UFO Research Newsletter - 1974 01 02 - Vol 03 No 09

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO RESEARCH NEWSLETTER
Issue: Vol. III, No. 9
Date: January - February 1974
Publisher: UFO Research Associates (UFOR)
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter focuses on the continued reporting of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings and related phenomena, alongside a significant statement from Senator Barry Goldwater regarding government UFO investigations.

Goldwater Refused Access to AF UFO Files

Senator Barry Goldwater (R.-Ariz.) is quoted from a January 6, 1974, National Enquirer interview, expressing his belief that highly secret government UFO investigations are ongoing and likely to remain undisclosed unless the Air Force (AF) reveals them. He anticipates that someday, strong UFO evidence that cannot be explained away will emerge. Goldwater recounted being refused permission in 1964 to examine research files at Wright-Patterson AF Base, where Project Blue Book was headquartered. His request to Gen. Curtis LeMay, then former Strategic Air Command chief, was met with a firm "Hell no, and don't ask me again." The newsletter suggests this implies a top-secret investigation, especially given Goldwater's background as a retired AF Brigadier General. The article notes that Goldwater has consistently maintained a positive attitude toward UFOs, even suggesting he may have picked up signals from intelligent extraterrestrial life on his ham radio, describing them as having a "cadence or sequence which sounded like a code."

Fantastic UFO Reports Continue

The newsletter presents a compilation of numerous UFO sighting reports from at least 13 states during August-December 1973. October is highlighted as a particularly active month. Witnesses include pilots, astronomers, police, military personnel, fire commissioners, and fire chiefs.

• Mississippi Sightings:
• The Ollie Berry family in Hell Creek Bottom reported an orange UFO that changed shapes, resembling a star, a kite with red lights, a half moon, and an angel with wings. The object's lights reportedly went out when a plane passed and came back on afterward.
• A businessman near Henryville encountered an elliptical-shaped craft with blue and orange lights resting on legs on the road, forcing him and another driver to swerve into a ditch to avoid a collision.

• Florida Abduction Case:
• Clarence Ray Patterson, an electrician near Loxley, reported a strange flying object hovered over his truck and pulled it up into the UFO. He claims he was examined for about 30 minutes by six "strange-looking creatures" with claw-like arms, similar to those in the Pascagoula abduction report. He was released unharmed near Pensacola.

• New York Sightings:
• Skaneateles: Mrs. Lou Frateschi observed a "fiery Chinese dragon" in the sky.
• Camillus: Jim Curry and nine others saw two large, brilliant lights that appeared to be part of a flashing object, joined by a second object that blinked red, green, and orange.
• Constantia: Norman Hunt witnessed an object with green and red lights skirt across Oneida Lake.
• Calverton, Long Island: Lee J. Gugliotto and James Paciello observed a bright, yellow-red, star-like object.
• Rochester: Terry Dickinson, an astronomer, tracked a V-shaped formation of lights.

• Ohio Sightings:
• Near Lebanon: R.G. Rayl and his family saw a huge, fluorescent-like, oblong-shaped object that moved erratically and was pursued by jets.
• Near Waynesville: Children and a mother observed blue, red, and green lights in an oval shape.
• Near Chillicothe: Mrs. Shirley Johnson and her children reported three UFOs emitting blinding lights that descended upon their automobile, causing her to run off the road.
• Near Killbuck: Mrs. Clara Morris and her family observed a large, greenish-blue light that hovered, moved erratically, and changed colors. A smaller, red, capsule-shaped object was emitted from the larger UFO.

• Kentucky Sightings:
• Franklin: David Powell photographed a round, triangular-shaped object emitting an orange light.
• Near Madisonville: Mrs. R.E. Buchanan and family were followed by an egg-shaped object emitting multi-colored lights.
• Ft. Knox: Army Sergeant First Class Ralph E. Green observed a huge, oval-shaped object with red and multi-colored lights.

• Tennessee Sightings:
• Near Lebanon: Mrs. Fred Singleton saw an egg-shaped object with "lights resembling welding torch flames" that stopped her car and tape player.
• Mt. Juliet: Frank Hobson observed a circular UFO with flashing lights and a sound.

• Other Sightings:
• Alton Park, Tennessee: Police received a call about a cigar-shaped UFO landing in a wooded area.
• St. Elmo, Tennessee: Firemen saw an object hover over a church.
• North Carolina: An unidentified couple reported an elongated blue object with rounded edges and a three-foot tall creature in a gold metallic suit.
• Near Grantham, North Carolina: Lloyd Smith observed a mushroom-shaped object that changed colors and appeared to grow larger.
• Burlington, North Carolina: Police Officer Steve Montgomery's radar unit detected a UFO.
• South Carolina: Greenville officers saw a triangular-shaped object with a green light in the middle and red lights on top.
• Hartsville, South Carolina: Mr. and Mrs. Cole Barnhill observed a bright red, round object.
• Missouri: Witnesses near Palmyra observed a UFO with flashing lights that beamed a searchlight on a barge.
• St. Joseph, Missouri: Mrs. Mary Talbot observed a UFO with a ribbed shield and a domed top, which later split into two objects.
• Near Sikeston, Missouri: Officer Z.T. Jackson observed a large, bright red ball rapidly take off from a field.
• Louisiana: Lt. Robert Lonardo and Officer James Fisher saw an oval-shaped object with brilliant multi-colored lights.
• Powhatan, Louisiana: Witnesses observed strange lights near the woods.
• La Selva Beach, California: A housewife and her son saw a UFO after their freezer alarm went off.
• Near Chatham, Virginia: Bill Hines and a friend were chased by a bright white creature.
• Salem, Virginia: Police officers saw a "red ball of fire in the sky."
• Millville, New Jersey: A woman reported seeing a long, silver, pencil-shaped object.

AIAA Scientists Report UFO Sightings

An article details a poll conducted among members of the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Professor Peter A. Sturrock, an astrophysicist at Stanford University, revealed that out of 1,175 members polled, 129 scientists had seen UFOs, and 21 separate reports were filed. Sturrock criticized the University of Colorado UFO Project report as "unscientific" and argued for a serious scientific investigation of UFOs, suggesting they are extraterrestrial probes. He noted that UFOs are often considered a scientific heresy, hindering reporting in scientific journals.

Enquirer Panel Active

Robert F. Creegan, a philosophy professor and member of the National Enquirer's Blue Ribbon scientific UFO panel, provides an update on the panel's activities. The panel, which includes academic scientists and educators, has been revised and now involves collaboration with organizations like APRO and NICAP. These groups will select challenging reports for the panel's consideration. A $50,000 award is offered for conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial origin, with lesser sums for other challenging cases. Cases from the southeastern U.S., Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, eastern Canada, and Sweden are mentioned as potential contenders. The article concludes by noting the ongoing cooperation between journalism and science, though substantive results remain uncertain.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently reports on a wide range of UFO sightings, emphasizing detailed witness accounts and physical descriptions of objects. There is a clear implication that many of these sightings are not easily explained by conventional means. The inclusion of Senator Goldwater's statement and the discussion of the AIAA poll suggest an editorial stance that supports the seriousness of the UFO phenomenon and advocates for more open investigation and scientific study. The criticism of the Condon report and the mention of the National Enquirer's panel further indicate a leaning towards validating UFO reports and seeking credible explanations, potentially including extraterrestrial origins.

The next issue of UFO Research Newsletter is scheduled for mailing around February 15.