UFOrum

Magazine Overview

UFOrum, Volume One, Number Six, dated August 1956, is a monthly publication of the Grand Rapids Flying Saucer Club, a non-profit educational organization and a member of the Michigan Flying Saucer Federation. The cover features a hand-drawn illustration of a flying saucer and a futuristic building, with the title 'UFOrum' and the subtitle '*Official U.S. Government designation for Unidentified Flying Objects'. The price is listed as 25¢.

Editorial Content and Articles

Special Saucer Sighting Round-Up

This section addresses a perceived lull in saucer sightings and reports. UFOrum decided to compile local, national, and international sightings that occurred primarily in the current year. The article references an Air Force statement from the previous October that aimed to end sightings with a comprehensive report covering a 7-year investigation. While the report explained away 90% of sightings, 10% remained unexplained. The article criticizes the Air Force's emphasis on the low percentage of unidentifiable sightings in early 1955, suggesting it was an attempt to make the public forget about the issue. It also notes that some newspapers are favoring the Air Force's stance by downplaying UFO reports. The Grand Rapids Press is cited for an article on the air defense filter center, highlighting the cost of keeping jets airborne and how improved plotting boards would prevent unnecessary scrambles for 'bogus' UFOs. The editorial argues that ignoring UFOs does not make them disappear, asserting they have been present for at least nine years and questioning their origin and nature.

Noted UFO Investigator M. K. Jessup to Speak in Grand Rapids August 25th

This section announces a lecture by M. K. Jessup, a noted UFO investigator and author from Virginia, to be held on Saturday, August 25, 1956, at the new Garfield Park Lodge in Grand Rapids. The lecture, starting at 8 PM, is titled 'The Size of the Universe' and will be slanted towards the subject of flying saucers. Jessup is the author of 'The Case for the U.F.O.', published by Citadel Press and available as a Bantam paperback. The location of the lodge is described, noting ample free parking and refreshments to be served. Admission is $1.25, with a $1. inc tax for students.

Saucer Double Feature

This article details the activities and experiences of Buck Nelson and Lee Childers. Buck Nelson returned to Grand Rapids in July and participated in an interplanetary study group meeting. He had previously lectured about his trips to Mars, Venus, and the Moon. In Washington D.C., Nelson was contacted by a man claiming to be a 'Master of Venus' and was told he would embark on a year-long space flight. Nelson also possessed a tape recording of music composed by a 'Venusian Musician' who plays in the Washington Symphony Orchestra.

Lee Childers provided an update on his activities since February 4, 1956, when he lectured to the Grand Rapids Flying Saucer Club. He recounted his contacts with Commander Marcoson of the spaceship Trijanom and described two trips in saucers, one to the mother-ship Trijanom orbiting in space. Childers expected another contact and a flight on May 15th. On that night, he was followed by a black car with four men, which he believed caused the contact to be postponed. Later, on June 2nd, Childers saw a man he recognized as Commander Toknyunn, who explained that they were busy shielding the Earth from Cosmic Ray bombardment and that Childers would be contacted again on July 23rd for a ride. The latest information before press was that Childers had a contact since his visit to Grand Rapids but could not be reached by phone. Buck Nelson has concluded his lecture tour and returned to Mountain View Ranch, Missouri.

Add U.F.O. Sighting

This section adds a sighting report to a previously reported UFO incident from June 1956. A reader claimed to have seen objects on the same night (Friday, May 4th). Ray Tippets, a meteorologist from Belding, reported seeing an object twice between 6 and 7 PM while crossing the Grand River at Knapp bridge, though he initially thought it was a cloud. Dr. Fred Gilde reported driving north on M-37 near Lilley on Friday, June 29th, at about 11 PM, and observing a steady red light moving westward at approximately 50 miles per hour.

Michigan Flying Saucer Sighting Round-Up

This section compiles several sightings from Michigan:

• Cadillac, Mich. (7-29-56): Air Force interceptors scrambled to investigate an intense white light over the resort town. Oscoda Air Force Base reported an empty sky, with neither radar nor pilots detecting the object described by six tourists and police as a 'bright shiny object'. Willard Wood reported seeing it moving north, and Patrolmen John Langley and Merrill Taylor also witnessed a brilliant white light that moved back and forth in a circular fashion, appearing to approach and withdraw from the earth. The light was visible even after stars faded and seemed to brighten as the sky lightened.
• Meteoric Displays: The article notes that many Michigan sightings might be due to bright meteoric displays occurring when Earth crosses meteor streams. The Capricornids (slow, brilliant meteors) were active until August 4th, followed by the Aquarid stream until July 30th, and the Perseid meteors (swift streaks) on August 11th.
• Bad Axe, Mich. (7-31-56): Radio announcer William Gravlin and Huron County Sheriff Fred Cubernuss witnessed an unidentified object over Port Austin described as a 'monstrous streak of orange fire' or a 'large comet'. The luminous object was visible for 10-15 seconds, streaking northeast, and disappeared over Lake Huron. Air Force radar at Port Austin reported nothing unusual. Tourists also reported seeing a red-flecked 'brilliant white light' circle near the earth over Cadillac. An airplane spotter and a state trooper reported a fast-moving red-and-blue-hued object about 12 feet in diameter over the Saginaw area.
• Kansas - July, 1956: Hundreds of people in southeastern Kansas saw a bright saucerlike object, which was photographed for LIFE magazine.
• San Bernardino, Calif. (no date): Michael Savage photographed a disc-shaped object that made no sound and disappeared in 30 seconds. The photo showed 'a large flattened spheroid.'
• Traverse City & Leelanau County, Mich. (3-26-56): Persons in at least ten locations reported an 'unidentified object' between 10:30 and 11 PM. Air Force Major Homer D. Champlin stated that the base received several reports of lights, and no aircraft were reported. James Wurm described the object as a red and white light, which through binoculars appeared mushroom-shaped with a red-orange stem and white top. It moved slowly for about 15 minutes before disappearing rapidly into the western sky. Other witnesses included Laverne Petroskey, August Sharnowski, and Pat Gardner. Charles Kubesh followed the UFO by car, and one woman was attracted by her dog's barking; she reported the object made a faint sound.
• Detroit, Michigan (6-9-56): Mrs. June Horn and a neighbor observed two yellow lights high in the sky that moved slowly, made a complete circle, and then shot off in opposite directions. Mrs. Horn, who served in the Canadian Air Force, stated no aircraft she knew behaved like that, and there was no sound.
• Berrien Springs, Mich. (6-8-56): A resident reported spotting a huge fireball, the size of the moon, trailing a two-engined aircraft.
• Muskegon, Mich. (undated): Terry Bird and a friend saw a silver object with yellow trimming high above roads, appearing about the size of a dinner plate.
• Detroit, Mich. (5-26-56): Lawrence Elliott reported seeing four green round balls dancing in the sky, which were part of a larger black object that transformed into a silver tube with lighted portholes before shooting straight up and disappearing.
• Dearborn, Mich. (6-2-56): Vern Parker saw a large, cylindrical, silvery object with greenish-blue lights hovering in mid-air. It moved upwards rapidly and stopped at a distance, with no sound. The object was described as silvery with greenish-blue lights that seemed to be portholes.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of UFOrum are the reporting and analysis of UFO sightings, the skepticism and official explanations from government bodies like the Air Force, and the personal testimonies of individuals who claim contact with extraterrestrial beings or have witnessed unexplained aerial phenomena. The editorial stance is clearly pro-investigation and skeptical of official dismissals, advocating for continued inquiry into UFOs and questioning the government's transparency on the subject. The publication actively solicits sightings and experiences from its readers, positioning itself as a platform for disseminating information on the UFO phenomenon.