1968 09 00 Men - John Keel - The Secret UFO Astronaut War

Magazine Overview

This issue of the magazine, identified by its page number '26' and '27', focuses on the alleged 'Secret UFO-Astronaut War' and the possibility that space officials are covering up encounters with unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The cover story is written by John A. Keel, described as 'America's Leading Ufologist'. The issue date is inferred as November 1966 from the content.

The Secret UFO-Astronaut War

The main article by John A. Keel posits that American and Russian astronauts have been harassed and even attacked by flying saucers, and that space authorities are denying this. The proof, according to Keel, comes directly from the astronauts themselves.

Woodrow Derenberger Sighting

The article details an incident on November 2nd, 1966, involving Woodrow Derenberger, a sewing machine salesman from Mineral Wells, West Virginia. While driving on Highway 1-77 near Parkersburg, he encountered a strange object that swooped down and landed in front of his truck. A being, described as about five feet, nine inches tall with pointed features and a dark complexion, emerged from the object, which was shaped like an old-fashioned lamp chimney. The being communicated with Derenberger, asking him to roll down his window and inquiring about his identity and destination. Derenberger reported the incident to the Parkersburg police, who were not surprised and admitted to receiving similar reports that day. Derenberger later underwent physical and psychiatric examinations, and one of his examiners, a psychiatrist, also became a 'contactee' himself.

Derenberger and his family were subsequently invited to Cape Kennedy, where NASA's manned-space rocket center is located. He was interviewed for a week, with NASA personnel reportedly stating they knew more about the subject and showing him a star map, indicating the origin of a flying saucer.

Astronaut Testimonies and UFOs in Space

The article asserts that unidentified flying objects have frequently appeared over rocket launching sites and have been tracked by radar. Astronauts have reported seeing unidentifiable objects in outer space and have taken pictures, though obtaining these is difficult.

During a November 1966 American flight, astronauts James Lovell and Edwin Aldrin reported seeing 'four objects lined up in a row' that they stated were not stars. Lovell is presented as an expert, having witnessed a gigantic spherical object with Frank Bormann on December 4, 1965, during the GT-7 orbit. Bormann radioed, 'I have a bogey at 10 o'clock high,' and confirmed it was an actual sighting, not a booster rocket.

NASA, like the Air Force, is accused of adopting a policy of secrecy regarding UFOs. A correspondent for West German television, Robert Roentgen, was reportedly stonewalled by NASA when seeking an official statement, receiving only a cold denial of interest in unidentified flying objects.

Mysterious Orbiting Objects

The article claims that an unknown entity entered space before both the U.S. and Soviet Union. Unidentified orbiting objects were first detected in 1952, traveling in an east-to-west course, unlike man-made satellites. As many as four such objects have been tracked, with three currently orbiting the globe every 164 minutes. Their size is 'classified'. In November 1957, astronomers in Venezuela photographed an unexplained object closely following Sputnik II.

UFOs have also appeared near unmanned space capsules and rocket probes. An object reportedly dogged a Polaris rocket on January 10, 1961, and four unidentified objects surrounded an unmanned Gemini capsule on April 8, 1964, staying with it for one orbit.

'Fireflies' and 'Belts of Fireflies'

Colonel John Glenn, America's first astronaut, was quoted as believing 'certain reports of flying saucers are legitimate.' During his February 20, 1962, flight, he radioed descriptions of 'thousands of these greenish-yellow things swirling across the sky' that approached his capsule, which he was certain did not originate from it. He stated their identity was a mystery.

This phenomenon was reportedly described a decade earlier by contactee George Adamski, who spoke of passing through 'a belt of billions of multi-colored fireflies' during a supposed ride in a flying saucer. Astronauts Scott Carpenter and Gordon Cooper also reported seeing these belts of glittering objects. Bormann and Lovell observed a belt appearing in front of them, moving at a right angle to their path. NASA's official explanation is that these 'fireflies' are ice particles from life-support systems, but the article questions this, noting the absence of such ice in photos of manned capsules.

Soviet Encounters

Soviet cosmonauts have also experienced problems with mysterious objects. In October 1963, a three-man Soviet capsule was reportedly buffeted by unknown forces from large circular objects, nearly causing disaster. In March 1965, cosmonauts Pavel I. Belyayev and Alexei A. Leonov's prolonged space flight was cut short when a 'satellite' appeared near their capsule, causing them to return to Earth engulfed in flames.

Colonel Vladimir Komarov died suddenly of a heart attack in orbit on April 24, 1967. The official Soviet explanation was that he died when his space vehicle crashed. The article questions what could cause a healthy pilot to have a heart attack in space.

Other Astronaut Deaths and Incidents

The article notes that being a space pioneer is hazardous, citing the deaths of nine American astronauts in the past three years (three in an Apollo fire, others in plane and automobile crashes). Russia's first man-in-space, Yuri Gagarin, also died in a plane tragedy. It points out the 'remarkable coincidence' that both John Glenn and Gagarin suffered similar inner ear damage after slipping in bathtubs, which grounded them.

Frank Edwards, a writer and newscaster, claimed that 'one of our early astronauts' had such a harrowing UFO encounter in space that he suffered emotional shock and was never sent up again.

Astronauts James McDivitt and the late Edward White reported seeing a 'mysterious object in space' over China during their June 1965 flight, described as an 'egg-shaped thing with arms or projections'. They also saw another UFO over Hawaii on the same flight. McDivitt stated he did not know what it was.

X-15 Rocket Plane Encounters

Two pilots of the X-15 rocket plane also had close encounters. Joe Walker, killed in a later air collision, photographed cylindrical objects at an altitude of 246,700 feet in the spring of 1962. Major Robert White, flying the X-15 at 314,750 feet on July 17, 1962, was paced by a gray-white object moving at 3,832 m.p.h., which eventually glided out of sight. White exclaimed, 'There are things out there! Absolutely are!'

Sabotage and Equipment Malfunctions

The article suggests a bizarre sequence of coincidences and accidents plaguing U.S. and Soviet space efforts, which could be interpreted as sabotage, though cooperation between the nations is noted. Rockets have a habit of disappearing soon after launch without exploding or crashing. Soviet 'Molniya' satellites and American rockets have vanished. Communications equipment malfunctions are also highlighted, with four U.S. satellites mysteriously stopping and then resuming transmissions between 1962-64. A satellite silent for five years suddenly broadcast again in 1967.

Ufologists are concerned because UFOs are known to interfere with electrical apparatus (the 'EM affect'), which has been reported hundreds of times. Cars have stalled, radios and TVs have gone dead, and police radios have emitted strange sounds and voices described as 'rapid-fire grunting' when UFOs were nearby.

Gordon Cooper's Transmission Interruption

Astronaut Gordon Cooper reported hearing 'unintelligible foreign language' transmissions during his fourth pass over Hawaii on May 15, 1963, which interrupted his signals to ground control. NASA technicians were puzzled, and language experts could not decipher the tapes. Cooper also reported a glowing greenish disk with a red tail closing in on his spacecraft over Australia, which was witnessed by over 200 people at the Muchea Tracking Station.

Cooper stated that 'there have been too many unexplained examples of UFO sightings around this Earth for us to rule out the possibilities that some form of life exists out there beyond our own world.'

Gemini-10 and ATDA Vehicle Incidents

In June 1966, a planned rendezvous of a manned capsule and a target vehicle (ATDA) was postponed due to 'interference' with radio relays. NBC newsmen Huntley and Brinkley discussed flying saucers on air, noting that UFOs were reported more frequently in South America than in the United States.

That night, three UFOs were reported in orbit with the ATDA vehicle. The Air Force explained them as possibly being part of the plastic shroud. Stafford and Cernan were kept on the ground for two days. When launched, they found the ATDA's plastic covering had failed to jettison.

On July 19, 1966, Gemini-10 pilot John W. Young radioed about 'two bright objects' in orbit that did not appear to be stars and seemed to be moving alongside his craft. The ground control loudspeaker suddenly went dead, suggesting censorship. A Department of Defense spokesman later stated that none of the known objects in space could account for these 'two bright objects'.

APRO's Concerns and Government Secrecy

The Aerial Phenomenon Research Organization (APRO) in Tucson, Arizona, has studied UFOs for 16 years. L. J. Lorenzen, head of APRO, expressed concern that UFOs might be hostile, suggesting that government secrecy is understandable as a military procedure to study potential threats without causing public panic.

Project Blue Book, established in 1952, is described as a false target to absorb public anger. NASA and other organizations are believed to be more concerned and knowledgeable about UFOs. Frank Edwards suggested that UFOs might be trying to impede space efforts.

UFO Interference and Unexplained Fires

Since 1964, UFOs have jammed radios, stalled cars, and caused telephone system failures, with over 1,000 unexplained 'blackouts' reported in the U.S. in one year, often in areas with frequent UFO sightings. Unexplained fires and abandoned, burned-out automobiles found in inaccessible places are also linked to these phenomena.

Apollo 1 Fire and Mysterious Noises

On January 27, 1967, during a dry run for the Apollo Command Module at Cape Kennedy, astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee experienced unnatural static and weird noises on a telephone wire connection to ground control. Grissom complained, 'If I can't talk to you from here, how do you expect to hear me from the Moon?' All three men died instantly when a fire engulfed the module shortly after.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the alleged 'Secret UFO-Astronaut War,' the potential for government cover-ups of UFO encounters in space and on Earth, and the mysterious phenomena associated with unidentified flying objects. The editorial stance appears to be one of skepticism towards official explanations and a strong belief in the reality of UFOs and their potential significance, possibly even as a threat or impediment to human space exploration. The article emphasizes the importance of astronaut testimonies and unexplained incidents as evidence for these claims.