Saucer Smear - Vol 47 No 06 - 2000

Magazine Overview

This issue of Saucer Smear, dated July 15th, 2000, is the official publication of the SAUCER & UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY. It is dedicated to the highest principles of ufological journalism and features an exclusive update on the famed Socorro, New Mexico UFO landing.

Socorro, New Mexico UFO Landing Update

The lead article revisits the classic Socorro, N.M. flying saucer landing of April 24th, 1964. The case was recently discussed in 'The Anomalist'. The author expresses disagreement with arch-debunker Phil Klass, who initially suggested a 'dust devil' and later insisted the sighting was a hoax motivated by a desire to make Socorro a tourist center. The article notes that Socorro is still not a tourist town.

Professor Charles Moore, who was Project Engineer for the Project Mogul balloon flights in June 1947 (linked to the Roswell Incident), has been living and working in Socorro. Moore does not subscribe to the 'dust devil' or hoax solutions. He accepts the testimony of a gasoline station owner who reported a tourist saw the Socorro saucer take off noisily. Furthermore, Moore has ascertained that a Surveyor lunar module was launched from White Sands on the same day as the Lonnie Zamora sighting. Moore believes that 'Something went wrong and they don't want to admit it,' suggesting the Surveyor launch is the key to solving the case, an angle not fully pursued by UFO researchers.

News Briefies (formerly TIDBITS OF TRASH)

Karl Pflock's anti-Roswell book, titled 'Inconvenient Facts: The Real Roswell Story', has been accepted by Prometheus Press, the publishing arm of CSICOP, and is due for release in Spring 2001.

The editor announces upcoming travel to the MUFON convention in St. Louis, Missouri, the annual NUFOC in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a speaking engagement at a Pat Marcattilio conclave in Bordentown, New Jersey. Another event mentioned is the Fort Walton Beach (Florida) Paranormal Conference on October 20th-22nd.

The 37th Annual National UFO Conference will be held in Corpus Christi on September 23-24, 2000, featuring experts like Stanton T. Friedman and Walt Andrus.

The summer convention of the International UFO Congress in Laughlin, Nevada, has been canceled due to the illness of its coordinator, Bob Brown.

UFO investigator Larry Bryant is pursuing a legal campaign against the governor of Virginia regarding alien abduction relief.

A 90-page document called the COMETA Report, published in English, concludes that UFOs are likely extraterrestrial. Stanton Friedman was selling copies of the English edition, leading to threats of legal action from the COMETA group.

Dr. Paul Bennewitz, the subject of a previous article, reportedly wanted to communicate with the editor, but his wife refused contact.

The fifth annual UFO-oriented festival in Roswell, N.M., took place from June 30th to July 7th, emphasizing fun over research with events like an 'Intergalactic Fashion and Food Extravaganza'.

Steve Mansee, who puts 'Saucer Smear' on the Internet, reports an average of 275 'hits' per day, with readers from exotic countries worldwide.

Dr. Frank Stranges Carries On

Reverend Frank Stranges is reportedly on the Internet, promoting claims from his book 'Stranger at the Pentagon', which describes a human-looking alien named Val Thor who was a guest of the U.S. Government. Stranges has been in the UFO field for over forty years and pushes a mix of religious concepts and UFO theories.

PFlock PTalk / THE BEAT GOES ON

Karl Pflock, the contributing editor, discusses a 'new' Roswell witness reported by George Filer. This witness, 'Tim', claims to have been a crewman on a B-29 bomber that flew a 'crate' from Roswell to Fort Worth in 1947. Pflock questions the use of a B-29 for this task instead of C-54 cargo planes and suggests that the 'crane flight' tale is part of a narrative to support the idea of a crashed saucer and alien bodies.

Pflock also touches on Dr. Frank Stranges, noting his long involvement in the UFO field and his promotion of religious concepts alongside UFO claims.

Missives From The Masses

This section features letters from various individuals commenting on previous articles and topics:

• William Moore writes regarding Rick Doty and Phil Klass, suggesting that Klass might be playing a 'vicious little joke' regarding the MJ-12 documents, which has gotten out of hand. Moore confirms Rick Doty's comments about Bennewitz and 'energy balls'.
• Richard ('Rick') Doty clarifies his past association with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and his current role as a sergeant with the New Mexico State Police. He states he was a source for OSI and provided intelligence information, but denies involvement in creating MJ-12 documents. Doty asserts he went through two government investigations regarding MJ-12 and was cleared. He does not believe Paul Bennewitz was in contact with ETs. Doty states his beliefs: two alien spacecraft crashed in New Mexico in 1947, five bodies and one live alien were recovered, the alien lived until 1952, spacecraft were sent to Wright-Patterson, and there have been no subsequent visits. He denies UFOs at Area 51 but suggests remnants of the crashed craft might exist.
• Phil Klass responds to the article about Rick Doty, questioning Doty's claim that his interest in Bill Moore was solely due to Moore's correspondence with Soviet scientists. Klass points out that Doty was allegedly selected by 'Falcon' to convey 'Top Secret' UFO info to Moore. Klass also disputes Doty's claims about the NSA steering Bennewitz and tapping his phone, stating NSA cannot tap US citizen phones. Klass notes that Doty was booted out of AFOSI in the mid-1980s and managed an NCO club.
• George Hansen, a parapsychologist, questions the editor's reliance on Doty's word regarding misdirecting Bennewitz, asking for corroboration after Phil Klass's exposes.
• Janet Smith, a researcher, congratulates the editor on the interview with Richard Doty, calling it a 'great piece of work' and a 'closure on that piece of Bennewitz business'. She recalls Bill Moore mentioning squirreling Bennewitz away in Canada for protection and her suspicion of phone tapping. Smith notes Bill Moore's marriage problems and accusations of forging documents.

Ace Cartoonist Matt Graeber Writes

Matt Graeber discusses a group of pro-Roswell researchers who claim to have deciphered General Ramey's TELEX from the 1947 Roswell news briefing. They believe the TELEX proves the saucer crash, recovery of alien bodies, formation of the MJ-12 group, and prior saucer crashes. Graeber suggests the group submit their findings for a 'blind study' and questions why Ramey would hold a press briefing with notes proclaiming it a ruse. He anticipates this story could be a major scoop for 'Smear'.

Phil Klass writes to Matt Graeber regarding the Ramey Office Memo (ROM), explaining 'Top Secret' handling provisions for documents being photographed.

Christopher Allan of England Writes

Christopher Allan inquires about the origin of the term 'Extraterrestrial Biological Entities' (EBE), noting that the MJ-12 papers attribute its first use to Dr. Detlev Bronk when MJ-12 was set up in 1947. Allan questions if Paul Bennewitz might have suggested the term around 1980 and asks if any Bennewitz papers from before 1984 exist containing the term 'EBE', suggesting such a discovery would 'sink MJ-12'. He also asks about public punishments or humiliations in the U.S. related to Edward Condon's 1969 article.

Edward F. Mitchel, Jr. Writes

Edward F. Mitchel, Jr. encloses a $25 donation, stating he cannot wait for the newsletter from the internet and wishes he could get it monthly. He mentions accumulating information on Gray Barker.

Books to Keep Your Bonfire Burning Brightly

• 'Passport to the Cosmos' by Dr. John Mack: Mack views the alien abduction phenomenon as a cosmic wake-up call, believing humans live in a world filled with spirits and beings who can cross barriers. Mack previously wrote 'A Prince of Our Disorder', a biography of T. E. Lawrence.
• 'I Was There' by Robert Shirkey: This pro-Roswell book features contributions from Frank Kaufmann. Shirkey, Assistant Group Operations Officer for the 509th Bomb Group at Roswell Army Air Field during the incident, claims to have watched crash site debris being loaded onto a waiting B-29.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently questions official explanations for UFO events, particularly those offered by debunkers like Phil Klass. There is a strong focus on the Roswell Incident and related controversies, including the MJ-12 documents and alleged cover-ups. The editorial stance appears to favor investigative journalism within ufology, often highlighting dissenting opinions and new theories, even if controversial. The publication also serves as a platform for researchers and enthusiasts to share their findings and opinions, as evidenced by the 'Missives From The Masses' section. The magazine seems to embrace a skeptical yet open-minded approach to UFO phenomena, often challenging established narratives and encouraging further investigation.