SUN 56 (Mar 1999)

Magazine Overview

This issue of Skeptics UFO Newsletter, dated March 1999, is identified as SUN #56 and is published by Philip J. Klass. The cover story focuses on Joe Firmage, a 28-year-old Silicon Valley Internet expert and multi-millionaire, who proposes a radical theory linking UFOs, extraterrestrial technology, biblical miracles, and modern psychic phenomena. The newsletter critically examines Firmage's views and the evidence he presents.

Joe Firmage's Theory: UFOs, Miracles, and Religion

Joe Firmage's central thesis, detailed in his 240-page online report titled "The Truth," suggests that UFOs and ET occupants have been visiting Earth for thousands of years, potentially posing as angels. He posits that ET advanced technology could explain reported biblical "miracles" and even the concept of a "virgin birth" if Jesus were an "ET hybrid." Firmage also believes in a massive U.S. government UFO coverup and the existence of an MJ-12 group. He has reportedly spent $2-3 million promoting his views.

Firmage, raised as a Mormon, abandoned the faith due to its dogmatic aspects but notes similarities between Mormon founder Joseph Smith's encounters with angelic beings and modern UFO "Visitor" accounts. He founded the International Space Science Organization (ISSO) to promote research into ET technology, aiming to develop unlimited energy from the vacuum of space (Zero Point Energy) and gravitational propulsion. He also seeks to expose the government's UFO coverup and educate religious leaders on the ET-religion connection.

Scrutiny of MJ-12 Documents and Authenticity

The newsletter delves into the authenticity of the "new MJ-12 papers," which Firmage uses as proof. It questions how Firmage learned of these papers and made contact with Dr. Robert Wood. The Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE) journal, edited by Dr. Peter Sturrock, is mentioned as a possible link, having published a favorable review by Dr. Wood of Stanton Friedman's book on MJ-12, which referenced documents from Timothy Cooper.

However, the newsletter highlights concerns about the MJ-12 documents. It notes that Friedman himself found some Cooper-supplied papers to be counterfeit. A key focus is the alleged President Truman memo of September 24, 1947, which supposedly created Majestic Twelve. Document examiner Peter Tytell concluded that the memo was typed on a Smith Corona typewriter not introduced until 1963, long after the memo's purported date. Despite this discrepancy, Friedman reportedly continued to endorse the MJ-12 papers.

Further analysis by Tytell on the Truman signature on the MJ-12 memo and an authentic October 1, 1947 letter to Dr. Vannevar Bush suggests a "classic signature transplant." Tytell observed that the signatures were identical, prompting him to believe the MJ-12 signature was a photocopy. Dr. Wood, however, offered an alternative explanation involving an "auto-pen" device, which the newsletter dismisses as "ridiculous."

Even William L. Moore and Jaime H. Shandera, who initially defended the MJ-12 documents, later offered only a 35-40% probability of the Truman memo's authenticity, suggesting it might have been fabricated by the U.S. government.

Firmage's Personal Encounter and Organization

Firmage recounts a personal experience in the fall of 1997 where he awakened to see a "remarkable being" clothed in white light. This entity reportedly asked why he was called and, in response to Firmage's desire to travel in space, gave him a "glowing blue ball" that entered him, imparting "unimaginable ecstasy" and what he describes as "great vision and wisdom."

Following this experience, Firmage created the International Space Science Organization (ISSO) to pursue his objectives, including convincing the scientific establishment of UFO reality, advancing ET technology for energy and propulsion, overturning government UFO coverups, and applying ET knowledge for ecological benefit.

Identification of Firmage's UFO Experts

While Firmage identifies Robert Wood and his son Ryan as authentication experts for the MJ-12 papers, he also refers to two anonymous "UFO experts." The newsletter identifies one as Linda Moulton Howe, known for her work on "cattle mutilations" and "UFO abductions," and the other as Michael Lindemann, who runs the subscription service CNINews.

"The Truth" Report: Critiques and Inaccuracies

The newsletter reviews Firmage's report "The Truth," finding it to include chronologies of UFO cases, some authored by Howe. Examples cited include the Lonnie Zamora incident at Socorro, N.M., and the Bentwaters, England, incident in 1980. Howe's accounts are described as "colorful" but contain questionable details, such as ETs with "Arabic-style noses" and missions involving "time-travelers from the Earth's future" seeking human chromosomes.

The newsletter points out specific inaccuracies in "The Truth," such as misrepresenting Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt's assessment of the 1948 "Top Secret" UFO Estimate of the Situation, claiming Vandenberg "squelched" the report due to belief in ET craft, when Ruppelt stated the report lacked proof. It also notes that Firmage omitted a crucial part of Lt. Gen. Twining's 1947 letter, which mentioned the "lack of physical evidence" for UFOs.

Firmage challenges skeptics to refute the vast amount of UFO evidence accumulated over 50 years, including sightings, landings, and abductions, and suggests that ancient scriptures support the idea of interaction with "great beings from above."

Other UFO News and Debunking

Clinton's Plan to Avoid Impeachment: A report from the "usually Unreliable source (SUUS)" claims President Clinton's advisors proposed a strategy to reveal the truth about UFOs to avoid impeachment and gain global acclaim. The proposed speech included deploying lasers to destroy ET craft, uniting world leaders, and assigning FBI agents to protect abductees. However, the plan was reportedly vetoed by MJ-12.

"Alien Autopsy" Debunked: Robert Kiviat, producer of the 1995 TV show "Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?", now admits the film is bogus. The newsletter recounts how the film purported to show an ET autopsy but contained discrepancies, and the alleged "doctors" wore face masks while the footage was of poor quality, suggesting it was staged.

Betty Cash Dies: Betty Cash, one of three individuals allegedly irradiated by a UFO near Huffman, Tex., in 1980, died at age 71 on the 18th anniversary of the incident. The newsletter notes that her death certificate likely states "heart failure" and points out that she had pre-existing health issues, including heart bypass surgery and breast cancer, questioning the direct link to the UFO encounter.

NBC-TV's "Hard Evidence of Aliens": The newsletter criticizes NBC-TV's UFO special for misleading viewers with a seemingly balanced presentation that heavily favored UFO promoters over skeptics. It highlights how skeptics received significantly less airtime, particularly during segments on the Roswell incident and UFO abductions.

"UFO-Lawyer" Gersten: Attorney Peter Gersten plans a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. government on behalf of UFO abductees, potentially seeking billions of dollars.

Skeptical Assessment of Abductions: Richard Hall, a former deputy director of NICAP, offers a skeptical assessment of UFO abduction claims, suggesting that investigators have gradually moved beyond facts into "very questionable speculation."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently adopts a skeptical stance towards UFO claims, particularly those involving government coverups, MJ-12, and the extraterrestrial hypothesis. It prioritizes scientific scrutiny, factual analysis, and the debunking of sensationalized accounts. The editor, Philip J. Klass, is presented as a voice of reason against what he perceives as unsubstantiated or fabricated UFO narratives. The publication aims to provide a counterpoint to the prevailing pro-UFO sentiment often found in popular media and among UFO enthusiasts, encouraging critical thinking and evidence-based evaluation of phenomena.