APRO Bulletin - 1967 05 00 - May-June

Magazine Overview

Title: THE A.P.R.O. BULLETIN
Issue: MAY-JUNE 1967
Date: May-June 1967
Publisher: APRO
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of The APRO Bulletin focuses on several significant UFO/UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) sightings and incidents reported in early 1967, alongside a discussion of historical government scrutiny of UFO organizations.

South Hill, Va. Landing

The lead article details an incident on April 27th involving C. N. Crowder, manager of a Mobil Chemical Co. warehouse in South Hill, Virginia. While driving home, Crowder observed an object on the road, estimated to be 400 feet away. He described it as storage tank-shaped, about 12 feet in diameter and 15-16 feet high, supported by legs. When he switched his lights to bright, the object emitted a burst of flame from its bottom and ascended rapidly. Crowder stopped his car, and upon examination of the site, found a kidney-shaped black spot on the road and two spike holes, each about six inches apart, 7/8 inch in diameter, and an inch deep. A Geiger counter showed no excess radioactivity. William Powers, assistant to Dr. J. Allen Hynek, examined the spot but could not replicate it. The article notes that two men in a Cadillac with Idaho license plates, claiming to be Air Force, questioned Crowder about the incident 18 hours later, but their identities and affiliation remain unknown.

Object Over TV Towers In West Virginia

On April 12th, a 17-year-old student in Vienna, West Virginia, observed two "elliptical blobs of light" vertically aligned, with smaller bright white lights moving between them. The large blobs were yellowish, about the size of a fifty-cent piece, and appeared to be 100-200 feet apart. One smaller light emerged from the bottom blob, moved upwards at a 45-degree angle, then proceeded due east, stopping near the Penn Metal Plant. The sighting lasted 30 minutes. The object was compared to the planet Venus, which was visible nearby.

Huge UAO "Lands” On RCA Building

This section reports on a sighting from October 30, 1966, between 1:30 AM and 3:00 AM, involving Mr. and Mrs. Charles Paulus, Jr. of Maple Shade, New Jersey. While traveling on Route 38 in Cherry Hill, they saw a soundless, silver, dirigible-shaped object, approximately 342 feet long and 138 feet high. The object was illuminated from above, had rows of large, amber-colored windows, and two large, round brilliant white lights on its underside. A beacon-like light on the front cone pulsed, and a radar-type probe aerial protruded from it, appearing to be in contact with the RCA roof via a cable. Pulsating red, blue, and green lights were on top, and a huge white light was used on the belly during flight. A section of the bottom resembled an exit, with a cable-type ladder extending to the RCA building roof. The object passed over their car and continued west.

UAO Follows Moving Van

On the morning of May 3rd, Mrs. Ruth S. Smyth observed an object while driving on the Schuylkill Expressway near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She saw a disc-shaped object, gunmetal gray with a darker gray band, following a diesel-powered Greyhound moving van at approximately 58-60 mph. The object, estimated to be 35-40 feet in diameter and 20 feet thick, had "unlighted porthole sort of windows" and no visible lights. It was pacing the van at about 65-70 mph and was no more than 150 feet in the air. A thin stream of vapor issued from a "sort of exhaust pipe." Suddenly, the vapor turned into cherry red sparks, and the object shot straight up and disappeared into the overcast. During this event, Mrs. Smyth experienced a severe toothache that vanished shortly after the object disappeared.

Flurry In Kentucky

This section presents three representative sightings from Kentucky in January and February 1967:

1. January 15th (near Frankfort): A high school student reported an elongated, almost cylindrical moving light that was joined by another, and both hovered over a spot before disappearing.
2. January (morning, Shelbyville): Residents reported a soft blue light near an electrical substation, which was followed by a 50-minute power failure.
3. January 16th (morning, near Frankfort): A local man saw a green, gaseous cloud, then a balloon-shaped object with a gondola, resembling an old hot-air balloon, moving between Versailles and Frankfort at an estimated altitude of 750-1000 feet.

Additionally, a state policeman reported sighting a similar object near Elizabethtown on the same morning.

January 18th (7 AM, near Alton and Lawrenceburg): Three women observed a saucer-shaped object moving from the northeast. It was described as having a radiant, bluish cast, with lights casting a glow toward the ground. One witness reported a severe toothache during the sighting. At the same time, her sister-in-law saw a "V" shaped, cloudy object, and a coworker described it as horseshoe-shaped with bluish light coming down.

That Robertson Report

This section addresses a paragraph from the 1953 Robertson Report that mentioned the CIA suggesting civilian UFO organizations like APRO be kept under surveillance due to potential subversion. The article highlights that Mrs. Lorenzen of APRO was employed by the USAF at Holloman AFB with high security clearance, and Mr. Lorenzen also held high security clearances during his employment related to the Army. The bulletin suggests this is an example of people making statements without full knowledge, referencing the "McCarthy Era."

STOP PRESS!

A brief "Stop Press" announcement states that "Fleets" of UAOs have been observed throughout South America, flying south to north trajectories, indicating the beginning of a "fall flap."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are detailed UAP sightings, including landings and aerial observations, with an emphasis on physical evidence and witness testimony. The bulletin also addresses the historical context of government interest and potential surveillance of UFO research organizations, implicitly defending APRO's legitimacy and the seriousness of its work. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation into UAP phenomena, presenting detailed accounts and challenging dismissive or unsubstantiated claims, particularly those from official or governmental sources that may be misinformed or biased.