The APRO Bulletin

Magazine Overview

This issue of The APRO Bulletin, dated December 1979, Volume 28, Number 6, focuses on a variety of unexplained phenomena, with the cover headline "TRUCK, RIG, ABDUCTED (?)" and a sub-headline "BAY OF BENGAL SIGHTING - 1960". The publication is from the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, Inc. (APRO).

Bay of Bengal Sighting - 1960

The issue begins with a detailed account from a letter received at APRO Headquarters, describing a sighting on January 12, 1960, in Madras, India. The witness, sitting on his apartment terrace with his family, observed slow-moving lights in the sky that were distinctly different from an aircraft. He described them as three separate groups of lights, resembling "6"s" arranged on an invisible string, moving over the Bay of Bengal. The lights emitted no sound, leading to speculation about their unusual height or origin. The witness's wife, children, and about twenty neighbors also witnessed the event. The witness expressed disappointment that the local newspapers and radio had not reported the occurrence, and the meteorological department dismissed his account.

Truck, Rig, Abducted (?)

This article, by Iris Maack, details the experience of Harry Joe Turner, a truck driver who claims his 80,000-pound tractor rig, loaded with ketchup and mustard, was abducted on August 28, 1979. Turner recounts being taken to an unidentified galactic community 6.8 light years from Earth and returned to Fredericksburg, Virginia, a few hours later. He describes the experience as entering "another world." Since the event, Turner has sought psychiatric help and experiences physical and psychological effects, including partial paralysis of his left side and a 'bionic strength' in his right arm. He also reports a craving for foods he previously disliked. Turner claims the aliens, described as being dressed in white like surgeons with numbers on their heads, want to help humanity but believe "things have gone pretty far here and that the end is coming soon."

The article explores the possibility of hypnotic induction by the truck's blinking lights and raises questions about Turner's fatigue, potential prior brain damage, or a mid-life crisis. It notes the lack of witnesses and physical evidence, and the potential for his memory to have romanticized the experience.

Turner's account continues with details of his trip to Fredericksburg, where he noticed a lack of cars on the road and experienced strange lightning. He describes a beam of white light engulfing his truck, rendering the steering wheel unresponsive. He claims to have seen beings and felt a "grip like steel," leading him to fire his revolver. He then "faded out" and woke up in a warehouse parking lot. His watch indicated 11:17 p.m., but a warehouse clock showed 3:00 a.m. The truck's mileage indicators showed only 17 miles traveled, yet it consumed 114 gallons of fuel.

Turner's description of his captors includes them being dressed in white with white caps, and numbers on their heads when the fronts of the caps were lifted. He recalled the phrase "Alpha Centauri." The article concludes by noting Turner's subsequent legal troubles, including a high-speed chase where he claimed an 'alien' was in the car with him.

Sighting Summary

This section compiles several UFO sighting reports:

• September 5th: Larry Hogan in Dresser, Wisconsin, sighted a metallic, silvery craft hovering silently about 10 feet above vegetation. It was described as 6 to 8 feet long and 2 to 4 feet thick, with a silvery to reddish metallic coloring. It moved at 30-40 mph and later hovered at an estimated 200 feet.
• September 11th: Flora, Mississippi police confirmed a UFO sighting after a motorist reported an object hovering in the sky. Officer Percy Whitehead described it as a "big red ball of fire" that shot out and disappeared. He and his partner, Ronnie Posey, also saw a similar object. They reported dogs barking and a loud clicking sound. The object appeared as a bright light with distinguishable colors.
• September 18th: Gary Ottermen in Grand Rapids, Michigan, saw an orange ball object hovering over trees, which turned white, then red, blue, and green. Police also observed the object.
• September 15th: A landing was reported in the Bethany area near Reidsville, North Carolina, after Elwood Wall saw a strange light in the sky.
• September 25th: Two fishermen on Lake George, Minnesota, reported seeing a silvery, chrome-colored, spherical UFO, flat on top and bottom, moving from southeast to northwest.
• August 31st: Kerry Meyers in International Falls, Minnesota, discovered fresh tracks measuring 12 inches long with six toes on each foot and a high arch.
• July 28th: Two men camping in the Uintas, Utah, heard frightening barking and screams described as high-pitched with tremendous volume.
• September 8th: A Russian newspaper reported the discovery of a huge footprint in the Pamir Mountains, believed to be from the Abominable Snowman, measuring 14 inches long and over 6 inches wide.
• September 25th: Hunters planned to stake out a farm in Michigan plagued with Sasquatch-like damage.

Mutilations Continue to Plague Certain Areas

This section reports on ongoing cattle mutilation cases. The Arkansas Cattleman's Association still offers a $1,000 reward. Nancy Owens, an anthropologist, is studying the impact of these mutilations. An 'official' task force met in Arkansas to study unexplained deaths. The Faulkner County sheriff's office investigated a cow mutilation near Enola, Arkansas, where the animal's left ear, left eye, tongue, and heart were missing.

"Big Mother" UFO

By Coral E. Lorenzen, this article discusses five similar reports of unidentified flying objects. One report is from October 28, 1902, off the west coast of Africa, involving the British ship Fort Salisbury. The ship's lookout spotted a huge, metallic-appearing object, estimated to be six hundred feet long and a hundred feet in diameter, lying in the water. It was described as a cylinder, making clanking sounds and unintelligible, excited voices. The object slowly sank beneath the waves, with its lights disappearing.

Better Understanding of Unidentified Space Vehicles by Reviewing Identified Space Vehicles

This article introduces VISIT, a new organization focused on the medical, scientific, and engineering study of UFO abduction cases. VISIT aims to interface with other UFO research organizations like APRO to conduct investigations. The article outlines VISIT's research areas, including the medical consequences for abductees, the correlation of scientific and engineering data, the internal engineering of Unidentified Space Vehicles (USVs), and the physiology of USV occupants. It suggests that by studying numerous cases, descriptions of similar engineering systems should emerge. The article then provides a detailed, albeit fictitious, description of the interior of a USV based on abductee reports, comparing it to known spacecraft technology like Skylab and the Apollo spacecraft. It notes the importance of describing the lack of certain hardware as well as its presence. The article concludes by stating that an abductee's inability to describe the interior while recalling other details might be cause for suspicion.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, alleged alien abductions, and encounters with cryptids like Bigfoot/Sasquatch. There is also a focus on the investigation and documentation of these phenomena by organizations like APRO and VISIT. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, encouraging the close examination of all stories, regardless of their bizarre nature, and acknowledging the need for scientific and systematic investigation into these unexplained events. The magazine also highlights the ongoing nature of research into these topics, with mentions of continuing investigations and the collection of data.