NICAP Reporter - Vol 5 No 07 - 04 1967 - No 55

Magazine Overview

Title: NICAP REPORTER
Issue: Vol. 5 No. 7
Date: April 1967
Editor: Robert J. Gribble

This issue of the NICAP Reporter focuses heavily on UFO sightings and encounters from across the United States and Canada, with a particular emphasis on a farmer's claim of direct contact and a discussion on the importance of photographic evidence.

UFO LANDS--FARMER CLAIMS CONTACT

The lead story details an incident involving Mr. Carroll Watts, a farmer from Wellington, Texas. On March 31, returning home around 10:30 p.m., Watts saw a light from an abandoned house. He drove towards it and found an object approximately 100 feet long and eight to ten feet high. He walked around the object and found a port or door. Upon knocking, it opened mechanically, and a voice, described as unemotional and neither masculine nor feminine, spoke to him. The voice asked if he would be willing to submit to a rigorous physical examination, promising a flight if he passed. The voice stated that any man who passed could make a flight, but women and children would not be taken. Watts was shown a machine against the wall for the physical and a map on the floor, which appeared to be a large-scale land map. He was also told that the ship possessed a machine capable of determining the number and ages of people in a building within 300 yards. When Watts declined the physical, he was told that several people had taken the test and made flights. The entity claimed they were stationed worldwide and could come and go freely. Watts left, and as he pulled his car in front of the ship, it rose slightly and turned south. The ship had a light on its nose, gave off a fluorescent light while stationary, and a reddish cast when it moved. It lifted off the ground and headed south without any noise, with the entire encounter lasting about 10 to 15 minutes. Two Air Force investigators from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, were present at Watts' home, and one stated Watts was considered "above reproach." This was the third reported incident in the Wellington area that month, with Watts having previously reported a craft flying at about 50 mph for eight miles on March 21, and an Air Force man reporting being chased by a similar craft on March 23.

UFO PHOTOS PRAISED

This section discusses pictures of an unidentified flying object taken on August 3, 1965, by Rex Heflin near the Santa Ana, California Marine Air Base. Robert J. Low, project coordinator for a widespread scientific investigation into UFO phenomena at the University of Colorado, ranked these photos among the "top four or five" items of photographic evidence in existence. Low emphasized the convincing nature of photographic evidence and the crucial need to learn everything possible from these pictures, particularly regarding the object's size and distance.

UFO'S SWARM OVER NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Reports from Piggott, Arkansas, describe a disturbing phenomenon of barking dogs at night, attributed to UFOs. Citizens, school teachers, farmers, and teen-agers have reported seeing as many as seven objects at one time. The objects are consistently described as moving without the sound of an engine and have been seen at altitudes up to 100 yards off the ground. Floyd Bellers reported that about two weeks prior (third week of February), his dog barked furiously, and he witnessed a craft with flashing lights moving over his house. It appeared to be about 200 feet up and 50 feet across, with a dome light on top. It moved slowly, made a turn, and changed from white to red as it rose, then back to white as it lowered. A second visit occurred on February 28, observed by Mrs. Beller, who described a reddish object hovering about 100 yards up. Their daughter, Marilyn, also saw it, describing it as a flat oval shape that made no noise. Kenneth Roderey, 21, of Piggott, reported seeing a similar object gliding about 300 yards away, about 30 feet off the ground, which then made a bee-line for his car before swerving off at high speed. He also reported seeing another one a couple of months prior, stating it was definitely not a plane. Roderey noted that these objects do not follow the predictable patterns of jet aircraft from the nearby Blytheville SAC base. Mrs. Golden Hester reported seeing them, and her son Barry saw five on February 28, along with Ronnie Paine and Jimmy Walker. They described them as red, whirly masses, about two car lengths in size. Two were seen over a shoe factory, then two more appeared. Jerry Sample saw a huge one over Beller's house, described as gliding slowly and reddish, about the size of a house, later becoming whitish. He stated it was round, not a plane, and made no sound, dismissing the possibility of swamp gas.

R.B. Cullen, a Piggott policeman, mentioned his son, who had been in the Air Force, observed UFOs about three miles east of Piggott. These crafts reportedly followed B-52 bombers during their landing approach and would then take off. On one occasion, the craft lost control, wobbled, and a smaller red object streaked towards it, consuming it before it regained control and sped off. Cullen also recalled hearing a police radio dispatcher asking about a large red glow heading in his direction.

Tom Smart, a science teacher, and Fred Lamb observed four UFOs on February 28 around 11:30 p.m. They saw a strange light south of town, which appeared tree-top level. This object was later joined by three others, and they moved in different directions, hovering at times.

UFO SPOTLIGHTS HUNTERS

Three young coonhunters—Tommy Mansfield (16), David Hoobler (14), and Norman Kime (15)—reported an encounter on February 8, two miles east of Rossville, Kansas. They saw two lights moving across the sky, resembling car lights. Hoobler stated that when he shined a spotlight on the object, it shined back. Mansfield described it as about half a mile away, appearing stationary, then it put a light on them. It descended from about 600 yards high to 200 yards, then hovered about 20 feet off the ground. The object traveled from half a mile away to within a quarter mile while they watched. The lights were not extremely bright, but Mansfield noted, "It kind of got you when they put it on you." The object made no sound. The boys raced home, and Mrs. Lloyd Mansfield confirmed they returned highly excited.

A similar sighting occurred on February 9 near Goddard, Kansas. Wes Herbert, 28, night manager for Lincoln Oil Co., reported a multi-colored object that remained motionless for about 2-2 hours. The object appeared to emit a light, described by Herbert as a beam that narrowed to a point. He observed it with 14 other persons. After a customer reported it to McConnell AFB, Herbert went to a nearby restaurant and saw the object put down the beam, appearing to touch the ground on the other side of the highway. About 15 minutes later, a truck driver reported a farmhouse fire up the road. Herbert later saw the ruins and confirmed the beam had touched the ground near its location.

10-FOOT 'MONSTER' PANICS RESIDENTS

A creature described as 7 to 10 feet tall, with long pointed ears and covered in hair, was reported roaming near 15th Street and Santa Ana Avenue in Costa Mesa, California, on February 19. Police received several calls before midnight. One man was so frightened he was afraid to go home. The creature was described as resembling an ape stooped over with waving arms. This incident occurred shortly after a UFO report in the same area.

THREE OVALS SIGHTED IN KANSAS

Elvin D. Luthi, a farmer near Wells, in east-central Ottawa county, Kansas, reported seeing three large, oval-shaped lights hovering over the ground on February 14. He initially thought it was a prairie fire. He approached within half a mile of the objects and heard no noise. One object appeared to be on the ground, while the others hovered. Luthi left before the UFOs did, stating it did not shake him up.

MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS OVER WYOMING

Sightings of unusual lights were reported from Torrington, Wyoming, on February 7. Miss Jane McIntosh spotted a large light at 6:45 p.m. while driving into Torrington. Kathy Maul also spotted the object. They described it as red, then blue, then white, and getting bigger. It followed them towards town, then stopped. A similar sighting occurred on February 9 near Goddard, Kansas.

Miss Maul reported that the object was high in the air but lowered to tree-top level and followed them, then disappeared. It reappeared later and seemed to come at them before disappearing again. The girls notified local police, who dispatched officers Tittle and Tapster. Officer Tittle confirmed seeing strange lights in the sky and noted that through binoculars, the lights seemed more individual but retained a strange greenish color. The object was determined to be in the area of a "minuteman missile site."

TROOPER FOLLOWS UFO 10 MILES

Trooper Richard D. Barker of the Seymour, Indiana State Police Post followed a huge ball of greenish-blue and white light for about ten miles around 2:30 a.m. on February 5. Barker described the object as having a flat bottom, basketball size, with a brilliant blue-green light rotating counter-clockwise. It was about 300 to 500 feet high and had three flashing red lights underneath. He followed it about 10 miles south to Little York, where it hovered briefly before taking off rapidly towards Salem and Bedford. Barker stated it did not leave any trail and had a bright white light in front, with a green light circling the perimeter and a blue light on the sides. He noted that when the blue-green light was in front, it obliterated the white light.

A Bedford housewife reported observing a UFO that made a sound like rain on the roof. She described it as a quarter moon shape, peculiar, and moving toward her. It hovered, coming closer, and had a bright light on the bottom. She described it as oval-shaped, like a cigar, with a shiny metal top and an orange bottom, possibly with legs. The UFO was larger than an automobile and sounded like a helicopter and rain simultaneously. It hovered near a utility pole behind her house for about 10 minutes. When she started to call someone, the object turned bright orange, then blue, and took off. The inspection of the ground revealed at least four thawed spots in a frozen yard.

LANDING REPORTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Mr. and Mrs. Winston H. French and their daughters Marianne (20) and Kathleen (13) witnessed a flying object for about five minutes at Nelson, New Hampshire, on January 31. The object, noticed by the eldest daughter, was a bright light across the road. It started blinking red lights and rose to tree level before moving off. French, who had not previously believed such reports, noted that four dogs owned by the family barked during the sighting.

UFO HOVERS OVER TRANSMISSION LINES

Mrs. H.E. Lilly of Lucy Crossing, Pennsylvania, reported a triangular red object emitting white flares hovering for about 30 minutes on January 18. The object seemed to be spinning rapidly while hovering. Bernard Schwar also witnessed it. Mrs. Lilly recalled seeing a similar "ball of fire" hover over power lines in the summer of 1966.

OBJECT SIGHTED-MOTORIST WRECKS CAR

Francis Bedel Jr.'s 1963 car was damaged approximately $400 in an incident near Freetown, Indiana, on January 17. Bedel reported seeing a bright object approaching his car. He became frightened, lost control, and drove off the road into a creek. Mr. and Mrs. Phil Patton also saw the object and experienced a strange "cold" feeling, describing it as if they were in "shock" or a vacuum. They noted the object was spinning fast and blinded them with its brilliance. It hesitated briefly and then took off north. Mr. Patton's eyes were still smarting the next morning.

FLYING OBJECTS SEEN--POWER FAILURE BLACKS OUT WIDE AREA

On January 15, a high school student in Shelbyville, Kentucky, reported a bright, elongated, cylindrical light moving erratically. Another light joined it, and both hovered before disappearing. About an hour later, a power failure lasting 50 minutes affected most of the city. A soft, blue light was reported near Shelbyville's sub-station, and one woman reported sighting a UFO over her home during the blackout. For the next three days, residents reported seeing lighted objects, many described as horseshoe-shaped.

SIGHT UFO OVER NASA STATION

Reinhardt N. Ausmus, an early aviator, reported sighting a UFO with his wife on January 30 near Sandusky, Ohio. They saw an extremely bright light appear in the sky, which seemed to be over the Plum Brook Station of NASA. The light was so bright that no shape was discernible. On February 10, Patrolman Gary Butler reported seeing a blue-glowing, disc-shaped "thing" hovering silently over the NASA facility at 3:40 a.m. He described it as about 40 feet off the ground and 20 to 25 feet in diameter.

OBJECT LANDS, LEAVES GIRL IN TEARS

Miss Sharon Hilderbrand and her friend Michael McKee reported a "mushroom-shaped" UFO, perhaps 30 feet across, landing near Milford, Kentucky, on February 11. They found freshly broken tree branches ranging from finger-size to wrist-size. Sharon Hilderbrand was reportedly very shaken by the experience.

MAN SAYS HE TALKED TO OCCUPANT FROM FLYING OBJECT

Dewitt Baldwin of Buffalo, New York, recounted an encounter on March 1 near Eden, New York, where he claims to have spoken with an occupant of a landed UFO. Baldwin described the occupant as wearing a black, tight-fitting suit, helmet, and goggles. The occupant asked Baldwin what he was doing and where he was born. Baldwin described the UFO as "gold in color," with no lights, illumination, or windows. The snow beneath it appeared undisturbed after it departed, and there were no footprints.

OBJECTS OVER GRAND COULEE DAM

Miss Donna Hart of Electric City, Washington, reported seeing a "huge, red, round object" hovering over Grand Coulee Dam on March 4. It turned white and moved south, then sped southwest at high speed. Melvin Harrell reported a similar sighting on March 7, describing a "huge, flickering, round, white object" traveling at high speed.

STRANGE SKY OBJECT STOPS TRUCK

Mrs. James Thompson reported that on February 13, while driving through Big Fork, Montana, her pickup truck's engine stopped and the lights went out. She saw a bright light above. The UFO veered right, and the pickup started strangely without her pressing the starter. Mrs. Thompson felt heat from the greenish-blue lighted object, which changed to reddish-orange and seemed circular. She thought she heard a buzzing noise. The object moved toward the trees.

HUGE UFO REPORTED

Mrs. Robert Smith and her family reported seeing a round, brightly-lit object over their home near Lebanon, Ohio, on March 16. They described it as shining, almost as big as a house, with a bright white light that hurt their eyes, sometimes turning red, with a halo. The object dipped, then took off straight up and circled the area of the Memorial Gardens cemetery. It emitted a high-pitched sound and caused the family's poodle to scurry under a bed. The UFO hovered over the treetops for about three-quarters of an hour. Mrs. Smith noted that the UFO apparently affected her automobile's lights, causing them to go out temporarily.

NOTES TO MEMBERS

This section thanks members for donations towards a new mimeograph machine, totaling $261.65, which is still significantly short of the required amount. An alternate plan is to use the funds for overhauling present equipment and purchasing supplies for an automatic addressing machine. Members who find this plan unacceptable can request a refund before April 15, 1967. The section also announces that twelve maps showing the geographical distribution of UFO sightings in the U.S. from 1955 to 1966 have been photographed and will be available for purchase. Dr. Condon of the University of Colorado has purchased six sets for their UFO investigation program. A list of NICAP Board of Associate Directors is provided, including Barry Bidwell and Laurie Bidwell for Investigations, Jack Deatherage for Aeronautics, and others. The publication details are given: NICAP Reporter is the official monthly publication of the National Investigation Commission on Aerial Phenomena, located at 5108 South Findlay Street, Seattle, Washington 98118. Membership is $3.50 per year in the U.S. and Canada, and $5.00 elsewhere. Members receive a one-month membership extension for each newspaper clipping about current UFO reports sent to NICAP. NICAP/Seattle is a non-profit organization founded on January 1, 1955.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are widespread UFO sightings, direct encounters with alleged alien entities, and the importance of photographic and testimonial evidence in the study of UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation and documentation of these events, as evidenced by the detailed reporting and the involvement of organizations like NICAP and the University of Colorado. The publication aims to inform its members and the public about the latest UFO reports and research, while also seeking support through donations and contributions of clippings.