UFO Newsclipping Service - 1981 11 - no 148

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Chronicle, dated September 25, 1981, features a prominent cover story detailing a UFO encounter near Dayton, Texas, and the subsequent investigations by state and private agencies. The main headline, "State, private agencies probing claim of UFO encounter," highlights the seriousness with which the incident is being treated.

Main Article: State, private agencies probing claim of UFO encounter

The lead article, by Cindy Horswell, reports on the investigation into a UFO sighting that occurred on December 29, 1980. Vickie Landrum, a 57-year-old waitress, along with her former employer Betty Cash and Landrum's 7-year-old grandson Colby, reported seeing a strange object while driving near Huffman, Texas. Landrum described the object as "diamond-shaped and as tall as a water tower," with a "dull, gray metallic color." It was reportedly spewing red-orange flames, emitting a loud roaring sound, and producing a flammable smell. The intensity of the light and heat caused them to flee the car.

Following the encounter, Landrum, Cash, and Colby experienced physical ailments. Cash suffered burns, blisters, weakness, diarrhea, headaches, eye problems, and significant hair loss, requiring hospitalization twice. Landrum experienced similar, though less severe, symptoms, and Colby was nauseated and had a "bad sunburn." They attribute these ailments to radiation exposure from the object.

Initially hesitant to report their experience, the trio eventually confided in doctors and Dayton Police Chief Tommy Waring. Waring confirmed Landrum's distress and the sincerity of her report. The case has also attracted the attention of John F. Schuessler, a project manager for McDonnell-Douglas and a volunteer with the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), who considers the Dayton incident the most significant sighting in the Houston area due to the verifiable physical injuries.

Medical professionals, including Dr. P.B. Patil and Dr. Steve Chandler, have documented Mrs. Cash's burns and hair loss, and Landrum's eye irritation. While they cannot definitively confirm radiation exposure, they have not ruled it out. Dr. James Easley, a radiologist, examined the women months later, but his results were inconclusive.

Schuessler theorizes the object could be extraterrestrial or a top-secret U.S. government project. To support the witnesses' accounts, Schuessler has gathered reports from other individuals who claim to have seen strange phenomena that night, including Angie Stanley, Jerry McDonald, and Belle Magee. Dayton police officer L.L. Walker also reported seeing several large helicopters flying in formation around the same time.

Mrs. Landrum underwent hypnosis twice by Dr. R. Leo Sprinkle, a psychologist, who found her account consistent and her emotional reactions dramatic, suggesting a genuine experience, though hypnosis does not prove the event occurred.

At the request of State Representative Larry Browder, the Texas Department of Health's Bureau of Radiation Control, managed by Russ Meyer, is investigating. Meyer's team found no residual radiation in the area but is continuing soil sample testing. The described helicopters are consistent with CH47 Chinooks, but military spokesmen deny any such aircraft were active on that date.

Attorney Peter Gersten of Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) has expressed interest in the case, particularly any military involvement, and has requested information from the National Guard and U.S. Air Force regarding helicopters potentially involved.

Other Articles and Sections

This issue also includes several other articles related to UFOs and unexplained phenomena:

• "Citizens fight gov't cover-up of massive data on UFO mystery" by Larry W. Bryant (Page 2): This article discusses efforts by private citizens and organizations, like Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS), to obtain government UFO documentation through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It highlights legal battles against agencies like the CIA and NSA, which are accused of suppressing information. The article includes a letter from then-Congressman Gerald Ford to L. Mendel Rivers in 1966, recommending congressional hearings on UFOs.
• "Private groups battle to release UFO secrets" by Hal McKenzie (Page 2): This piece elaborates on the work of CAUS and lawyer Peter Gersten in using FOIA to access UFO-related government documents, mentioning ongoing legal challenges against the NSA.
• Foreign News Snippets (Page 4):
• "UFOS SPOTTED OFF BUNBURY" (Australia, Aug. 26, 1981): Reports of a large formation of unidentified flying objects seen off the coast.
• "Billinge UFO mystery" (England, Aug. 27, 1981): Residents reported seeing bright lights and a conical craft.
• "More Sightings Reported" (Canada, Aug. 28, 1981): Reports of strange lights and a mysterious fire in Smoky Lake, Alberta.
• "SHOCK FROM OUTER SPACE!" (England, Aug. 27, 1981): A Swindon woman claims her life has been a nightmare after spotting a mushroom-shaped craft and another mystery object.
• "Tribesmen report UFO" (Indonesia, Nov. 8, 1981): Tribesmen witnessed a flashing red object explode in flames.
• "Purple sphere mystery" (England, Sept. 18, 1981): A Whitby resident reported seeing a purple, incandescent sphere hovering over a cemetery.
• Foreign News Snippets (Page 5):
• "More UFO sightings" (England, Aug. 29, 1981): Reports of triangular and orange lights seen in Torbay.
• "COASTGUARD IN UFO MYSTERY" (England, Sept. 3, 1981): A coastguard reported a mysterious craft ascending rapidly past a lookout.
• "UFO MEN PUZZLE OVER DISC" (England, Sept. 3, 1981): Nottingham UFO Investigations Society is investigating sightings of a silver disc-shaped object.
• "UFO SIGHTED OVER STONE" (England, Oct. 9, 1981): Witnesses reported a large, black, doughnut-shaped UFO over Stone.
• "Same UFO seen in Oregon and Germany": A comparison of two photos of a shield-shaped craft taken years apart.
• "AMAZING UFO DEATH RIDDLE" (England, Sept. 27, 1981): The mysterious death of Zygmunt Adamski, found with unexplained burns, is investigated, with a police officer reportedly recalling a UFO sighting.
• "Bright sky lights leave viewers in dark" (Canada, Sept. 16, 1981): Reports of unexplained bright lights over Sarnia, Ontario.
• "Finns encounter UFO at sea" (Finland, Oct. 17, 1981): Two witnesses reported a UFO encounter at sea, with one experiencing heat and physical imbalance.
• "UFOS LIKE REFRIGERATORS" (Brazil, Nov. 3, 1981): Four hunters reportedly died after an encounter with a luminous, refrigerator-like UFO in Maranhão.
• "FLYING SAUCER APPEARS IN THREE DIFFERENT LOCALITIES AT THE SAME MOMENT IN CHILE" (Chile, Nov. 2, 1981): A flying saucer was reportedly seen simultaneously in three distant locations in Chile.
• "Champ the monster is king of Lake Champlain" (USA, Aug. 23, 1981): An article about the legend of Champ, the Lake Champlain monster, and efforts to promote it.
• "Iced 'Bigfoot' in Swansea Mall 'only a myth'" (USA, Sept. 12, 1981): An article debunking a traveling "frozen Bigfoot" exhibit as a fabricated illusion.
• "Mutilated beef cattle mystery" (Canada, Sept. 1981): Reports of cattle deaths with unexplained mutilations, with theories ranging from predators to aliens.
• "Dinosaur hunters make 50-mile hike" (USA, Nov. 4, 1981): A group of Californians searching for dinosaurs in Africa faced challenges with incorrect maps and difficult terrain.
• "Is It Knobby Junior?" (USA, Sept. 16, 1981): Reports of a tall, hairy creature seen near Swainsville, North Carolina, reminiscent of a previous "Knobby" sighting.
• "Scientists Believe Tracks at White Sands About 15,000 Years Old" (USA, Oct. 2, 1981): Scientists concluded that ancient footprints discovered at White Sands Missile Range were made by large mammals around 13,000 B.C.
• "Misinformed on Ancient Prints" (USA, Oct. 9, 1981): A letter to the editor correcting inaccuracies in a previous article about ancient footprints.
• "Geologist: No meteorite" (USA, Nov. 3, 1981): A geologist identified an alleged meteorite as industrial slag.
• "Angel drives bus, tests faith of riders" (Spain, Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 1981): A bus driver claimed to be Archangel Michael, driving a bus with his eyes closed.
• "Man Almost Sprang From Dinosaur?" (USA, Oct. 14, 1981): An article discussing the theory that intelligent life could have evolved from dinosaurs.
• "Reports of monster keep area guessing" (USA, Oct. 4, 1981): Reports of a creature, possibly Bigfoot, sighted in Vincennes, Indiana.
• "SCIENTISTS TO SEEK ANIMAL OF LEGEND" (Africa, Oct. 18, 1981): American scientists planned an expedition to Africa to search for a legendary creature known as mokele-mbembe, described as similar to a dinosaur.
• "Seen a sasquatch? It might be found in St. John swamp" (USA, Oct. 31, 1981): Reports of oversized footprints and strange noises in Louisiana swamps, with some attributing them to a sasquatch.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, unexplained phenomena, and alleged government cover-ups. The articles showcase a wide range of reports from different parts of the world, including alleged encounters with extraterrestrial craft, mysterious creatures, and unexplained events. There's a clear emphasis on witness testimony and the challenges of obtaining official confirmation or explanation. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these phenomena, often with a degree of skepticism but also acknowledging the persistence of these reports and the public's interest in them. The inclusion of legal efforts to uncover government data suggests a leaning towards transparency and a belief that the public has a right to know. The variety of articles, from alleged injuries caused by UFOs to cryptid sightings and cattle mutilations, indicates a broad interest in the unexplained.