UFO Research Newsletter - 1971 08 09 - Vol 01 No 05

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO RESEARCH NEWSLETTER
Issue: Vol. I, No. 5
Date: August - September 1971
Publisher: UFO Research Associates
Country: USA
Language: English
Price: $.60 (U.S., Canada and Mexico); $.80 (foreign) for single copies.

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter focuses on recent UFO sightings and includes an editorial commentary on the public's waning interest in the subject, alongside a strong argument for the extraterrestrial hypothesis.

Highlight Reports: "Maltese Cross" and Jet Chase

The lead article details a "Maltese Cross" shaped UFO sighted by a police officer in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 27, 1971. The object, described as having 12 to 20 blinking lights, hovered briefly before disappearing in "a fraction of a second." Atlanta police received approximately 50 calls regarding the object. The report also mentions other types of sightings since April, including UFOs chasing jet aircraft, pacing cars, causing electromagnetic effects, and extending a "camera on a boom."

One detailed account comes from Joel J. Hassler near Boeuff Creek, Missouri, on or about April 15, 1971. He observed a saucer moving from southeast to northwest, which then hovered over the Missouri River. Hassler reported that the UFO opened a "door" and extended a machine resembling a camera on a boom, which emitted a brilliant blue light. He experienced an unusual thirst for water during this time. The object remained for 15 minutes before retracting the device and heading northwest, leaving a "bright tail." Hassler described the UFO as "larger than a bushel basket" and reflecting light from all sides.

Another report, "Discs Pursue Jets," describes Teresa Brewer witnessing two white discs flying side by side and following the vapor trails of two jet aircraft in Florence, Alabama, in April 1971. The discs reportedly "hesitated" at the intersection of the trails before one followed the northbound jet and the other the westbound jet. One disc then stopped mid-air to wait for the other, and they both proceeded to follow the northbound jet until they were out of sight.

An incident involving a "Object Paces Car" occurred on May 11, 1971, near Carlyle, Illinois. Jerrel Garner and a companion observed a brilliant light hidden by a cloud cover. The light brightened, left the cloud cover, and paced their car at an altitude of about a thousand feet. The UFO stopped when Garner stopped at a dead-end road and then faded from view.

Other Sightings and Reports

Disc Makes 75-Degree Turn: On June 22, 1971, in Oakland, Alabama, three witnesses saw two small discs flying side by side at high speed. One disc, described as "highly polished metal," made a 75-degree turn and headed toward Florence at an estimated speed of 2,500 to 3,000 m.p.h.

Students See Maneuvering "Rocket": On June 27, 1971, near Las Vegas, Nevada, two students reported a rocket-shaped UFO that caused E-M effects. The 15-foot long object flew "faster than a jet," changed colors, and later took on the shape of a cross, exhibiting bubble-like lights.

• Sighting Capsules: The newsletter includes brief summaries of other reports from February to July 1971:
• February 18, 1971: St. Charles, Missouri - A "cage-like" UFO with an occupant was reportedly seen.
• February, 1971: Near Ft. Worth, Texas - A large, blue, "bright and huge" cigar-shaped object was observed.
• April 22, 1971: Ft. Worth, Texas - A UFO estimated at 300 feet long emitted light flashes and a faint sound.
• April 13, 1971: Beckemeyer, Illinois - Six people witnessed a bright UFO that hovered and then sped away.
• Around May 19, 1971: Antarctic - The Chilean Air Force reported a luminous object that hovered and changed colors.
• May 20, 1971: Near Breese, Illinois - A cone-shaped object was observed hovering near a coal mine.
• May 28, 1971: East Brookfield, Massachusetts - A brilliant, oval-shaped UFO was seen over a pond.
• May 29, 1971: Oxford, Massachusetts - A UFO about 10 feet in diameter with a black bottom and a light was observed over a flood control project.
• June 15, 1971: Alton, Illinois - A "silver" UFO with green lights hovered close by a home, and two "humanoids" reportedly contacted the witness via telepathy.
• June 21, 1971: Haverhill, Massachusetts - A cone-shaped object that changed colors executed a low circle and disappeared.
• Late July, 1971: St. Jolie, Quebec, Canada - Two police constables observed a 20-foot-wide saucer resting on legs in a parking lot.

Army Colonel Says UFOs Real

Colonel Robert B. Emerson (USAR), in a 1968 paper, stated that UFOs are likely "extraterrestrial" and come from multiple sources with varying technologies. He believes they have been exploring the universe for billions of years and suggested that they have social and trade relations among themselves. Emerson noted that many scientists are convinced of UFO reality but fear expressing their views due to ridicule or job jeopardy. He criticized the Air Force's debunking policy and called for a full-scale Congressional investigation, suggesting that the problem is the "greatest scientific problem of our time."

Colonel Emerson estimated that since June 24, 1947, there have been at least two reports per day per state in the U.S., totaling approximately 36,500 per year and three-quarters of a million since 1947. Globally, he estimated "several million good sightings."

Tennessee Investigator Reaps Rich Harvest

George D. Fawcett of Greeneville has uncovered numerous UFO reports from Tennessee spanning 24 years, including radar trackings, E-M effects, animal reactions, power failures, and physical evidence. Reports from the Knoxville area in June-July 1947 mentioned a "long cylinder" moving at high speed and a "big, round, streamlined, silver-like UFO" as large as a pickup truck. Sightings from Memphis, Chattanooga, and Hixson described discs that circled, made whooshing sounds, and flew in formations.

• A Radar Tracking and Occupants Highlight 1950s Reports:
• July 11, 1950: Near Memphis - Pilots flying training planes saw a UFO about 24-25 feet across and seven feet high, which they chased at speeds up to 200 m.p.h. The object was tracked on radar.
• November, 1953: Donelson - A brilliant, bluish-white object moved over the Center Hill Powerhouse and Dam, pulsing intermittently and hovering twice.
• March 23, 1957: Fayetteville - A UFO with a dome performed maneuvers before numerous eyewitnesses.

• 1960-64 Sightings Reveal Startling Patterns:
• July 22, 1960: Martin - A UFO described as "larger than a car and... shaped like two pie plates turned together" hovered about 150 feet above the ground. Large, black, oily substances were found nearby.
• December 16, 1960: Chattanooga - A Moonwatch team saw a low-flying "ball of fire."
• May 27, 1961: Nashville - A brilliant, triangular-shaped object was chased by jets, and a photograph was allegedly taken.
• July, 1964: Near Greeneville - A lit disc hovered over a barn, causing tree-tops to sway. An "angel-hair"-like substance was found, and there was a power failure and a missing calf.

• The 1966 Reports:
• March 28, 1966: Fayetteville - A large, lit object on a hilltop caused an automobile engine and headlights to cease functioning after it disappeared.
• March, 1966: Near Greeneville - A white, cigar-shaped UFO, about the size of a Cessna airplane, appeared briefly.
• April 5, 1966: Alto - An oval object hovered over a swamp, causing animals to become restless.
• October 7, 1966: Johnson City - Eight "egg-shaped UFOs" moving in formation were reported.
• October 11, 1966: Jonesboro - Two UFOs were seen; one shot a beam of light toward a plane. Other objects were described as cigar-shaped and changing colors.
• October, 1966: Tennessee - Two professors reported seeing a "doughnut-shaped UFO," and other witnesses reported plane chases and flying objects during a power failure.

• Late 1960s Bring Light Beams and Emitted Object:
• November 3, 1966: Knoxville - A "very huge, round, red and orange" UFO glowed, stopped, and hovered.
• October 10, 1967: Shenandoah Heights - A disc with a dome shot "off bright rays of light."
• September 10, 1968: Kingsport - An object flashed, glittered, and changed colors.
• October, 1969: Greeneville - A red, round UFO emitted another white object from its bottom.

• 1970-71 Objects Also Seen:
• February, 1970: Mosheim - A UFO described as "two inverted saucers put together with the center rim spinning" rose and disappeared.
• March 11, 1970: Greeneville - A disc "with a color halo" was reported.
• June, 1970: Greeneville - A silvery, cigar-shaped object performed erratic maneuvers.
• October, 1970: Greeneville - A "cigar-shaped UFO with rounded front and a tapered back which trailed some sort of exhaust" was photographed.
• 1970 (month and day unknown): Kingsport - A white, oval-shaped object "twirled like the blades of a helicopter."
• February 1, 1971: Kingston - A saucer "with flashing lights" was seen.

Correction

A correction is noted regarding the photographer of the Scandinavian eclipse film case, identifying Raun Conradi instead of John Bjornulf.

UFOS: GREATEST SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM OF OUR TIMES?

This section features excerpts from a talk by the late Dr. James E. McDonald, a senior physicist and leading proponent of UFO research. McDonald argues that a significant number of scientists are aware of the UFO phenomenon but remain silent due to fear of ridicule or job loss. He criticizes the lack of adequate scientific investigation and the tendency to dismiss unusual phenomena. McDonald strongly advocates for the extraterrestrial hypothesis as the most plausible explanation for UFOs, based on the evidence. He urges a Congressional investigation to address the issue seriously and calls for it to be handled by a science-oriented agency. He concludes that the UFO problem is indeed the "greatest scientific problem of our time."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently reports on a wide variety of UFO sightings, emphasizing witness testimony and physical characteristics of the objects. There is a clear editorial stance favoring serious investigation and a belief in the reality of the phenomenon, particularly leaning towards the extraterrestrial hypothesis. The publication expresses concern over the media's tendency to downplay UFO reports and criticizes the perceived dismissive attitude of official bodies like the Air Force. The overall tone is one of advocating for greater scientific scrutiny and public awareness of UFOs as a significant, unresolved issue.