| EDITOR AND STILL SUPREME COMMANDER: James W. Moseley, J.S. |
NON-SCHEDULED NEWSLETTER Volume 42, No. 9 Oct. 10th, 1995 |
MAILING ADDRESS: P. 0. Box 1709 Key West, FL 33041 |
Of course, most of our readers have seen parts of this video, which was shown on the Fox TV Network on the evening of Aug. 28th, and again in slightly different format one week plus one hour later, on Sept. 4th. We missed the second showing, as the program listed in our TV Guide for that time slot was "Tales from the Crypt" - a similar sort of program, but not the same!
We should have realized ahead of time (but failed to) that this Fox program would be slanted in favor of awe, wonderment, and Belief, regarding the video. After all, if Fox paid Ray Sentilli of England $250,000 for this item, they wouldn't be likely to knock it very hard on the air. The commentary by the several "experts" who appeared on the show was "rigged" to sound more favorable than it really was. By the simple technique of "misdirection" some expressed belief in the video, while others merely expressed belief in the Roswell case - which stands on its own merits. But the over-all impression given was that most of these carefully-chosen "experts" believed in both the video and the case.
Then on the night of Sept. 6th, a segment of ABC's "American Journal" was devoted to a commentary on the video which was equally slanted in the opposite direction. Obviously someone at ABC was miffed that they had allowed this highly controversial item to slip past them. With their own "experts", who didn't include anyone from the Fox show, they did a "hatchet job" and proved to their own satisfaction that Sentilli is a money-grubbing hoaxter. This may well be true, but he certainly hasn't been trapped yet!
Opinions differ as to whether the commercially available version of the video includes all the 1947 film footage that Sentilli bought. Our cersion consists mainly of three parts: The comparatively well-lit autopsy shown on Fox; a very poorly-lit indoor sequence showing either a different autopsy or an attempt to save an alien who is still alive; and indoor scenes of beams, 3 or 4 feet long, with weird writing on them. Where, then, is the clear shot of President Harry Truman that we have heard so much about, and which Sentilli insists is in the film? And where is the outdoor scene cf a crane hauling the crashed saucer onto a flatbed truck??? Either these scenes are missing for some legitimate reason, or they are merely "hype" and simply do not exist.
Of course the mysteriously anonymous American cameraman, from whom Sentilli bought the film, could answer these questions - but Sentilli refuses to bring him forward. One reason for this is that the man was "paid in cash". Since Sentilli makes this astonishing statement in public, we wonder if the good old Internal Revenue Service is going to take an interest in the case!
Now listen to the touching sensitivity to alien culture displayed by said cameraman. We have a fascinating Internet item called "The Cameraman's Statement", which reads in part as follows:
"...What in God's name they were, no one could tell, but one thing for sure, they were Circus Freaks, creatures with no business here. Each had hold of a box which they kept hold of in both arms close to their chests. They just lay there crying, holding those boxes. Once my tent had been set up, I started filming immediately, first the vehicle, then the site and debris. At about 06:00, it was deemed safe to move in. Again, the Freaks were still crying, and when approached, they screamed even louder. They were protective of their boxes, but we managed to get one loose with a firm strike at the head of a Freak with the butt of a rifle. The three Freaks were dragged away and secured with rope and tape. The other one was already dead. The medical team was reluctant at first to go near these Freaks, but as some were injured, they had no choice..."Unfortunately, this narrative does not mesh with the testimony of any of the known Roswell witnesses, but - not to worry: According to one theory, this film does not pertain to the Roswell Incident at all, but to something else called OPERATION ANVIL. There was supposedly a different crash near Socorro, New Mexico, on the first or second day of June, 1947, whereas the Roswell crash is generally thought to be in early July. This would explain why the aliens in the video do not look like Roswell witnesses have described them, i.e., Roswell aliens have four fingers and toes on each hand/foot according to star Roswell witness Glenn Dennis (and others), whereas the creatures in the video have six.
The cameraman is rumored to be named Jack Barnett (as "Smear" has previously reported), and now we hear that this sick, elderly man died in early August of this year - further complicating the whole situation.
Incidentally, star witness Glenn Dennis is the subject of one of three excellent articles about the Roswell case in the current Fall issue of OMNI Magazine, which is back on the newsstands as a quarterly, after having "folded" for a short while. The over-all impact of the three articles, each by a different author, is negative. Most interesting to us is the fact that Dennis' famous "Nurse X", who supposedly gave him first-hand information about the alien bodies, may not exist at all. Or if she does exist, Dennis may have given out misleading information about her for obscure reasons of his own. Five nurses from that period at Roswell Army Air Base have finally been located, but four of these are now dead after so many years. The one who is still alive has been interviewed very recently, and claims no knowledge of the Roswell Incident.
Your editor has a special interest in Glenn Dennis, as he is the only Roswell witness whom we have interviewed personally. He happened to tell us (and many others) that he wouldn't believe anything said by Frank Kaufman, who is another leading Roswell witness; and then when we realize that two other key witnesses - Gerald Anderson and Jim Ragsdale - have been largely discredited, there isn't muoh left to Believe in.
But we will always have a soft spot in our heart for the late Jim Ragsdale, even though we never knew him. We are intrigued by his tale of fifteen golden alien helmets buried on the desert, and we love the name of the "female companion" he was camped out with on the night of the Roswell orash. Her name, really and truly, was Trudy Truelove. Ms. Truelove is now dead also, and dead witnesses tell no tales. ...
For further information phone the Convention Center at 800-824-8657 (outside Georgia), or phone the UFO Convention Hotline at 404-621-5734. IT'S TOO LATE TO WRITE:...
In our last issue we wrote about abduction researcher/psychologist Dr. Richard Boylan of Sacramento, California, who recently lost his state license because of alleged sexual misconduct with female patients. Now Boylan has come out with a statement, on the Internet and elsewhere, stating his point of view. In essence he claims that his troubles stem from a conspiracy of several present and former military officers in the California licensing system, who wish to silence him because of his oontroversial views on UFOs. He is appealing the adverse decision against him, and states that those who wish to help him financially in his period of distress should send their contributibns to: Richard Boylan Ph.D., Legal Defense Fund; ID # 345.544.282; Wells Fargo Bank; P.O. Box 38056; San Francisco, Ca. 94138.
Incidentally, psychologist Leo Sprinkle, also an abduction researcher, has already come to Boylan's defense in print. Sprinkle is, if nothing else, an honest and decent man, and he is moved to help a colleague in trouble...
In our last issue we told you of how Las Vegas businessman Robert Bigelow has recently ended his funding of the "Big Three" coalition of UFO organizations - MUFON, CUFOS, and FUFOR. In Phil Klass' Sept. 1995 issue of "SUN", his version of this story goes on to say: "Rumor has it that Bigelow's action was suggested by John B. Alexander, former scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, who will head a new National Institute of Discovery Science, which Bigelow is funding".
We have written to Alexander to learn more about this prestigious- sounding National Institute of Discovery Science, and have received his reply too late for publication until the next "Smear". In essence, Alexander completely denies Klass' allegations, except that he confirms that he has "retired" from Los Alamos....
When asked if he knew of any government evidence pointing to the existence of extraterrestrials, Carter said: "I never knew of any instance where it was proven that any sort of vehicle had come from outer space to our country and either lived here or left", whatever the hell THAT means!...
There is much more to this long-simmering feud than the above, but the "bottom line" is that Ford has now filed formal legal action against Knell asking for ten million dollars in compensatory damages plus fifty million dollars in punitive damages - plus costs of court!
We know both Knell and Ford slightly, but since our move from New Jersey to Florida a decade ago, we have had little communication with either of them. Their feud reminds us a bit of the troubles between ufologists Harley Byrd and Erik Beckjord in Los Angeles, whose actions against each other seem to go on forever - even now as we write these words...
The abduction of Betty Hill, together with her late husband Barney, was the very first of the U.S. wave of such incidents, which of course have become extremely frequent in recent years (if we can believe all we read and hear). Betty believes that most of the reported abductions other than her own are mental or psychological rather than physical, though she seems to accept the 1972 case of Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker (Pascagoula, Mississippi) and the 1975 case of Travis Walton (Snowflake, Arizona).
At the same time that she believes real abductions are very rare, Betty Hill believes that UFO sightings and landings are extremely common, especially in rural areas such as her home state 0£ New Hampshire. Betty gives brief accounts of many dozens of such incidents involving herself and/or people she knows, but she rarely gives the names of these other people, or the exact date, time and place of the incident. She seems protective of the "astronauts" as she calls the Space People, and seems to worry that sighting seekers will annoy our Visitors by trying to get too close - much as tourists at a zoo tend to annoy the animals by getting too close. It is an interesting and unusual point of view.
Betty also does not trust most recognized UFO investigators, especially when it comes to analyzing and returning samples of unknown material taken from UPO landing sites. Because of her distrust, she for many years had a "Silent Network" of friends and coworkers who would investigate sightings and give the results to her rather than to any UFO organization. One gets the distinct impression that excessive skepticism is a trait she avoids in choosing coworkers, although she, as a trained social worker, does seem to have the ability to recognize forms of mental illness that can cause people to believe they have had intense UFO experiences which are basically imaginary. In short, Betty has set up her own set of rules, which she calls "A common sense approach".
Betty Hill is a nice lady, whom we have met and corresponded with over the years. In regard to her "common sense approach", we regret that we must tell you the following story from our own 1980 NUFOC convention in New York City. Betty brought a canister of what presumably were her best slides of UFOs she herself, and friends of hers, had seen and photographed in the years since her abduction. Your "Smear" editor introduced her at the podium, and she proceeded to show and narrate her slides. In just a few minutes we noticed laughter and rude remarks coming from this definitely pro-saucer audience, as she continued to narrate slides that appeared to show nothing more mysterious than reflections, stars, airplanes, etc. Your editor felt obliged to quickly go back up on the stage and practically beg the audience to give our guest speaker the courtesy she deserved. Thereafter she was able to finish her lecture in relative peace.
Be that as it may, Betty Hill's thoughtful views on her own abduction and on those claimed by others, are of more than passing interest. The book may be obtained by writing to this unique grande dame of ufology at: P. 0. Box 55, Greenland, New Hampshire 03840.
"Before you begin to laugh too hard, let me point out that the Omni article by Paul McCarthy is wrong. At no point have I admitted to fabricating anything. That whole missing nurses fiasco belongs to Don Schmitt and Don Schmitt alone. In fact,contrary to what McCarthy alleges, I was kept no better informed than he was. Schmitt was off on his own tangent there. For the last year, I have had as much trouble getting Schmitt to return my calls as everyone else."Smear" has heard that Don Schmitt may have recently resigned from the CUFOS Board of Directors under pressure. - Editor."Enclosed is a copy of a letter that makes my position on the situation clear (quoted in part below - Editor):
"...I had believed that Schmitt's fabrication related only to his personal life. Now I learn that it doesn't. Research that he claimed to have done was not done by him but by an `assistant'. He claimed that he had searched for the Roswell nurses but their records were all missing. That is not even close to the truth. The records, had he looked, were right where they should be. Instead of going through the front door in the search, he chose to have his assistant go through back doors. When that failed to produce any results, Schmitt declared that the records were all missing. Untrue!
"These untruths do not appear in either of the books I wrote about Roswell. Yes, I did the writing. Schmitt would review the rough draft of chapters for the first bock and then add his comments. Sometimes I would use what he wrote, if I had verified it. Many times I wouldn't, because his changes were not particularly well written.
"He did contribute one chapter, which was the `Conclusions'. In it, he claims that he had searched for the records of eleven men. He could not find those eleven records. The Air Force researched the names and found the `missing' records for most of them The others were of men with such common names that no determination could be made...
"In the second book, Schmitt didn't even bother to make any changes. He was too busy doing other things to care about the book. The chapters would come back with no comments, or in a couple of cases, with comments written by someone else. He was so busy that he couldn't even take time to make sure he approved of the work. Let someone else do the work and then take credit for it!
"Everything I put into the books, I knew to be the truth because I had researched it myself, or I had checked to make sure the documentation existed. The research as it appears in the book is solid. Audio and video tapes exist, others besides Schmitt have interviewed the witnesses, and there is documentation to support the conclusions.
"That said, let me now point out that I do not now believe anything that Schmitt says and neither should you.... I will have nothing more to do with him from this point on. He has revealed himself as a man who cares only for his own promotion. He has destroyed his work and badly damaged mine.. .I didn't know the real Don Schmitt. Now I do..."
COL. JOHN ALEXANDER (Ret.) writes as follows, in regard to the item about him by Armen Victorian in our last issue:
"Responding to someone who doesn't even know who he is makes little sense. I'm surprised to hear the Red Cross et al support, even encourage killing. The rest of his comments are nonsense, and as usual, factually in- correct."Incidentally, what in the world do the ravings of an obviously frustrated would-be assassin have to do with UFOs?"
"In recent months there has been considerable attention given to charges of plagiarism by Robert Baker. For those of your readers unfamiliar with him, Baker is a Fellow of CSICOP and is considered a leading academic debunker of UFOs. Baker is to Kiass as Jacobs is to Hopkins. Both Baker and Jacobs are professors who have written books on the paranormal, though each is `less intellectually gifted' than his respective mentor."Baker has also coauthored books with Joe Nickell, who is now officially employed by OSI COP to lead their research. This raises questions about the intellectual integrity of the work to which Nickell attached his name. CSICOP and Nickell certainly need to publicly address this embarrassing state of affairs.
"Much of the credit for the exposure belongs to Jim Lippard, a skeptic from Arizona, who seems to be widely despised within CSICOP. Kiass and Lippard have had a fair amount of contact, and perhaps Phil can enlighten us about the motives and character of Lippard."
"Alas, to the best of my recollection, there is only one reference to your esteemed self in `High Strangeness'. This is not a deliberate slight; it just happens that you were not much involved in the things I wrote about. There are bibliographic citations of stuff you wrote, however, so your name does appear in print on a number of occasions, even if the index doesn't reflect that."Perhaps, however, you'll find of some interest the long entry `Sex and UFOs', which looks not only at claims of human/alien intimacies but at the far rarer - and infinitely more unbelievable - allegations of sex between ufologists, Many insist that no documented instance of the latter has ever occurred in all of human history, My book objectively examines the evidence,"
"...I wonder if Harvard University could use a sexologist like, say, me - to study alien sex, It might well pay better than publishing `Batteries Not Included' - though not nearly so well as `Saucer Smear'!
"Well, it has arrived - the GAO Roswell Report at last,..,Eighteen months to produce a 12-page report! And what have they turned up in the way of documents? A mere two documents, both of which have been long known to ufologists. True, there are those vital missing or destroyed records from the Roswell base, which the Report mentions. But we need not expect that these missing papers contain the Great Truth that all ufologists ex- pected, Far more likely they were routine boring paperwork that got thrown out, as happens from time to time,,,"Poor old over-hyped Roswell, The only remaining question now is whether it is the biggest UFO non-event of all time',."
"..,There are rumors afoot that the greys are plotting to carry you off and replace you with a cleverly sophisticated look-alike robot; and wanted to warn you: Beware! There are sinister forces around you, Once they've got you, they plan to inject you with DNA from Todd Zechel's brain, mother's milk from Linda Howe (Howe now brown cow?) and blood plasma from Bill Cooper, - and shoot wretchedly poor black and white footage of you as you slowly turn into a blood-sucking turnip,,,"
"Is Bill Moore suggesting that the photo in your last issue is of a Brazilian woman suffering (or no longer suffering) from something called Turner's Syndrome? It does seem that she does have some kind of sex organ. Perhaps earthlings never noticed this before because they rarely look at aliens from this angle - except very tall ones! It seems that earthlings always turn out the lights when they have sex with aliens, and so they don't know whether the aliens they're having sex with have external sex organs or not."I think the confusion among earthlings as to whether or not the aliens they're having sex with have external sex organs must have some con- nection with the earthling Puritan tradition; but I may be wrong.......
"Bill Moore's rumor about the Roswell film/video is a red herring. The black membrane pulled from the eye (of the alien) dates it as post- `Communion'. I can't recall anyone before Strieber putting forth such a notion as black eye membranes; and large, all-black eyes can't be found on any ufonaut drawings before Spielberg's `Close Encounters' movie...
"I am of course writing to get your opinion of the Roswell film. You told me that your `inside sources' told you that all the experts would call the film a sham. I guess you won't be counting on those sources too much any more, as almost all of the experts said the opposite...""Smear" erred in trying to predict the contents of the Fox Network special before seeing it. Obviously our advance information was "flawed", as ufologists delicately put it when they are dead wrong! - Editor.
"Please accept the enclosed Love Offering as an outpouring of my admiration for you. You are wrong about Roswell, but I like you anyway."And we like you anyway! - Editor.
"You come `shockingly close to the truth' in your opinions about Roswell. I would only add that one should read some of the literature on the Los Alamos atomic bomb project to see how absolutely fanatical about security General Groves was - to little avail, as it turned out. Nevertheless, the spooky atmosphere of paranoia he helped to create would amplify any out-of-the-ordinary local occurrence into a major big deal. Wild rumors would start. Security precautions would go into effect as a more or less reflex action. Much of New Mexico was steeped in this atmosphere both during World War II and for some time afterwards. This would provide the psychological conditions required for juicing up the oogly-boogly stories that continued to be retailed, yea, even unto the present time!'
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