UFORUM

Magazine Overview

Title: UFOrum
Issue Date: November 1956
Publisher: Grand Rapids Flying Saucer Club
Price: 25¢

This issue of UFOrum, the monthly publication of the Grand Rapids Flying Saucer Club, focuses heavily on UFO sightings reported in and around the Kent County Airport. The magazine also includes a significant section on the growing concerns regarding radioactivity from nuclear tests.

UFO Sightings Around Kent County Airport

The lead article, "U.F.O. ATTRACTED to KENT COUNTY AIRPORT," details numerous sightings reported over the past month and a half. The author suggests that airports may have a special affinity for UFOs as they are departure points for Earth's space travel.

Several specific incidents are recounted:

• September 26th, 1956: The Grand Rapids Herald and Press reported a sighting by William H. Marcus, a pilot returning to Grand Rapids from South Bend. Flying his Cessna 170 at 2,000 feet, Marcus reported seeing two tan, delta-wing shaped objects whiz by under his wings at approximately 120 MPH. He described them as smaller than his plane but larger than any bird, and stated they were "positively weren't weather balloons." The airport control tower reported no other sightings.
• Marcus later recounted to the UFOrum editor that the objects appeared as a "brown blur," delta-shaped, and about the size of an automobile. He expressed frustration with the press for sensationalizing his report and stated he would not report another UFO sighting due to unwanted attention from "cranks."
• Night of the Stone Sighting: Mrs. Ross Stone, a member of the Grand Rapids Flying Saucer Club, reported seeing a reddish colored light from her car window which then became a white light. She watched an object for five or six minutes that she described as "a spherically shaped object, much bigger than an airplane (as big as two or three airliners)" which appeared to "wobble or sway back and forth."
• Same Night: Mr. W.H.V. sighted an object from his home near the airport runway. The light was described as initially "one light, five times as big as any star, sometimes becoming three lights." The couple watched it for about 15 minutes outside and then continued watching it inside.
• October 15th: Mrs. John Shaltz, also a member of the club, reported seeing a "yellow-white" light traveling slowly on an erratic course from the northwest to due south near the airport. She noted no sound or blinking lights.
• Midnight Tuesday: Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Zerfas reported seeing a "big ball about 5 feet across, first red in color and then changing to a light blue," coming down about the speed of a falling star and disappearing behind trees at about 100-150 feet altitude. It was accompanied by "red sparks." Airport officials and weather personnel reported seeing no such phenomenon.
• Thursday Evening (approx. 7:45 PM): Several Grand Rapids residents witnessed a "huge yellow-green fireball" on the western horizon that appeared larger than the moon before vanishing without sound.
• October 27th: Mr. Ross Stone reported seeing a large bright green ball-like object with a tail approaching from the northwest, which grew brighter as it got closer.
• Three Report Light in Sky: Shortly before Wednesday midnight, approximately 15 miles southeast of Grand Rapids, three persons sighted a "whirling bright light at a high altitude." Mrs. Leona Clemence described it as round, whirled, white, and bright, seeming to change color slightly. She was certain it was not an airplane, noting the absence of blinking lights.

International UFO Contact Attempt

The article "WAS THE SAUCER THERE OR WASN'T IT ???" discusses a report from the London Empire News claiming saucers would attempt to contact Earth on November 7th over California. Radio station KATY in San Luis Obispo agreed to go off the air to listen. Art Linkletter and Steve Allen also publicized the event. While an AP story on November 8th reported a "slight trace of some unfamiliar flying object" and an "unlighted flying metal object" noted by a ham station in Berkeley, there was no confirmed contact.

Radioactivity and Nuclear Testing Concerns

A separate section, "PRESIDENT FIDDLES WHILE STRONTIUM FALLS," addresses concerns about radioactivity from atomic-hydrogen experiments. Nuclear Physicist Ralph E. Lapp warns of an eventual health threat from nuclear explosions, stating that radioactive material from tests eventually becomes radio strontium, which contaminates pasture lands and enters the food chain through dairy cattle, eventually depositing in human bones and potentially causing "bone tumor and cancer."

Dr. Willard F. Libby reported that the Midwest has about 50% more radioactive strontium in its soil than other areas due to its proximity to the Nevada atomic testing ground. Libby's charts showed strontium-90 doubling or tripling in Wisconsin and Illinois between 1953 and September 1955. The fallout from the stratosphere is slow, but strontium that fell directly to earth has rapidly increased ground levels.

Lansing (AP) reported that tests revealed radioactivity in Michigan's air climbed to 20 times normal in September, though state health officials considered it far from a danger point. John Soet, director of occupational health, stated that the danger point would be 4000 times normal. The tests, initiated at the request of the U.S. health service to determine the effect of atomic and hydrogen bomb explosions, were ordered stopped on September 26th, with Dr. Albert E Heustis, state health commissioner, expressing uncertainty about the reason for the stoppage.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently reports on UFO sightings, particularly those in the Grand Rapids area, and presents witness accounts without definitive conclusions, allowing readers to draw their own inferences. The inclusion of the radioactivity section suggests a broader interest in phenomena that impact public well-being and safety, potentially linking the unknown of UFOs with the known, yet concerning, effects of nuclear technology. The editorial stance appears to be one of open reporting and investigation into unexplained phenomena, while also acknowledging and disseminating important public health information related to scientific advancements.

This issue of UFOrum, dated October 1956, delves into various aspects of radioactivity, atomic testing, and flying saucer phenomena. It features reports on the potential dangers of radioactive materials, specific incidents of UFO sightings and encounters, and reviews of books related to the subject.

Atomic Testing and Radioactivity

The issue begins with a discussion on the continuation of atomic bomb tests, quoting Mr. Soet who emphasized the need for continuous information on radioactivity levels. This is followed by a report from Adelaide, Australia, detailing how cattle 400 miles from Britain's atomic tests at Maralinga were heavily affected by radioactivity. A Geiger check of their thyroids revealed a count of 3000, significantly higher than the normal 30. The article notes that Australian scientists were hesitant to label this dangerously high, but references Mr. Soet's earlier statement that 4000 times normal radiation is the danger point, and that radioactive strontium accumulates in bones.

Another significant report from Philadelphia details the death of Dr. Kenneth A. Koerber, a physician, which the city medical examiner attributed to exposure to atomic radiation. Dr. Spelman stated that Dr. Koerber, who worked at the AEC Brookhaven national lab between 1946-48, likely received a dose of radiation (estimated at 1000 times the safe dosage) that, 10 years later, caused his death.

Flying Saucer Encounters and Sightings

The magazine presents several intriguing accounts of flying saucer activity. A report from Nampa, Idaho, describes what is termed the 'world's first instance of cattle rustling via flying saucer.' A 400-pound steer was reportedly snatched by a flying saucer, approximately 200 feet in diameter, near Twin Falls. The ranch owner, E. L. Rayburn, and two employees witnessed the event, noting the object sped off like a streak of light.

Another unusual incident is reported from Moneymore, Northern Ireland, where a farmer named Thomas Hutchinson claims to have captured a flying saucer. He described it as egg-shaped, about 3 feet high and 18 inches in diameter, bright red with dark red marks and stripes. He stated he kicked it over, but it returned to its original position. After attempting to carry it to the police station, the object allegedly spun and rose, nearly pulling him off his feet. A Royal Air Force officer suggested it might have been a weather balloon, but police preferred the farmer's account.

Book Reviews and Previews

The issue includes reviews of books related to flying saucers. "The Truth About the Flying Saucers" by Aime Michel is highlighted. Michel, a French scientist, is noted for compiling a documentary of European and African saucer sightings, placing American sightings in the context of worldwide surveillance. The review mentions Michel's rebuttal of Professor Menzel's theories and a new theory by Lieutenant Plantier on the origin and mechanics of flying saucers. The editors of UFOrum highly recommend the book.

"Into This World and Out Again" by George W. Van Tassell is also featured. This book reportedly contains revelations received through thought communication from space visitors, termed 'modern proof of the origin of humanity.'

Additionally, "Other Tongues -- Other Flesh" by George Hunt Williamson is previewed. This book explores the idea of other living beings on different worlds and suggests that space visitors, mentioned in the Bible and ancient mythology, have been coming to Earth throughout ages to aid humanity in entering a 'New Age.' The book is described as presenting calm, scientific evidence that 'we are not alone in the Universe.'

Conventions and Discussions

The magazine reports on the 2nd meeting of the Michigan Flying Saucer Federation in Detroit. The convention discussed the possibility of joining the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), a national clearing house for aerial phenomena. However, the Federation decided to wait for more information due to high membership fees. Gray Barker presented his book, "They Knew Too Much About the Flying Saucers," and his investigations.

Reader Questions and Discussions

A section features questions and answers regarding flying saucers. The respondent favors the idea that saucers come from other systems or dimensions. They mention not personally investigating the Brush Creek Monster case and expect a peak in sightings in mid-October. The Air Force's stance is noted as not definitively stating UFOs are not interplanetary. The conditions for a 'three men in black' visit are suggested to be either fragments or other evidence.

Other News Items

Brief news items include a report that an object sighted over Pontiac was believed to be a weather observation balloon. Another item states that after three years of searching, the Army has failed to locate any earth satellites besides the moon, though a study is underway to explore the possibility of small unseen satellites. Finally, Dr. Helmut E. Landsberg of the U.S. Weather Bureau is quoted as saying the Earth is warming up, with average temperatures rising and Arctic ice melting, attributing the cause to changes on the Sun.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the potential dangers of atomic radiation and testing, alongside a consistent focus on flying saucer phenomena, sightings, and related theories. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these subjects, presenting various reports and book reviews that encourage further research and discussion, particularly concerning the existence of extraterrestrial visitors and their potential influence.