Saucer Smear - Vol 37 No 07 - 1990

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER SMEAR
Issue: Volume 37, No. 7
Date: August 25th, 1990
Publisher: SAUCER AND UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
Editor: Jim Moseley

This issue of Saucer Smear, a non-scheduled newsletter, delves into the ongoing saga of the Gulf Breeze UFO controversy, integrating elements of cults, conspiracy, espionage, and government cover-ups. The main focus is a summary of newspaper articles and personal interviews concerning the mysterious appearance of six American soldiers in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

The Gulf Breeze Soldier Incident

The central narrative details the disappearance of six young American soldiers from a classified intelligence unit in Europe, who subsequently showed up in Gulf Breeze, Florida, around July 9th, 1990. Initially believed to be part of a religious cult called "End of the World," it was later suggested they belonged to an unknown group. These soldiers were assigned to the 701st Military Intelligence Brigade in Augsburg, West Germany, where their duties involved analyzing foreign intelligence communications.

The incident began when a van driven by one of the soldiers was stopped by a Gulf Breeze policeman due to a broken tail light. The frightened soldier allegedly begged the officer not to reveal his identity, fearing it would lead to his "death warrant." The soldier was identified and arrested for being AWOL. The other five soldiers were captured the following day, with one being found at the home of Anna Foster, a psychic whom one soldier had befriended the previous summer. Anna Foster, who may have worked at a bookstore called the New Age Shop and attended a recent MUFON convention, has been instructed by her lawyer not to discuss the case. A friend, Jim McDade, stated it was a "military matter."

According to one source, Anna Foster interested one soldier, Kenneth Beason, in a manuscript detailing a government cover-up of alien visits, thus linking the case to UFOs. This source suggests part of the soldiers' mission was to expose this cover-up.

There is a rumor, unconfirmed by Ed Walters, that Anna Foster may have babysat for his children.

The Gulf Breeze police did not question the soldiers about UFOs or cults, but a document called "The Cooper Papers" was mentioned.

Small-Town Suspense: The accompanying graphic highlights that six GIS with top-secret clearance and cryptology training mysteriously appeared in Gulf Breeze. Theories range from involvement with 'Rapture' cults to an organization called 'The End of the World.'

Government Involvement and Theories

Agents from the FBI, CIA, and NSA reportedly contacted the Gulf Breeze police, indicating the seriousness with which the government viewed the matter. The soldiers were subsequently transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia, and later to Fort Knox, Kentucky.

A man in Tennessee who sold the soldiers the van reported they claimed to be Christian fundamentalists heading to Pensacola Beach for "The Rapture," a Born-Again Christian concept of bodily ascension before the end of the world. Another theory suggests they believed Jesus Christ was an astronaut arriving in a spaceship.

"The Cooper Papers" are identified as writings by ufologist Milton William (Bill) Cooper, particularly his tract "The Secret Government: The Origin, Identity and Purpose of MJ-12." This document alleges that George Bush was once the head of a worldwide drug cartel and that aliens exist in top-secret underground bases in the U.S.

An entity's channeled message from "Revelations of Awareness" suggests a link between William Cooper's material and Ed Walters' book, "The Gulf Breeze Sightings," indicating that other information has been released as a result of this entity's release.

A Reuter newspaper story from July 20th reported the soldiers were on a religious mission to "hunt down the AntiChrist" in northern Florida and had been charged with desertion.

Ed Walters expressed fear that some people might perceive him as the AntiChrist, a concern he shared with Police Chief Jerry Brown.

Duane Cook of the Gulf Breeze Sentinel believes the government was involved in a cover-up and sent the soldiers to "muddy the waters." Conversely, Chief Brown suggested the soldiers were merely resting on their way to Texas or Mexico.

Bob Reid, a retired Army officer, theorizes that with the collapse of Russia as a symbol of the Anti-Christ, the soldiers may have turned to UFOs and Born-Again Christianity, suggesting there is more to the case than meets the eye.

The "Extortion Letter" and UFO Photos

It is reported that the Sentinel, along with other news sources, received a strange teletyped communication on July 25th, accompanied by photographs of UFOs. The exact text of the communique, which demanded the release of "missing files" and "500+ photos," is included. The communique stated, "HERE IS PROOF WITH CLOSE-UPS CUT OUT. NEXT WE SEND THE CLOSE-UPS AND THEN EVERYTHING UNLESS THEY ARE RELEASED. ANSWER CODE AUGSBB3CM." Notably, two or three days after this message was sent, all charges against the "Gulf Breeze six" were dropped by the military. The magazine questions whether the government was blackmailed.

Ed Walters' UFO Photographs and Related Issues

The issue revisits the controversy surrounding Ed Walters' UFO photographs. TV reporter Mark Curtis attempted to prove they were double exposures on WEAR-TV and the show "A Current Affair." The magazine notes that Curtis is an excellent reporter trying to get to the truth and is working on a book about the Gulf Breeze phenomenon.

Miscellaneous Ravings:

• An error in a previous issue is corrected: "Tom Smith" should have been mentioned instead of "Tom Adams" in reference to a cattle mutilation expert.
• Tim Beckley is organizing a "National New Age & Alien Agenda Conference" in Phoenix, Arizona, featuring numerous speakers, including Jim Moseley.
• The magazine references a 1985 issue that solved the mystery of Coral Castle, Florida, attributing its construction to an eccentric immigrant, Earl Lee, rather than supernatural forces.
• Researcher Bob Oechsler is investigating the Coral Castle story.
• Writer Howard Blum is releasing a book, "Out There: The Government's Secret Quest for Extraterrestrials," which documents U.S. government spending on UFO research, despite official denials. Phil Klass has reportedly condemned the book.
• Engineers and photographers from the U.S. are studying crop circles in England with sophisticated equipment.

Missives from the Masses

Several readers contribute their perspectives:

• Dr. Bruce Maccabee writes regarding Tommy Smith's (TS) testimony about UFO photos he claims Ed took. Maccabee infers that TS claims the photos were taken before Ed's first published pictures. He recounts a story of a young man who gave Ed photos of a UFO in January 1988, but wished to remain anonymous. Maccabee criticizes Jim Melesciuc's belief in TS's testimony, particularly the explanation of how a crop circle was created (Ed supposedly turning a trampoline upside down and jumping on it). Maccabee points out that the circle was found in winter, near school buildings, appeared overnight, and the grass only revived after fertilizer was used. He questions why Ed would burn the first set of fake photos but let TS keep the second set if it was part of a hoax.

• Molly Squire (now Molly Hanson) comments on a videotape of Ed's behavior, stating it was within the realm of expected behavior for someone in his circumstances (middle of the night, looking for UFOs, with a friend and a camera). She believes he was expressing fear, anticipation, and excitement.

• Arch-skeptic ZAN OVERALL gives a C+ grade to a book report on "Gulf Breeze Double Exposed." Overall argues that the book aimed to prove the "Ghost-Demon" photo was a double exposure to examine if Ed was lying about not knowing how to double expose. If Ed is proven a liar, his credibility collapses. Overall also questions if Ed was lying about the "Ghost-Demon" photo being accidental, given his predictions. A further criticism is the omission of the book's price. Overall also points out that Ed's wife, Frances, is a romance fiction writer, a fact not mentioned in their co-authored "non-fiction" book, "The Gulf Breeze Sightings."

• Researcher TOM BURCH thanks Saucer Smear for encouraging Ed Walters to go public. Burch believes Gulf Breeze has become a standard for UFO reports and that cynics and debunkers lost by their approach, which he describes as manipulative and distorting.

Further Contributions and Speculation

• ERIK BECKJORD suggests that a "PHENOMENON" creates UFOs, Bigfoot, Nessie, and crop circles to confuse people.

• DAVID PURSGLOVE questions the intent behind a photo of Dr. Laibow in 'Smear,' suggesting it might be provocative.

• An anonymous UFO researcher and contactee provides a detailed account of the "MJ-12 document," claiming it confirms the existence of hostile extraterrestrials, involvement of high-level government officials, and that the US space program is a cover-up. The researcher claims to have seen alien remains and saucers in secure facilities.

• CHRISTOPHER ALLAN reveals the name of a British-born engineer, Eric Arthur Walker, who allegedly helped recover crashed UFOs and alien bodies at Wright-Patterson in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Allan notes Walker emigrated to the U.S. in 1923 and served in science and engineering.

• DENNIS STILLINGS comments on Stanton Friedman's "Final Report on Operation Majestic 12," calling it a tedious and expensive piece of work.

• MONTY CANTSIN offers a contrarian view on the Gulf Breeze case, suggesting a lawyer (Tom Smith Sr.) would prefer to be seen as dishonest rather than crazy. Cantsin believes young Tom Smith saw a genuine UFO, and his father tried to hush it up. Cantsin alleges that Ed Walters built a model and photographed it to increase his fame and fortune, and that his story gained traction due to his friendship with the local paper's editor. Cantsin also claims white-collar criminals can pass lie detector tests and that Mr. Ed's proof about the model's construction date might be falsifiable.

• The issue concludes with a description of crop circles, noting their appearance in various countries, including Gulf Breeze, Florida. Attributed causes range from whirlwinds to UFOs. Erik Beckjord describes English crop circles as "smoothed down in swirled flatness, shining like silver dollars in the sun, as if flattened by machine," and largely "UNEXPLAINABLE."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the Gulf Breeze UFO incident, government conspiracy and cover-ups, the alleged existence of aliens and secret government programs (like MJ-12), and the ongoing debate surrounding the authenticity of UFO evidence, particularly Ed Walters' photographs. The editorial stance, as represented by Jim Moseley and the content selected for publication, appears to be one that entertains and investigates these phenomena, often presenting multiple perspectives, including those of believers, skeptics, and alleged insiders. There is a clear skepticism towards debunkers and a willingness to explore controversial theories, as evidenced by the inclusion of channeled messages and anonymous accounts.