MUFON Massachusetts - Newsletter - 45 - 1987 08

Magazine Overview

This issue of the MUFON Newsletter, dated August 1987, is identified as Issue #45. It is published by MUTUAL UFO NETWORK, INC. and originates from the USA. The primary language is English. The issue features a cover headline focusing on 'EXETER-HILLSBORO SELECTED LOCATIONS FOR VIDEO,' indicating a focus on UFO-related sites in these New Hampshire areas.

Main Articles and Content

Exeter-Hillsboro Selected Locations for Video

The lead article, by Editor/State Director James Melesciuc, details plans to create a video documenting locations of significant historic UFO events in New England. UFO researcher Rick Giordano was instrumental in selecting sites near his hometown of Fremont, NH, particularly the Kensington-Exeter area. The article references journalist John G. Fuller's book, 'Incident At Exeter,' which documented sightings in the Fall of 1965. The most publicized event was on September 3, 1965, involving Norman Muscarello and police patrolman Eugene Bertrand and David Hunt, who encountered a large, roundish object with pulsating red lights that hovered over a ten-acre field. Approximately sixty people reported UFO sightings in the Exeter area during that fall.

The newsletter also highlights Hillsboro, NH, as another area of ufological value. Robert Giglio, a now-deceased freelance photographer, spent three years interviewing and recording witnesses in Hillsboro, gathering over 60 UFO reports from July 1977 through the following four years. These reports described objects of various shapes, including 25 ft. diameter top shapes, rounded football shapes, dirigibles, and N/L's (Not Listed). One notable encounter involved a couple who saw a glowing, yellowish-bluish 'contact capsule' about 40 ft tall and 15 ft wide, floating on its end. It hovered over their truck at treetop level, activating a radar detector with a buzzing sound, before accelerating away. Bob Giglio believed a federal investigation into the Hillsboro events was warranted.

Other locations being considered for future videotaping include Fremont, NH; Ashburnham, MA; U.S. Highway #33 in the White Mountains, NH; Salem, MA; Fairfield County, Conn.; and Pease Air Force Base. Videotaping was scheduled to begin in the fall.

Position Statements

James Melesciuc requests position statements from Mass. MUFON members regarding the field of Ufology. These statements could be brief or a few paragraphs and should be sent to Mass. MUFON, 43 Harrison Street, Reading, MA 01867, USA.

USA Today Snippet

A brief item from USA Today (July 15, 1987) mentions Beloit, Wisconsin, where Alan Skurzewski and Harold Nichols faced sentencing for drug conspiracy. It also notes a tragic accident in Portage, Wisconsin, where a van carrying West German teachers overturned, killing two and hospitalizing twelve. Separately, in Waunakee, Wisconsin, police officers Scott McElroy and Kevin Plendi reported observing a bright, round object with flashing red and blue lights hovering for over three hours.

Mass. MUFON Casework Listing

A partial listing of ongoing Mass. MUFON casework is provided, detailing sightings by location, date, type, and number of witnesses. Locations include Framingham, MA (Abduction, 1960); Jamaica Plain, MA (Abduction, Aug. 1961); Anaheim, CA (N/L, Summer 1962); Indianapolis, IN (N/L, CE-4, 1961-1969, 74 witnesses); Manchester, CT (Abduction, Late 1960); Wakefield, MA (D/D, Summer 1972); Amherst, NH (CE III, Feb. 15, 1974); Wakefield, MA (CE II, Summer 1974); Athol, MA (Abduction, Late 1970s); Auburn, MA (Abduction, 1980); Sherbourn, MA (Humanoid, 1980); Nottingham Epsom, NH (CE III, 1972-1981, Several witnesses); Waltham, MA (Abduction, 1982); Waltham, MA (Abduction, 1985); Framingham, MA (Abduction, Jan. 1986); Harwood, MD (N/L, Feb. 25, 1987); Hopkinton, MA (Abduction, Feb.-March, 1987); and Lowell, MA (D/D photo, May 30, 1987).

Radio-TV Log

Dr. Harley Rutledge was a guest on CNN Science-Tech discussing 'Project Identification' on July 27 and August 1. Betty Hill was a guest on the 'Good Day' show on August 4, reviewing her and Barney's abduction experience.

Time Capsule

• Ten Years Ago (April 1977): 'Washington Whispers' column in U.S. News and World Report suggested 'unsettling disclosures' about UFOs by the government.
• Thirty Years Ago (November 7, 1957): Following a rash of UFO sightings in the southwestern U.S., the El Paso Times reported top scientists were 'pretty shook up' by mysterious flying objects sighted in New Mexico and West Texas.
• Thirty-five Years Ago (September 6, 1952): A New Yorker article, 'Something in the Sky,' quoted USAF scientist Dr. Anthony O. Mirarchi stating that UFOs are real and might be reconnaissance craft.

A Mine Field (by Jim Melesciuc)

This editorial discusses the current strong reporting of UFO abduction experiences in popular media. Mass. MUFON has received numerous calls from people wanting to report experiences and from reporters seeking information. The author notes that the influx of abduction cases has pushed other MUFON projects aside. He mentions Whitley Streiber's book 'Communion' and its following, suggesting that some followers are overly reliant on faith rather than evidence. Budd Hopkins is cited for stressing the importance of investigating abduction patterns but also for being a committed skeptic. The editorial points out the division between 'avid believers' and those who approach the subject scientifically. It also critiques the 'MJ-12 circus' promoted by Moore, Shandera, and Friedman, suggesting it could be detrimental to research due to the hunger for publicity. The rise of 'channeling' is also noted. The author warns that an aura of illegitimacy is forming around Ufology, causing many researchers to regroup or go underground. He concludes by likening ufology to a 'vast mine field' requiring careful study and cautious navigation.

UFOs: Public Interest Increases Despite U.S. Coverup (Letter to the Editor)

Craig D. Howland writes that public interest in UFOs is increasing despite the absence of a major sighting wave. He asserts that competent, qualified, and objective investigators are researching UFOs, many with scientific degrees. He states that UFO reporters are generally reputable and not publicity-seeking. Howland claims the U.S. government has purposely concealed substantial UFO reports since 1947, citing Freedom of Information Act requests as proof. He argues that national security is not a valid excuse for concealment. He notes that UFOs have been present since biblical times but increased with atomic testing in the mid-1940s, suggesting a connection.

Judge Rules UFO-Search Ads Can Run (The Washington Times)

This article reports that a federal judge in Alexandria ruled the U.S. Army must allow a civilian employee, Larry Bryant, to place advertisements in defense newspapers seeking potential whistleblowers with knowledge of government information on UFOs. Bryant, founder and president of CAUS (Citizens Against UFO Secrecy), contends the government has covered up UFO information for decades. The judge ordered the reimbursement of $2,000 in legal fees to Bryant but dismissed his claim of job harassment. Bryant alleges his job rating dropped after he began placing these ads.

UFO Symposium (Centre Daily Times)

T. Scott Crain Jr. reports on the 18th Annual Mutual UFO Network Symposium in Washington, D.C. He was impressed by the variety of UFO encounters presented by experts from over a dozen countries. The symposium featured abduction cases from Whitley Streiber and Budd Hopkins. A significant development was the release of government documents by the Moore-Shandra-Freidman Research Project concerning U.S. Government UFO Policy. These documents describe 'Operation Majestic Twelve' (MJ-12), a secret group of 12 scientists tasked with examining the remains of a UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico, in July 1947. The documents, marked 'Top Secret,' indicate the panel was established by executive order by President Truman. While the CIA labeled the documents a 'forgery,' the article notes the difficulty in explaining the whereabouts of the scientists at the time. Additional evidence is expected.

Urge to Investigate and Believe Sparks New Interest in U.F.O.'s (The New York Times)

By William J. Broad, this article discusses the surge in popular culture interest in aliens, citing three best-selling books on alien visits. It contrasts this with the 1950s UFO wave, noting that current interest focuses on 'people's experiences.' The article mentions the 'Roswell Incident' as a key topic, with researchers like Timothy Good presenting documentary evidence of a government cover-up of a 1947 crash. The government's official explanation was a weather balloon, but researchers cite a purported top-secret briefing paper from 1952 for President-elect Eisenhower, discussing the MJ-12 team established by President Truman to investigate the spacecraft and its crew. Philip J. Klass, a UFO debunker, dismisses these documents as a hoax. The article quotes experts who suggest belief in alien encounters is rooted in the need for secular messiahs and explanations for terrestrial troubles. It highlights new books by Whitley Streiber, Budd Hopkins, and Gary Kinder. The article also notes that some scientists, like Dr. Bruce Maccabee, believe that 'some sort of things have been flying around for decades, and they aren't ours.'

Science Briefs

• Space clutter causing concern: Rapidly accumulating space debris poses a danger to satellites, manned space vehicles, and ground-based astronomy. NORAD tracks over 6,194 trackable objects, but an estimated 40,000 golfball-sized pieces and billions of smaller ones are not tracked. This debris, composed of expended rocket stages, fragments, and tools, is expected to double by the 1990s. Solutions like trash-collecting satellites are proposed.

Continued From Page CI (The New York Times)

This section continues the article from page 5. It reiterates the focus on personal encounters with aliens and the 'Roswell Incident.' William L. Moore, who investigated the MJ-12 document, states it appears genuine. The document purportedly details a secret briefing to President-elect Eisenhower by Rear Adm. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, the first director of the CIA, who was allegedly a member of Majestic-12. The document outlines a chronology of the Roswell crash, the recovery of wreckage and four dead extraterrestrial beings, and the subsequent cover-up involving a 'misguided weather research balloon' story. Stanton T. Friedman, investigating the document with Moore, believes it is of extraordinary importance and suggests the landing was concealed because 'no Government wants people to have their allegiance to the planet rather than themselves.' Frederik Pohl, a science fiction writer, attributes the flourishing belief in UFOs to a loss of trust in political leadership. Michael Wertheimer, a psychologist, agrees that feelings of helplessness reinforce the urge to believe. Paul Kurtz, a philosopher, views the UFO wave as part of a trend where standards of evidence are lacking. Dr. Maccabee acknowledges valid points from skeptics but maintains that unexplained sightings exist, with 10-20 percent of 100,000 sightings over 40 years being hard to explain. He believes the MJ-12 documents might be authentic.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently emphasizes the importance of investigating UFO phenomena, particularly abduction cases and historical sightings. There's a clear focus on documenting significant locations and events, as evidenced by the planned video project. The issue highlights the growing public interest in UFOs and the role of media and books in this trend. A significant theme is the alleged government cover-up of UFO information, with particular attention paid to the MJ-12 documents and the Roswell incident. The newsletter also touches upon the internal dynamics of the ufology community, noting divisions between believers and skeptics and cautioning against the negative impacts of publicity-seeking individuals. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation, critical analysis, and a belief that significant, unexplained phenomena warrant serious attention, while also acknowledging the complexities and potential pitfalls within the field.