed near an alarmed building within the WSA complex at Kirtland AFB and only hurriedly left when an armed Air Force security patrol arrived. So, the events at the Bentwaters WSA four months later were merely part of a decades-long pattern of UFO activity at nukes storage sites that had occurred for decades and would continue in the future.

In any case, a number of US Air Force witnesses independently interviewed by British researcher Gary Haseltine and myself have confirmed for the record what was clearly a UAP incursion—possibly on two different nights—at the RAF Bentwaters WSA in late December 1980.

If Holland is even aware of those reports, he doesn’t mention it in his video. Instead, he cites a single first-hand source, "Rick, the US Air Force mechanic" who alleges that all of the intriguing goings-on at the base actually related to a highly secret US Government experiment involving unspecified paranormal phenomena.

Improbably, within a day of Holland posting his video about the supposed experiment, he claims that several “scientists, members of the UFO community, the military and the spooks” came forward to confirm, presumably via email or texts, that the paranormal incident had actually occurred.

Really?! Unless Holland already knew those persons and had previously verified their scientific bona fides or military/intelligence community credentials, how can he be sure that the individuals who approached him were who they said they were and, more importantly, were part of, or at least knew about, the alleged secret experiment? As anyone who follows social media posts knows, large numbers of wannabes can be counted on to respond to any given article or video, claiming to know “the real facts” about the subject at hand, whatever it may be.

Clearly, despite Holland’s glaring naiveté in accepting on faith the claims of the individuals who approached him, until all of those persons are publicly identified, their claimed insightful testimony and alleged credentials should not be taken at face value by the rest of us.

Injuries

Simon further mentions that some USAF personnel "were harmed" at Rendlesham Forest in 1980, implying that those injuries occurred as a result of the purported paranormal experiment. Actually, as far as I know, the only person who was physically harmed—or at least has gone public with his medical issues—is former SP John Burroughs. He has repeatedly publicized certain heart problems he currently suffers from that may be due to radiation exposure. Those clearly seem related to Burroughs’ now well-publicized approach on foot—together with former SP Jim Penniston—toward a small, metallic, triangular-shaped craft sitting on the ground in the forest. Indeed, radiation traces were later detected in the three landing gear depressions in the soil where it had landed. According to Penniston, after a short period the craft took off at high velocity and was out of sight in the blink of an eye.

In a video showing Burroughs’ attempts to remember the details of the incident via hypnosis, the former Security Policeman frantically relives the encounter with the UFO, speaking extremely rapidly and obviously under duress.

The key point that I am making here is that Burroughs’ subsequent health issues apparently resulted from his experience involving an anomalous aerial craft of unknown origin, with bright, flashing lights, that had landed in the woods—not as a result of his unwitting involvement in some purported secret paranormal project, as Holland would have us believe.

Ominously, some of the follow-up events at RAF Bentwaters, including the harsh interrogation of SP Jim Penniston—that included the administration of a "truth serum" type drug—occurred in response to Penniston's involvement in the same incident, not because of his stumbling upon some highly-classified paranormal experiment in the Rendlesham Forest, as Holland implies.

A Counter-Intelligence Presence

Holland Further alleges that Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI or just OSI) and CIA personnel from Washington flew into the adjacent Woodbridge base aboard a C-5A cargo aircraft prior to the experiment taking place, presumably to provide extra security and to suppress any information that might leak out about it. However, as the former Bentwaters Deputy Base Commander, now-retired Col. Charles Halt, has repeatedly stated, the OSI agents arrived in the UK only after multiple reports of UAP sightings in the forest and at the WSA had taken place and began to spread as rumors. In other words, OSI's presence was a response to earlier security-related UAP events and had nothing to do with some purported experiment, or project, that Holland self-assuredly claims required them to be present before it took place. Nevertheless, in a follow-up video Holland insists that his own interpretation of events is correct. He says,

“What I’ve been told is that Deputy Base Commander Charles Halt now wants to tell us—admit—that he knows about the project. He was briefed, he knew that a team from the Air Force, from the CIA, from another agency had already arrived in Suffolk, possibly on board the C-5A transport plane that landed at a secure area at Woodbridge. And whatever happened in late December was a planned project, and the planned project was to mess with people, to mess with perceptions, to evoke the highly strange—maybe because Suffolk was the ideal place, a ‘weak’ place of reality…”

While writing this article, I sent Holland’s two videos to Colonel Halt and asked him to comment. He replied:

Recently I came across a couple of YouTube programs on the Bentwaters incident by a “Professor” Simon Holland [which were also subsequently sent to me by Robert Hastings]. I was shocked by the nonsense he presented as fact. I guess some people will believe anything. I was one of the primary witnesses so I feel obligated to comment. His statement that this was a secret government experiment is nonsense, as more than 75 people witnessed the UAP event [that I participated in] from more than seven different locations, some being a mile or more away. There were even radar observations of the aerial objects.

Holland further stated that a C-5A aircraft with CIA personal arrived prior to the event and parked on a newly-constructed parking pad. There was no new pad and although a plane did arrive it was not until after the event. There's no proof its arrival was even related to the event. There is suspicion but no evidence that CIA personal were on the plane. I just wish Holland had done his homework as he, like so many, just muddies the waters.

Once again, as several researchers have uncovered, the incident in which Col. Halt was involved was only one of many over a four-night period—all involving anomalous aerial objects. For example, I was the first person to interview the two USAF air traffic controllers at RAF Bentwaters, Ike Barker and Jim Carey, who tracked on radar an unbelievably fast craft that covered 120 miles in approximately 8-12 seconds. At one point, the UAP stopped instantaneously and hovered not far from the control tower. Barker observed it and described it as the twice the size of an F-111 fighter and looking like an “orangish basketball with portholes around the middle”. After a few seconds, the UFO raced away.

Summarizing, self-titled “Professor” Simon Holland gets just about everything wrong when advancing his latest theory about the nature of the events in Rendlesham Forest in December 1980. If one actually interviews the many witnesses to what occurred, as I and other researchers have, and Colonel Halt did, one quickly learns that the common element in all of their narratives is the presence of what were clearly UAPs—several of them—during all of the extraordinary events that took place.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

No Answers, No Defense Against Mystery Drones - 60 Minutes Investigates

No Answers, No Defense Against Mystery Drones - 60 Minutes Investigates - www.theufochronicles.com

"In 2019, naval warships training off the California coast were shadowed for weeks by dozens of drones. For years, the pentagon did little to dispel speculation these images, taken with night vision equipment, were UFOs."

     Last month – the head of NORAD and NORTHCOM – the military commands that defend North America – told Congress some of those mysterious drones seen flying inside the United States may indeed have been spying. He did not say for whom. 60
By Bill Whitaker
CBS News
3-16-25
Minutes has been looking into a series of eerily similar incidents – going back years – including those attention getting flyovers in New Jersey recently. In each, drones first appeared over restricted military or civilian sites, coming and going – often literally – "under the radar." The wake-up call came just over a year ago, when drones invaded the skies above Langley Air Force base in Virginia over 17 nights, forcing the relocation of our most advanced fighter jets. Our story starts with an eyewitness and an iPhone.

Monday, March 17, 2025

Alien Doc, “The Age of Disclosure” Stuns Crowd

Alien Doc, “The Age of Disclosure” Stuns Crowd - www.theufochronicles.com

"Farah’s doc features 34 senior U.S. Government insiders, including figures in the intelligence and military communities, who claim there’s been an 80-year cover-up of the existence of non-human intelligent life and an arms race between powerful nations to reverse-engineer uncovered technology from these beings."


     Festival crowds are notoriously exuberant—it can be hard to get a real read on a film’s potential for broader success or acclaim even if the first time it plays for a crowd at a film festival results in
By The Credits
3-10-25
cheers and guffaws. Yet sometimes, for some films, a festival crowd’s excitement is as precise an indicator for a film’s impact as you need. This was the case here in Austin this past Sunday, when director Dan Farah showcased his doc The Age of Disclosure for the first time ever to a crowd. His film, years in the making in a production that was kept entirely secret, was astonishing in every sense of the word. Being a part of the audience that got to witness the result of this secretive, deeply researched film felt truly special. And terrifying. The Age of Disclosure has a real shot at being 2025’s defining documentary, and could, should start a real, sustained conversation about what seems now an obvious fact—we are not alone.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

The History of UFOs Tampering with Our Nation's Nuclear Arsenal – An Interview with Robert Hastings

Interview with UFOs and Nukes Researcher / Author Robert Hastings (Pt 2) - www.theufochronicles.com



     The Good Trouble Show with Matt Ford interviews our special guest Robert Hastings to discuss the Pentagon nuclear secret regarding the Minuteman III nuclear ICBM and the LGM-35A Sentinel that the Pentagon, the United States Air Force, and USSTRATCOM do not want lawmakers to know: UAP / UFOs are tampering with our nation's nukes.

Almost the entire American public is unaware that literally for decades unidentified aerial phenomena or UAP have been tampering with disabling or retargeting our nation's nuclear weapons and the government has no power to stop it today. We
Matt Ford - www.theufochronicles
By Matt Ford
The Good Trouble Show
3-3-2025
interview the researcher who uncovered these unsettling cases, Mr Robert Hastings the author of UFOs and Nukes Extraordinary Encounters At Nuclear Weapons Sites. #ad We recorded this interview over the span of two months and I want to note that there were some audio dropouts during our conversation. I encourage everyone to watch this interview in full and then contact your lawmakers in Washington to demand answers and accountability ... Robert welcome to the show ….



See Also:

Interview with UFOs and Nukes Researcher / Author Robert Hastings - www.theufochronicles.com
Interview with UFOs and Nukes Researcher / Author Robert Hastings (Pt 1) See Also:

AARO Interviews 'UFOs and Nukes' Witnesses
A snippet of the The New UFO - UAP Law Codifying Investigations, Research and Reporting
The New UFO / UAP Law Codifying Field Investigations, Research and Reporting
Faded Giant Book Cover
My Evidence: The Account of Minute-Man Missiles Being Disabled, While UFOs Hovered Over The Launch Facilities
Faded Giant Cover
The Echo Flight ICBM Incident: Retired USAF Officer Confirms Receiving A UFO Report Just as the Missiles Failed

Did UFOs Cause the Shutdown of ICBMs at Malmstrom AFB, in March 1967?

The Echo/Oscar Witch Hunt

UFOs Did Shutdown Minuteman Missiles at Echo Flight . . .

VIDCAST: Former Boeing Engineer, Robert Kaminski Confirms UFO Activity at Echo Flight Missile Launch Control Facility in 1967

My Evidence: The Account of Minute-Man Missiles Being Disabled, While UFOs Hovered Over The Launch Facilities

Malmstrom Air Force Base Picks Up UFO on Radar; "Sabotage Alert Team Located Another UFO Directly Over The Base"

UFO Lands Near Minuteman Missile Base; Affects Radio Transmissions - Defensive Measures Taken!

UFO Sightings at ICBM Sites and Nuclear Weapons Storage Areas

Air Force Staff Message: Malmstrom AFB Receives Multiple Reports of UFOs in The Great Falls, Montana Area

UFOS & NUKES | U.S. Air Force Fighters Chased UFOs at Malmstrom AFB in the 1960s and ‘70s

Whatever It Is The Air Force Must-Hunt For The Flying Saucer

UFOs & NUKES | Missile Shut Down at Malmstrom Confirmed By (Civilian) Veteran of Minuteman Program

UFOs & NUKES | UFOs Have Penetrated Restricted Air Space Over Nuclear Missile Sites; Jammed Vital Electronic Equipment & Eluded Fighter Aircraft




REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE



Monday, March 03, 2025

‘What are UFOs?’ – A Documentary

What are UFOs - www.theufochronicles.com

“So, a lot of ‘Nova’ programs that we make, we make when we think that there is a sufficient level of curiosity in the zeitgeist that we can actually help shed light on essentially. So, we certainly didn’t set out to just say that UFOs are aliens or UFOs are not aliens. We really wanted to know what science thinks about these things.”

     With all the sightings of strange objects in the sky, people have been wondering for decades what these things can be. Whether it’s Roswell or Area 51, people have been convinced there have been beings from other planets visiting Earth. PBS’ “Nova” series examines the phenomenon of UFOs.
By Francine Brokaw
Standard-Examiner
3-3-2025
[...]

“Nova” co-executive producer Chris Schmidt explained about why this documentary is relevant today: “So, a lot of ‘Nova’ programs that we make, we make when we think that there is a sufficient level of curiosity in the zeitgeist that we can actually help shed light on essentially. So, we certainly didn’t set out to just say that UFOs are aliens or UFOs are not aliens. We really wanted to know what science thinks about these things.”

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Soviets Retract Statement of 'Mysterious Radio Signals' From ET

Reds Retreat on Life in Outer Space 'Discovery' (Heading) - Syracuse Herald (N.Y.) 4-13-1965 - www.theufochronicles.com

"The radio astronomers from the Sternberg Institute of Astronomy in Moscow were quoted by the Soviet news agency Tass as saying mysterious signals from outer space came from intelligent beings."

     A group of Soviet astronomers beat a hasty retreat today from suggestions attributed to them Monday about another civilization in outer space.
By Syracuse Herald
4-13-1965

The radio astronomers from the Sternberg Institute of Astronomy in Moscow were quoted by the Soviet news agency Tass as saying mysterious signals from outer space came from intelligent beings.

Prof. Joseph S. Shklovsky, head of the radio astronomy department, said:

"The facts are very interesting. But to speak now about the artificial origin of the signals would be premature. We have to approach this question very thoroughly and very carefully."

Shklovsky made his remark at a hastily summoned news conference as astronomers throughout the world expressed doubt and amazement at the Soviet speculation about life in outer space.

Shklovsky, obviously distressed by what he called "the distorted version" of his work published by Tass, deplored the sensation caused by the report.

"We must avoid unhealthy sensationalism. Any sensational atmosphere can only do harm to science and culture in general," he said.

"We are confident in these observations, but there is no such thing as 100 precent certainly."

Also present at the conference were his assistants, Nikolai Kardashev, 33, and Genaddy Sholomitsky, 27.

Tass had quoted Kardashev as saying, on the basis of observation of the peculiar signals: "A supercivilization has been discovered."

* Special thanks to Bob Barrow

Monday, February 24, 2025

UFO Frightens Fisherman – 1899

UFO Frightens Fisherman – 1899 - www.theufochronicles.com



The Thrilling Experience of a Bean Creek Fisherman

A Large Funnel Shaped Object

Seen By Burlington People

Going Through The Air with the Speed of an Express Train and a Great Whirling Noise.



     On Monday afternoon, May 1st, Henry Altman, who lives a mile north of Lockport, had an experience that falls to the lot of few and created consternation in his soul for the space of a few minutes.
By The Bryan Democrat
5-11-1899

He was on John Wyse’s farm, back where a small stream empties into Bean Creek fishing. All was quiet and no sound broke the afternoon stillness, till he heard a distant whirling sound that grew louder and louder. At first he thought it was a sound of a flock of birds coming through the air. He looked around and guided by the sound finally saw an object coming through the air.

When he first saw it he thought of a large chicken hawk, but as it came nearer he thought of a meteoric rock. A nearer view showed it to be a funnel-shaped affair with the small end forward and at an angle of forty-five degrees. Along the top was what appeared to be a large fan shaped appliance.

The direction taken by this queer craft was south with a slight variation to the west.

It appeared to be about three of four times as high as the tree tops and from eighty to one hundred rods away and while it kept the same distance from te ground moved with incredible velocity. When the closest to him it looked to be about four feet long.

In describing his sensations he said he was frightened and wished he was not alone.

The same object was seen by people near Burlington and Mr. Altman is not one of the kind that carries “bait” that is apt to make a person “see things”

What was the thing anyway? Such and apparition must have been seen elsewhere because the noise that it made would have attracted attention. We would ask, “Was it an Air ship?”

* Special thanks to CE Severn

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Cash-Landrum UFO Questions

Cash-Landrum UFO Questions - www.theufochronicles.com



Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum, and Colby Landrum - www.theufochronicles.com
 Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum, and Colby Landrum


     The Cash-Landrum case of December 29, 1980, has launched as much controversy, rumors, and myths as any other UFO episode in history. The three witnesses: Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum, and Colby Landrum, claimed to have encountered a terrifying massive diamond-shaped UFO hovering above a rural highway near Huffman, Texas. They said the object emitted intense heat and light, and when it finally moved away, it was pursued by a fleet of unmarked helicopters. Afterwards, the witnesses came to believe the U.S. government was involved and in a subsequent cover-up of the incident.
Curt Collins - www.theufochronicles.com
By Curt Collins
Blue Blurry Lines
2-16-2025
Betty Cash - www.theufochronicles.com

The most compelling element of the case is the reported injuries suffered by the witnesses. Afterwards, Betty Cash had the most severe problems, and she was hospitalized for several weeks with a batch of mysterious symptoms including nausea, headaches, skin lesions, and eventually, hair loss. Doctors ultimately suspected Betty had been exposed to ionizing radiation exposure, but Betty’s blood test results were negative. Nevertheless, there were many stories about people burned by UFOs, and the Cash-Landrum case was promoted by its ufologist investigator as the prime example. The witnesses disagreed with the extraterrestrial explanation; they thought they were the victims of a faulty nuclear-powered US secret aircraft. At the time, there was widespread public distrust of nuclear energy and weapons, so it was easy for many people to believe the story, and that the government would want to conceal it.

The first cover-up was by witnesses themselves. Supposedly, fearing their story wouldn’t be believed, they initially kept it secret. Weeks later, when they let the story out, the investigations of the case failed to provide answers. In time, it became one of ufology’s most popular unsolved mysteries, and certain elements of the story have taken on a mythological life of their own. Questions certainly remain.

Black Helicopters or Paranormal Visions?
Black Helicopters or Paranormal Visions - www.theufochronicles.com

The Cash-Landrum case intersected with stories circulating about sinister and mysterious unmarked black helicopters flown secretly by the U.S. military. Since the 1970s, conspiracy theories had linked helicopters to cattle mutilations and UFO sightings, so ufologists had no trouble accepting them as part of the story. In this case, the presence of the helicopters suggested that they were there attempting to intercept the object, or that the UFO itself was part of a covert military operation.

Multiple investigations found no evidence of helicopters, military or otherwise, flying in the area on the night of the sighting. Some ufologists clung to the theory of a massive military cover-up, while others theorized that the helicopters the witnesses reported were not physical objects, but rather paranormal or holographic projections created by the UFO itself, as a decoy or defensive measure.

Black Project or Alien Reproduction Vehicle?

One of the earliest and most enduring theories about UFOs is that they are secret experimental military aircraft. Over the years, this interpretation has merged fact and fiction, fueling legends of flying saucers at Area 51. The witnesses themselves believed a version of this; that they were unintentional victims of radiation leaking from test flight of a nuclear-powered aircraft gone wrong.

Richard Doty in 'The Great UFO Conspiracy,' 2005 - www.theufochronicles.com

Another narrative promoted by Richard Doty was that the object was alien or alien-derived but operated by the U.S. military. This idea aligned with the notions of Paul Bennewitz, who believed in covert treaties between the U.S. government and aliens. He said they allowed the aliens to engage in abductions and cattle mutilations in exchange for their advanced technology. The UFO in the Cash-Landrum story was supposed to be a faulty attempt to fly a manmade craft based on the alien’s science.

Mother Hen or Mother Goose?

The MUFON investigator who took the Cash-Landrum case became the de facto press manager for the witnesses and joined them in interviews and television coverage of the story. Throughout the 1980s, the case remained newsworthy due to the lawsuit pursued by the witnesses against the U.S. government. When fellow researchers became interested and requested medical data on the case, they were refused on the basis that it was evidence to be presented in court. Taking protective ownership of the story, the investigator presented it and the witnesses only in the most favorable light. With unsupportive material ignored or suppressed, it became a UFO cover-up of another sort. The Cash-Landrum story began changing into more of a spooky UFO fable - or parable.

Justice or Cover-up?

The witnesses pursued legal action against the U.S. government, seeking compensation, alleging that the government’s involvement in the incident made it liable for their suffering. Beyond the documentation of Betty’s health problems, the only real evidence their attorney could produce was their testimony. Meanwhile, the defense offered statements made from NASA and military branches denying that they had any aircraft matching the description of the UFO. The judge dismissed the casein 1986, so it never went to trial. The failed legal battle was portrayed by proponents as another stage of the cover-up.

The 20 Million Cash-Landrum UFO Story - www.theufochronicles.com

The UFO cover-up. That’s the widely held dogmatic belief in a massive government project or policy to conceal evidence of UFOs and aliens. The belief is so widespread that the cover-up angle is often exploited by promoters as a justification for their lack of tangible evidence. Some of their cases simply cannot be true unless the government has somehow made all the proof disappear. The prime example of a case that collapses without a cover-up is the Roswell saucer crash story. Within that scenario, essentially, the absence of evidence is proof, and any government denial equals confirmation.

The Cash-Landrum UFO case does a little better than that. Although the investigation of it was somewhat delayed and imperfect, we’ve got a wealth of documentation of the case from a variety of sources. There are period statements from the witnesses, documents from several investigations, including the U.S. government’s probe into the events. There’s little doubt that due to the involvement of ufologists, that the witnesses’ story was changed. However, even the Army’s investigator found the witnesses to be credible. So, we’re left to wonder… How much of the story was true? Possibly, the story was created around Betty's medical problems, a ploy for financial assistance. If so, it failed when the legal case was dismissed. If it was false, why did Betty and Vickie fight so hard the rest of their lives for their story to be heard?

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