SUN 29 (Sept 1994)

Magazine Overview

Title: Skeptics UFO Newsletter
Issue: SUN #29
Date: September 1994
Publisher: Philip J. Klass
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter critically examines recent developments in UFO research and reporting, focusing on skepticism towards claims of extraterrestrial encounters and government cover-ups.

FUFOR's New Roswell Report By Karl Pflock Affirms SUN's Criticism of Randle/Schmitt's New Crashed-Saucer Book Scenario

The lead article reviews Karl Pflock's 189-page report, "Roswell In Perspective," published by the Fund for UFO Research (FUFOR). While acknowledging Pflock's desire to 'believe in UFOs' and his speculative leaps, the newsletter deems his report generally more factual and insightful than previous works on the subject, characterizing it as an 'interim report.' Pflock's research, funded in part by FUFOR, includes interviews with key witnesses like Frank J. Kaufmann and Jim Ragsdale, whose accounts are heavily relied upon by Kevin Randle and Don Schmitt for their 'new Roswell crash scenario.' Pflock's report 'almost concurs' with the conclusion of UFO-researcher Robert G. Todd that the debris found by rancher Mac Brazel resulted from a crashed balloon-borne radar target from the Top Secret Project Mogul program. Pflock states, 'It is all but certain that at least the great majority if not all of what was found at the debris field...was the wreckage of a huge balloon [from the] Top Secret, highly sensitive Project Mogul.'

However, Pflock is criticized for being unable to resist believing tales of recovered ET bodies, leading him to speculate that some debris might have come from an extraterrestrial craft that either collided with the Project Mogul balloon or maneuvered to avoid a collision, causing both to crash. The newsletter finds this scenario as flawed as Randle/Schmitt's.

Pflock's background is detailed: a degree in philosophy and political science from San Jose State University, employment with the CIA (1966-1972), activity in NICAP, and service as a Special Assistant for Defense, Space, and Science & Technology on Congressman Ken Kramer's staff (1983-85), followed by a role as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (1985-1989).

It is noted that Pflock's wife, Mary Martinek, is a senior staff member for Congressman Steve Schiff, who requested the GAO investigate the Roswell incident. This suggests Pflock's report may have been supplied to the GAO.

"Agnostic" In Crashed-Saucerland -- With Preconceived Cover-up Bias

Pflock's introduction states he began his Roswell investigation as an 'agnostic' but suspected a government cover-up of a crashed flying saucer. His research, involving numerous institutions and researchers, reportedly confirmed his suspicions and uncovered 'important new information' supporting the UFO hypothesis, a claim challenged by SUN.

The article highlights that Pflock makes only brief mention of once highly classified documents that contradict his conspiracy beliefs. These include:

• Lt. Gen. Nathan Twining's September 23, 1947 letter to Brig. Gen. George Schulgen, which, though acknowledging the USAF's lack of knowledge about UFOs, noted the 'lack of physical evidence in the shape of crash recovered exhibits.' This letter was declassified in 1969.
• Documents from Maj. Gen. C.P. Cabell, Director of Intelligence, written a year after Roswell, indicating efforts to understand UFOs. Gen. Cabell's November 3, 1948 letter to the Air Materiel Command sought an assessment of UFOs. These were declassified eight years prior to this publication.
• A draft letter from Col. H.M. McCoy, Chief of AMC's Intelligence Dept., dated November 8, 1948, which stated, 'The possibility that the reported objects are vehicles from another planet has not been ignored. However, tangible evidence to support conclusions about such a possibility are (sic) completely lacking.' This was declassified eight years prior.
• Air Intelligence Report No. 100-203-79 (December 10, 1948), a top-level Pentagon assessment, which concluded that UFOs 'would seem most logical to consider that they [UFOs] are from a Soviet source.' Highlights of this report were published in the July 1985 MUFON UFO Journal.

Marcel's 32-Year-Old Recollections As Fame Approached

This section analyzes a transcript of a tape-recorded interview with Maj. Jesse Marcel, conducted by Bob Pratt in 1979 for the National Enquirer. Marcel, who accompanied rancher Mac Brazel to the Foster ranch in July 1947, described the recovered debris as 'metal, small bits of metal,' and 'material that's hard to describe....small members, solid members that you could not bend or break, but it didn't look like metal. It looked more like wood....Weightless....just like you handle balsa wood....other stuff there that looked very much like parchment....It came to earth, but not from earth.'

Pflock notes a discrepancy where Marcel claimed to have written the report President Truman read on the air about Russia exploding an atomic device; this announcement was a White House press release.

SUN DISCOVERS OTHER ERRORS IN MARCEL'S RECOLLECTIONS:

• Marcel claimed a degree in nuclear physics, but his military record shows only 1.5 years of physics study at Louisiana State University without a degree.
• Marcel claimed 3,000 hours as a pilot and 8,000 hours flying time, but his military record shows no pilot training and indicates he served in photo-interpretation and intelligence.
• Marcel claimed to have five Air Medals for shooting down enemy aircraft, but his record shows only one Air Medal.

The article contrasts Marcel's claims of being told not to talk with the Randle/Schmitt book's assertion that the government threatened everyone involved with prison or death and enforced secrecy oaths. The newsletter sarcastically notes that 'NOBODY THOUGHT TO TELL MARCEL NOT TO TALK....OR HE COMPLETELY FORGOT.'

Pflock's Ambivalent Speculations

Pflock's report discusses the 'Bandwagon Effect,' where 'publicity seekers' create spurious tales. He analyzes the tales of Randle/Schmitt witnesses, including former mortician Glenn Dennis and Sgt. Robert Slusher, who described 'human-like but strange bodies.' Pflock concedes these bodies 'may not have been of unearthly origin' but offers no earthly explanation.

Pflock's conclusions are summarized: If alien beings and wreckage were recovered in 1947, 'todate, no physical evidence, documentation, or credible testimony has been brought forward which reveals or even suggests a clue to what became of the Roswell debris and bodies.' He notes that 'at least three official post-Roswell and formerly classified documents dealing with flying saucers specifically note a lack of physical evidence of their existence.'

Pflock offers an explanation: experts destroyed the wreckage and disposed of all records to avoid being 'pilloried as incompetents.' Regarding the ET bodies, he suggests they decomposed quickly or were stored as 'anthropological specimens,' with institutional memory fading over time.

SUN offers its own explanation: 'THERE WAS NO CRASH OF AN ET CRAFT.' The tales are attributed to the 'Bandwagon Effect' fueled by publicity. SUN admits this scenario is 'a bit "wild blue yonder."' The newsletter acknowledges Jerome Clark's characterization of Roswell as the 'most important case in UFO history' and Pflock's concern about the consequences for ufology if aliens are proven not to be involved. SUN disagrees, stating it's easier to believe in a 'Government Cover-up.'

MUFON Official Admits 25 Years' Research Has Yielded NO Answers

At MUFON's 25th anniversary conference, Deputy Director John F. Schuessler summarized the organization's research objectives since its founding in 1969, which focused on four basic questions about UFOs: their nature (advanced intelligence or terrestrial phenomenon), propulsion, origin, and the science/civilization of potential occupants.

Schuessler admitted that despite amassing a vast database, MUFON has not found answers to any of these questions. SUN predicts that this will remain the case even at MUFON's 100th anniversary, labeling this lack of progress as a 'fingerprint' of pseudoscience.

Hopkins Finds New Witness For Linda Abduction Case

Budd Hopkins presented a new alleged witness to the Linda Napolitano abduction case at the MUFON conference. This witness claimed to have seen a fire-red object hovering near the Brooklyn Bridge in late November 1989, suggesting she and her companion might have been 'switched off' during Napolitano's abduction. Tragically, this new witness died three days before the presentation. Napolitano also revealed that two ETs remained in her bedroom while she was abducted.

Napolitano's presentation, which included accounts of alleged abduction by ETs and government agents, was noted for its emotional impact and humorous ad-libs, causing her to exceed her allotted time. She is scheduled to speak at Tim Beckley's conference in Mesa, Arizona.

Stanton Friedman's "Small" Oversight

Stanton T. Friedman was honored at the MUFON conference for his contributions. In his acceptance, Friedman mentioned speaking about 'fraud in UFOlogy,' citing figures like Carl Sagan, Guy Kirkwood, and Bob Lazar, and also mentioning Philip Klass.

The article criticizes Friedman for including Gerald Anderson's story in his book 'Crash At Corona,' despite forensic analysis showing the diary used as proof was forged with ink not available until the 1970s. Anderson later admitted forging another document.

Dr. Mack "Lets His Hair Down" At Rocky Mountain UFO Conference

Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Mack spoke at a conference on UFO-abductions and reincarnation. He admitted his book and views have been poorly received by the mainstream UFO community for venturing beyond 'nuts-and-bolts' UFO reports into areas like reincarnation and alternative realities.

Mack explained that he struggles to draw a line, finding it difficult to accept hybrid ETs as real while dismissing past-life experiences. He stated this approach antagonizes the UFO community. He also noted 'differences' with Budd Hopkins and David Jacobs, who focus more on the 'hybrid program and sexual stuff.'

Mack Reports Two Major Discoveries:

1. Dual Identities: Abductees can be both Earthlings and ETs, leading to internal conflict when their alien self engages in reproductive encounters with humans against their will.
2. Hybrid Program Failure: The hybrid program is not going well, with hybrids appearing listless and dying frequently.

SUN comments that if ETs have been failing at producing hybrids for decades, they should try another planet for their genetic experiments.

"A Credulous Man Is A Deceiver"......Francis Bacon

This section critiques Dr. John Mack's acceptance of Donna Bassett's abduction story, which Time magazine suggested was a hoax. Bassett claimed to have found President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev aboard a flying saucer during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Mack, however, maintained that Bassett was originally an abductee, not a hoaxer. He implied that SUN's editor, Philip Klass, might have been involved in the hoax, as Bassett's husband had worked with Klass.

The article clarifies that Ed Bassett and Philip Klass worked at Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine in the late 1970s, with Ed Bassett later heading the Paris Bureau. They had minimal contact with Donna Bassett, and Ed Bassett had only spoken to Klass once in over a dozen years for an article on radar.

Whitley Strieber Plans A Comeback

Whitley Strieber is planning a comeback into the UFO-abduction field with a new book, "Beyond Communion: The Coming Moment of Contact." His earlier book, "Communion," made him a millionaire, but "Transformation" and the "Communion" movie were less successful. Strieber had withdrawn from the field in 1991, calling UFO-ologists 'cruelest, nastiest and craziest people' and stating that abduction reports are artifacts of hypnosis and cultural conditioning.

Strieber's current views are described as 'ambivalent mysticism,' suggesting that aliens are not found in the sky but within our minds, possibly from the future or another dimension. He stated in a form letter that the visitors' nature is unknown and that understanding them requires facing them with 'empty minds.'

Short Shrift:

• Dr. Mack and Trauma: The article suggests Dr. Mack should read the Harvard Medical Health Newsletter, which discusses evidence that hearing about traumatic experiences or simply believing one has suffered a trauma can cause genuine psychological disturbance, potentially inducing PTSD symptoms.
• William L. Moore's Report: Readers who ordered Moore's report "The Scientist, the Government and UFOs" over two years ago are advised to be patient, as Moore is reviving his publication 'FOCUS' and the Bennewitz report will appear in the new issue.
• Abductees and Publicity: The article questions the claim that abductees shun publicity, citing Yvonne R. Smith's CERO group, which boasts of members appearing on various TV shows and in magazines.
• UFO-abduction Research as a "Sinking Ship"? Dr. David Gotlib is contemplating expanding his newsletter's mandate beyond UFO abductions to include broader anomalous experiences, suggesting a potential shift away from a primary focus on UFOs.
• Stanton Friedman's Views: A series of interviews with Stanton Friedman reveals his interest in reincarnation and past lives, and his hope to author a book on the MJ-12 papers. SUN comments that Friedman is one of the few remaining UFOlogists who claims the MJ-12 papers are authentic.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards UFO claims, critical analysis of witness testimony and researcher credibility, and the examination of the 'bandwagon effect' in UFOlogy. The editorial stance, as indicated by the newsletter's title and content, is to challenge unsubstantiated claims, highlight logical inconsistencies, and promote a critical, evidence-based approach to the UFO phenomenon. The newsletter consistently questions the validity of abduction narratives and government conspiracy theories, often pointing to psychological factors or misinterpretations of events.