UFO Potpourri No 271

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: no. 271
Date: February 1, 1984
Publisher: "WAS" (POTPOURRI NEWS)
Country: USA
Language: English

Main Cover Story: Fifteen UFOs Over East Texas

The lead story details a significant sighting on Wednesday, February 1, 1984, involving a Montgomery County family—a man, his wife, and their three daughters—who witnessed fifteen Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) over East Texas. The objects moved slowly overhead from east to west for approximately 45 minutes, starting around 9:15 pm over the small town of Plum Grove.

Mrs. Vickie Landrum, one of the witnesses, recounted her own close encounter in 1980 with a large diamond-shaped object accompanied by military-type helicopters. She stated that the recent witnesses had recently moved to East Texas and started new jobs, expressing fear that reporting the incident might lead their employers to believe they were 'crazy or something' and could result in them being fired.

The objects were described as triangular in shape and as large as a Boeing 747 airliner. The first object appeared with a single light, followed by many different colored lights. The objects appeared to move in sequence, with one moving and the next moving up, then the first one moving again. The initial six objects appeared in pairs, while later, single objects crossed the sky. The witnesses noted that the objects were silent, except for a slight whirring sound audible when directly overhead, which they described as completely unlike the noise of a helicopter or regular airplane.

A neighbor woman reported that her television set began malfunctioning around the time of the incident. She saw the lights in the sky from her window but did not go outside. Her husband initially thought a bunch of airplanes were going over and wished they would stop.

A sketch of the objects depicted them as shaped more like an ice cream cone with the rounded end forward. While this differs from a common triangle shape, it was noted as being similar to the shape of a huge object seen near Huffman, Texas, on December 29, 1980. The proximity of Huffman and Plum Grove led to speculation that 'something very unusual is going on over the forests of East Texas.'

The article criticizes the response from various agencies when the witnesses called for assistance, describing it as a 'classic run around.' Some officials were reportedly dismissive ('tongue-in-cheek'), while others suggested contacting different agencies. The author laments that the public is not being served by their local, state, and national officials in a time of need. The report concludes by emphasizing that these UFOs, witnessed by 'five honest and sober people,' should be taken seriously and not ignored.

UFO Sightings Reported in Rockland

This section, written by Seth Mendelson, Staff Writer, reports on sightings in Tomkins Cove, Rockland County. People there were still 'rubbing their eyes over what they saw in the skies late Saturday night.'

Louise Guarasci, whose husband Joseph owns Boulderberg Manor in Tomkins Cove, is among the believers. On Saturday night, around 10:10 pm, she was leaning against a car when she saw a disc-shaped flying vehicle cruise silently overhead. She initially doubted her eyes but received confirmation from six other people at the restaurant. She described the experience as awe-inspiring, stating, 'I stood there for a second with my mouth open. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.' She had previously only read about UFOs and wished to see one.

Stony Point police reportedly received 'numerous complaints' around the same time, including a report from a town police officer. James Hoyt, a parking valet at Boulderberg Manor, initially thought the strange lights belonged to a formation of airplanes, a phenomenon sometimes attributed to pilots from Storinville Airport. Hoyt mentioned that a friend who recently left the Air Force confirmed that planes in formation use lights similarly to what he observed.

The article notes that this is not the first time UFOs have been reported in the Tomkins Cove area; in 1976, at least 30 sightings were reported, leading residents to create a UFO command post and a powerful light in an attempt to get a response from the objects, which they never did.

The Sky Near De Soto Includes Strange Objects

This article details sightings by three residents of the De Soto area on the night of August 29th. One couple, who wished to remain anonymous, were milking cows when the wife noticed an object described as 'barn and silo-shaped with lights.' They observed it for about an hour, noting that as the sun set, orange and yellowish lights came on inside the object, blinking on and off.

The unusual aspect was that there was no barn or silo in the area where the object was sighted. The couple initially dismissed it, thinking it would still be there in the morning, but it was gone. They then realized they had indeed seen something unusual.

Both described the object as greyish, looking like a tall silo, about 20 feet in diameter, next to the end of a barn, and appearing to sit on the horizon. A neighbor girl, playing outside around 9:30 pm, called her parents to see 'the pretty lights.' Although the parents did not see the object, the girl remembered it well enough to draw a picture. She described it as black, like 'big, black clouds, with rings around the outside with lights blinking.' She said the object suddenly disappeared while she was watching it.

The De Soto area families are seeking information from anyone else who might have seen anything unusual that night, emphasizing that 'it was big' and they have 'no idea what it could be.' They continue to look at the spot where they saw it.

Other unexplained events that evening included the little girl's parents hearing what sounded like a car motor running and waiting for it to go past their house, but it never did. Another neighbor noted someone driving a vehicle through his field in the direction of the object, prompting speculation about whether someone had seen the object and driven to investigate.

The article includes a dateline from the "BROADCASTER & CENSOR, Oct. 6, 1983," suggesting the De Soto report might be from an earlier publication or a follow-up.

Test-Plane Crash is Investigated

This brief news item from Las Vegas, Nevada (UPI), reports that Air Force officials launched an investigation into the crash of a top-secret experimental plane that killed its test pilot, Lt. Gen. Robert Bond. Bond, vice commander of the Air Force Systems Command, died when the experimental craft crashed and burned on the Nellis Air Force Base complex. He was responsible for evaluating weapons systems and was a highly decorated war hero with extensive flight experience.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of UFO Potpourri are UFO sightings, witness testimony, and the perceived lack of adequate official response to these phenomena. The editorial stance, as expressed in the main article, is one of concern and a call for serious consideration of UFO reports, criticizing the dismissive attitude of some officials and agencies. The publication appears to advocate for a more open and responsive approach to unexplained aerial phenomena, highlighting the experiences of ordinary citizens who witness these events.