1968 12 00 Male - John Keel - Flying Saucer Crime Wave

Magazine Overview

This issue of "Flying Saucer" (Issue 29) focuses on a "New Flying Saucer Crime Wave" that "They Can't Cover Up." The magazine presents a collection of alarming incidents and witness testimonies suggesting that UFOs are no longer passive observers but have become actively hostile, leaving a trail of injuries, deaths, and unexplained phenomena.

UFOs Turning Hostile

The central theme is the shift in UFO behavior from mere observation to active aggression. The article "They Can't Cover Up" by John A. Keel details numerous cases where UFOs have directly harmed humans and animals. Sheriffs and public health officials express concern and frustration, noting an increase in people being hurt, burned, gassed, and paralyzed. Despite these reports, the U.S. Air Force is accused of downplaying the issue, attributing sightings to natural phenomena like weather balloons and mirages, and engaging in a public relations effort to discredit the problem.

Documented Cases of Harm

The magazine provides several specific examples of UFO-related harm:

• Livestock Deaths: Cases of livestock deaths under mysterious circumstances are presented as regular UFO occurrences. Animals are found mutilated and drained of blood, with wounds sometimes appearing cauterized. Examples include a cow found cut in half in Ohio and six prize heifers slaughtered in Peru.
• Motorist Encounters: Numerous motorists have reported losing control of their vehicles due to UFOs. Incidents include cars being forced off the road, engines stalling, and vehicles being subjected to heat waves or beams of light.
• Physical Injuries to Humans: The article details instances of people being burned, blinded, or paralyzed by UFOs. A scoutmaster in Florida was reportedly burned and knocked unconscious by a "ball of fire." A young boy in New Mexico was burned bald by a low-flying UFO, and an eleven-year-old girl in Oklahoma was allegedly burned by a "flying ashtray."
• Childhood Encounters: Children and teenagers appear to be frequent targets. A 12-year-old boy in Ohio was knocked down and his jacket set aflame by a beam of red light from a reddish, football-shaped object. Another 14-year-old boy in Ohio was rendered immobile by a beam of light from a hovering object.
• Mysterious Phenomena: Reports include objects causing heat, paralyzing witnesses, and even lifting people into the air, as in the case of Albert and James Grear in Ohio.

Government and Official Response

The article criticizes the federal government's lack of an effective program to deal with UFO incidents, noting that only recently has the F.B.I. cautiously begun studying some cases. Astronomers and physicists are assigned to cases that arguably require higher-level law enforcement or military intelligence intervention. The U.S. Air Force's approach is described as an effort to discredit the problem, with its explanations often involving "weather balloons," "mirages," "meteors," "lightning bolts," and "marsh gas."

UFO Weaponry and Intentions

The magazine suggests that UFOs possess "awesome weaponry" capable of paralyzing, immobilizing, and tampering with the human mind. The consistent reappearance of objects in specific "flap areas" and the apparent need for both human and animal subjects raise questions about their ultimate intentions. The article speculates on where disappearing people might be going, implying that many incredible cases go unreported.

Personal Accounts and Investigations

Several individuals are highlighted for their experiences or investigations:

• Rex Heflin: An Orange County, Calif., Highway Department investigator, photographed a UFO.
• Beau Shertzer: A driver who reported a large glowing object attempting to wrap its arm-like extension around his vehicle on Route 2 in West Virginia.
• Francis Bedel, Jr.: Lost control of his car in Indiana after a bright glowing object approached.
• "Sonny" Desvergers: A scoutmaster who claimed to be burned and knocked unconscious by a "ball of fire" in Florida.
• Charles Davis: A boy near Hobbs, N.M., who was allegedly burned bald by a UFO.
• Robert Stiff: A local ufologist who attempted to investigate a case in Oklahoma City.
• Steve Michalak: Reported severe burns after an encounter with a UFO in Canada.
• Ryan Reed and Chris Ward: Two boys who witnessed a hovering object that projected a beam of light, paralyzing Chris Ward.
• Kenneth Mooney and James Buckley: Police officers who interviewed terrified boys after a UFO sighting.
• A. N. Perkins and C. F. Bell: Deputy Sheriff and Patrolman in Williston, Florida, who experienced heat and paralysis.
• Albert and James Grear: Brothers who reported an incident of levitation in Ohio.
• Will Begay and Clyde Soccie: Men in Idaho who reported their car being forced off the road by a UFO.
• Dennis Jones: An investigator for the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization who filed a report on Gregory Wells.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes are the increasing hostility of UFOs, the physical and psychological harm they inflict, and the perceived inadequacy or deliberate obfuscation by authorities, particularly the U.S. Air Force. The editorial stance is one of alarm and urgency, presenting UFOs as a dangerous and undeniable phenomenon that cannot be ignored or covered up. The magazine advocates for acknowledging the reality of these encounters and the suffering they cause, while questioning the motives and origins of the objects and their occupants. The overall tone suggests that humanity is ill-equipped to deal with this threat, likening the efforts to "hunt an elephant with a bean-shooter."