APRG Reporter - Vol 6 No 06 - No 66 - 03 1968

Magazine Overview

This issue of the APRG Reporter, dated March 1968, focuses heavily on UFO sightings and investigations, particularly in Pennsylvania. The cover story, "SLAP AT UFO PROBE GOES AWRY," discusses a controversy involving the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) and the University of Colorado's UFO study group, headed by Edward Condon. Dr. J. Allen Hynek, an astrophysicist, denied a NICAP claim that he would release his personal UFO files if the Condon committee's report was negative.

The issue also highlights "2000 UFO SIGHTINGS REPORTED--TERRIFY PENNSYLVANIA," detailing a surge of sightings in central and south-central Pennsylvania during the summer of 1967. Several specific incidents are recounted:

Pennsylvania Sightings

• Summerdale, Pennsylvania (June 13, 1967): Donald (Butch) Purdue, Jr., and his mother, Mrs. Gertrude Purdue, reported being paralyzed by an eerie glow from a hovering, egg-shaped craft. This was part of a week with three such experiences for the family, contributing to the 2000 sightings reported in the area for 1967.
• Irish Valley, Pennsylvania (January 18, 1967): Mrs. James Krebs, a nurse, observed a bright light above nearby mountains, which binoculars revealed as a wide, hovering craft with pinkish lights and an antenna.
• Irish Valley, Pennsylvania (January 19, 1967): Rev. Elwood Heiser and others witnessed a silent craft with blinking lights moving above a mountain ridge.
• Near Newville, Pennsylvania (June 2, 1967): Two police officers, Corporal Charles Robsock and Jack Heckman, observed a bright light that changed direction and disappeared.
• Summerdale, Pennsylvania (June 11, 1967): Donald Purdue, Sr., and his wife saw a light that later appeared as a huge, silver craft with bright lights.
• Silver Springs Road, Pennsylvania (June 11, 1967): Mr. and Mrs. Jack Foflygen reported a blazing light that raced their car before veering off.
• Hall Manor apartment project, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (June 14, 1967): Residents witnessed a bright craft and later two round objects with colored lights.
• Enola, Pennsylvania (July 9, 1967): Thomas Shaffer reported strange red lights, leading to an investigation that discovered a pulsating orange light and a mysterious cable.
• Colonial Crest Road, Pennsylvania (July 15, 1967): Joseph Snyder, a Weather Bureau forecaster, observed a round object with colored lights moving easterly.

Scientific Investigation and Controversy

The University of Colorado's UFO project, funded by the Air Force, involved a team including Dr. Gerald Rothberg, Dr. Kenneth Laws, and Dr. Emil J. Polak. They investigated hundreds of witnesses and found at least 30 percent of sightings baffling. Dr. Norman Levine, a senior research associate on the Condon team, commented on the verification of radioactivity readings following a UFO sighting, calling it a first.

Two staff members of the Condon Committee, David R. Saunders and Norman E. Levine, were reportedly fired for incompetence. Project coordinator Robert Low stated this would not retard the project. Edward Condon himself appealed to Soviet scientists for cooperation in the UFO study.

International and Other Reports

• Columbus, Ohio (January 23, 1968): Sheriff's deputies witnessed two round, glowing vehicles hovering at high altitude, which then performed complex maneuvers.
• Fordingbridge, England (November 6, 1967): Truck driver Carl Farlow reported a bright green, disc-shaped craft landing near his truck, extending arms, and then departing at high speed. The British Ministry of Defense sent an investigator but offered no explanation.
• Camarillo, California: A film from Universal's "A Man Called Cannon" production inadvertently captured an UFO on screen, which director James Goldstone verified as not being a plane or laboratory artifact.
• Vashon, Washington: Residents reported an unidentified bright light near an icy pond in February, which a weatherman deemed unlikely given the weather conditions.

Condon Committee's Progress and Stance

Dr. Edward Condon stated that the investigation, which began under an Air Force contract in November 1966, was nearing completion. He expressed that he was "getting to be more one way than the other" regarding belief in flying objects but declined to specify his leaning. The project had spent considerable time answering "false alarms." The Condon report was expected to be made public in November or December 1968.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently presents UFO sightings as credible events, often supported by multiple witnesses, including police officers, professionals, and ordinary citizens. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into the phenomenon, contrasting with official skepticism or attempts at debunking, as seen in the criticism of the Condon committee's alleged methods. The publication highlights the frequency and intensity of sightings, particularly in Pennsylvania, and emphasizes the need for further investigation and analysis of the collected evidence. There's an underlying theme of the unknown and its impact on witnesses, often described as frightening or disturbing.

Title: APRG REPORTER
Issue Date: January (Year not specified, but context suggests mid-1950s based on APRG founding date)
Publisher: Aerial Phenomena Research Group (APRG)
Country: USA
Language: English

Content Summary

This issue of the APRG Reporter delves into various UFO-related incidents and official stances. A significant portion is dedicated to the Soviet Union's reaction to UFO reports, where the Academy of Sciences publicly dismissed them as "unscientific sensationalism." Leading astronomers and physicists suggested that sightings could be explained as optical illusions or mistaken identification of aircraft and weather balloons. The Soviet scientists asserted that all aerial objects over their territory are identified by either scientific or military personnel, aiming to quell public unease.

Despite the official Soviet dismissal, the magazine reports on "Sightings in Russia," detailing observations by Soviet astronomers and airline pilots. These reports describe objects with specific characteristics: crescent-shaped, 1000 to 1200 feet in diameter, travelling at approximately 10,000 m.p.h. at altitudes of 30 to 65 miles. Latvian astronomers also reported observing a disc 300 feet in diameter accompanied by three star-like objects.

A prominent case discussed is the death of an Appaloosa horse named Snippy in Alamosa, Colorado. The owner, Mrs. Berle Lewis, claimed the horse was killed by visitors from another planet. While an Alamosa veterinarian reported that Snippy died from a gunshot wound, the incident remained a topic of interest. The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) issued a response regarding the death, specifically addressing the 75-foot circle of "exhaust-like" stains found near the horse. NICAP's explanation, attributing the stains to drainage from a severe leg infection, was met with skepticism by Mrs. Lewis, who argued that it would take "a whole herd of infected horses" to create such extensive markings. The extent of these markings was reportedly verified by hundreds of visitors.

Miscellaneous reports include a sighting of a "bright white" object hovering above the John Hart Dam in British Columbia, Canada, on January 2, following numerous sightings in the area the previous summer. Another sighting involved a UFO shaped like two "dinner plates placed together" observed over Ashtabula Township, Ohio, on January 14 by a 9-year-old boy.

The publication also includes information about the Aerial Phenomena Research Group (APRG), its address in Seattle, Washington, and subscription details. APRG is described as a non-profit organization founded on January 1, 1955, supported by subscription fees, donations, and stamps. Subscribers receive a one-month extension for each clipping received about current UFO sightings.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The APRG Reporter consistently focuses on UFO and UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) sightings, investigations, and the public's reaction to them. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these phenomena, presenting various reports and perspectives, even when they are officially dismissed by scientific bodies, as seen with the Soviet Union's stance. The magazine seems to encourage skepticism but also a willingness to consider unusual explanations, as highlighted by the discussion on the Snippy horse case and the critique of overly simplistic debunking.

• The recurring themes include:
• Global Sightings: Reports from different countries, notably the Soviet Union and Canada, alongside domestic US sightings.
• Official Dismissal vs. Eyewitness Accounts: Contrasting the scientific or governmental explanations with the experiences of individuals.
• Investigative Efforts: Highlighting the work of organizations like NICAP and APRG in gathering and analyzing UFO data.
• Unexplained Phenomena: Presenting cases that defy easy explanation, such as the ice pond incident and the markings near Snippy.
• UFO Photography: Advertising the availability of UFO pictures, indicating an interest in visual evidence.