Incident at Joshua Tree,
Part One, ÒSurveillanceÓ
Southern California CSETI
files, January 1996,
Copyright 1997 Joseph Burkes,
MD
Synopsis: CSETIÕs
scientific/diplomatic contact protocols facilitate human initiated close
encounters with Extraterrestrial Intelligence(ETI). This first report for the year 1996 describes
the events surrounding CSETI field
work in the high desert January 24-25.
For the week prior, Dr. Burkes, LA-CSETI Working Group Coordinator,
repeatedly received strange phone calls. During field work, at 2 separate
locations members of the CSETI team was openly photographed in apparent surveillance. During a windstorm on
the night of the 24,, very limited interactions transpired between the CSETI
group and golden globes of
presumed ET origin. The following
morning after the adverse weather had cleared, the CSETI team was buzzed at low
altitude by 3 waves of fighter bombers. They were flying well below 1000 feet
in violation of federal regulations.
Details of these events are described within the context of CSETIÕs
worldwide campaign to establish peaceful relations with Extraterrestrial
civilizations visiting Earth. Implications for future research activities are
discussed. Copyright 1997 Joseph
Burkes, MD.
This document reflects the
experiences and opinions of the author alone. It does not represent national
CSETI position or policy.
The following report should
be viewed in the light of ongoing developments within CSETI and the Project
Starlight.
Briefly, the CE-5 Initiative
involves teams of trained CSETI investigators going out to remote locations with the deliberate intention
of attracting ET spacecraft to these research sites. Limited interactions, such
as using lights to signal back and forth with ET spacecraft, have been achieved
on a numerous occasions. A more advanced CSETI research group designated as the
Rapid Mobilization Investigative Team(RMIT), has carried out more direct
interactions. This has included an
encounter between a CSETI team and two different ET phenotypes who were visible
on the ground in Los Mitres Mountains of Mexico. This remarkable event occurred
in December of 1994. A detailed report is available from the CSETI office.
The second CSETI project of
note has been Project Starlight. Project StarlightÕs purposes include briefing
high-level leaders of government and industry concerning the Extraterrestrial
presence on Earth. It is CSETIÕs
position that the current era,
characterized by general societal denial of ET spacecraft visiting our
planet, is coming to an end. To further this process, high level witnesses to
the ET presence, such as former military and intelligence officers, astronauts
and other prominent individuals, are being assembled to come forward publicly
with their knowledge. These steps will hopefully lead to a worldwide disclosure
about the ET presence on Earth The creation of peaceful and cooperative
relations between our civilizations will then be able to follow.
Given the monumental
importance and sensitivity of this task, it is understandable that select
sections of government, as well as
private intelligence networks, might take a special interest in CSETI
activities. This is especially true given the de facto policy of secrecy and denial
of the ET presence. In this context we find the rationale for the apparent surveillance and probable
military intervention described in the following report.
During the first week of
1996 as Working Group Coordinator for the CSETIÕs CE-5 Initiative, I made plans
for field work. This required calling a number of CSETI investigators in an
attempt to assemble a team. According to our contact protocols, the minimum
required to form a team is three researchers. After last minute cancellations,
only three were available to go out into the field. My co-worker at the
hospital, Alexander Gluzman and I drove from Los Angeles. Robert Hairgrove,
CSETI Working Group Coordinator for San Diego planned to meet us on site. It
was located in the high desert, about 120 miles east of Los Angeles.
The date for our intended
field work was January 24, 1996. The place where we were to assemble was Jumbo
Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Monument. Our plan was to link up at
the campground parking lot. Giant boulders, some over 40 feet high served to
mark this jumping off point for our excursion through the Queen Valley. Our
research site was situated several miles south of the campground. It could be
reached on a dirt road which sported a sign warning Ò4 wheel drive vehicles
only.Ó
For a week prior to the
intended field work, my wife and I noticed that we were receiving a large
number of strange phone calls. Ten to fifteen times a day, during both day and
evening hours, the phone rang. When we picked up, there was apparently no one
on the line. At times these unnerving calls occurred almost every hour.
On Wednesday, January 24, I
drove my red Isuzu Trooper eastward on US 10. Alex l and I both felt the
excitement building as we turned north on highway 62, heading towards the Yucca
Valley. It was mid-week, in the
middle of winter. Not surprisingly when we arrived at the monument it was
practically deserted. Situated at an elevation of about 4000 feet, our research site promised
to keep us nice and cold. Ò The colder the betterÓ, I reasoned. I didnÕt want a
bunch of spectators to interfere with any ET contact which might occur. Little
did I know that we were far from alone.
In addition to the expected
chilly weather, a major storm was coming in off the Pacific. As always we were
hopeful that our research venture would be successful. We suspected that a good
outcome might actually be facilitated by the high winds associated with an
incoming storm front. This notion, that foul weather might help our research,
requires some explanation. It should be noted that some of CSETIÕs most
productive investigations have occurred during adverse weather.
For example in 1992, Dr.
Greer led an RMIT(Rapid Mobilization Investigative Team) into the crop circle
region of Southwestern England. There during a storm on the night of July 25,
he reportedly vectored in a 100 foot sized ET spacecraft. The brilliantly
illuminated disc hovered ten feet off the ground. It was witnessed by a team of
four investigators just few hundred yards from their position. For several minutes
the craft flashed its lights at the CSETI researchers, who signaled back with
powerful halogen lanterns. The
rain storm facilitated this encounter according to Dr. Greer. The sudden
downpour apparently drove off a group of intruders who had planted themselves
on a nearby hill top. This
remarkable human-initiated close encounter was described in a Fox Network ÒSightingsÓ program. This TV show was
first broadcast in January of 1993. A more detailed report can be obtained from
the CSETI office in North Carolina.
Another example of how
adverse weather conditions might facilitate contact with ETI was demonstrated
in November of 1993. Two members of the Los Angeles CSETI Working Group had a
prolonged interaction with two UFOs. The objects first appeared as anomalous
nocturnal lights. One of the UFOs
approached the CSETI investigators at distance of approximately one mile. At
that close range the object was clearly visible as a disc, the entire
superstructure of which was glowing like a neon sign. This encounter occurred
as the first storm of the rainy season hit Southern California. During that
very night, 45 mile per hour winds hit a nearby Marine base. Thus adverse weather may have increased security for the encounter by
preventing Marine helicopter flights (For more details see report ÒHuman
Initiated Close Encounters(HICE), November 1993Ó, to be posted in the future)
Now let us return to events
of January 24-25, 1996. Prior to this field trip, in accord with specified
CSETI protocol, all members of the team carried out thought projection
exercises known as Coherent Thought Sequencing(CTS). (For more details on CSETI
contact techniques, please obtain the Working Group Kit available from the
National office.)
For those researchers who
have advanced psi capabilities, CTS involves accessing consciousness in its
most unbounded form and then remotely viewing any ET craft in the CSETI teamÕs vicinity. This is then followed
by mentally sending detailed instructions to the intelligence controlling the
ET craft. The mentally transmitted data includes the teamÕs location as well as
the desire to have peaceful interactions with the Extraterrestrials. All this
for the purpose of vectoring the ETs to our site, i.e. to have a successful
CE-5.
Coherent thought sequencing
can be done both while on site as well as in advance of the actual field work.
For those researchers who are unable to remotely view ET craft at the level of
consciousness, a series of visualizations are projected out into the cosmos.
Images describing the teamÕs location on the Earth, in the solar system and in
the Milky Way are visualized and then mentally projected.
CSETI researchers are
trained to be open to the possibility of receiving what is more commonly known
as ÒtelepathicÓ communications.
The term CSETI prefers however is ÒSubjectively Acquired Material,
(SAM).Ó Thus SAM may include details as to when and where a craft might appear
in the sky during field work.
Researchers correlate the details of their Subjectively Acquired Material
during research outing. Verification of SAM is provided if craft and subsequent
interactions occur as predicted. For this particular venture, each of the 3
CSETI investigators independently acquired information concerning the time
window for a possible contact event. The team agreed that an encounter would
likely occur between 11PM and 1AM.
After a three hour drive
from LA, Alex and I arrived at the Jumbo Rocks Campground. It was just a few
minutes before 5PM. A pale wintry sun was already setting. The National Monument
looked spectacular in the fading light. In the campgroundÕs entrance I parked
my 4 wheel drive vehicle. We waited for Robert who was driving up from San
Diego. Less than 5 minutes after
our arrival a brand new Jeep Cherokee pulled up and parked directly behind my
Isuzu Trooper. The shinny new vehicle bore no license plates. The Cherokee dealerÕs sticker was still
on the side window. A beefy Marine drill sergeant type emerged. He was alone, powerfully built with a
very short crew cut. He appeared to be about thirty years old. Covering his
muscular chest he wore a loose sweat shirt which was embroidered with an
American flag. He then proceeded to pull from the back of his Jeep some rather
fancy camera equipment. This included a flashy 35mm single lens reflex He also
had a video camera which he quickly mounted on a tripod.
What followed was somewhat
comical. In a rather heavy handed manner he attempted to appear to be taking
nature pictures. Stocky, in need of a shave his demeanor was almost ape like.
He clumsily moved around the parking lot. Alex, whose Russian nick name is
Sasha, pointed out to me how this photographer managed to point the camera our
way during each of his Ònature shots.Ó
The Jumbo Rocks Campground
parking lot is far from ideal for obtaining scenic views of the desert. Large boulders block
any panoramic vistas of the natural beauty which abounds. Near where we were
standing , several metal pit toilets were featured prominently. It seemed likely that our personal
photographer must have gotten several close up shots of the out houses as he
filmed us. I mused that perhaps these squat rectangular malodorous structures
had excited an animalistic aesthetic sense. Perhaps he was not really carrying out surveillance of my
team, but instead was focusing on the toilets. ÒTo each his own,Ó I thought as
ape-man maneuvered around for another shot pointed in our direction. It should
be remembered that Joshua Tree National Park is just a few miles from the 29
Palms Marine Corps facility. We speculated that our heavily muscled photo
friend was a likely denizen of the base.
A few minutes after five,
Robert from San Diego drove up in his truck. ÒYou wonÕt believe this,Ó he told us with excitement, ÒI was
photographed on the road 10 minutes ago. It happened as I drove into the park.Ó
Sasha glanced over my shoulder and directed BobÕs attention to the boulders
behind us. There once again was our personal press agent. ÒWell Bob this is your lucky day.Õ I
said with a smile. ÒI think youÕre still on camera.Ó The man with the American
flag on his chest seemed again to be fumbling with his equipment.
Apparently he was setting up for
still another panoramic shot of my now fully assembled team.
Robert described to us in
detail what happened to him. Just a few miles past the ranger station as he
headed east on the loop road, he saw a late model Ford Taurus station wagon
parked on the shoulder. Next to
the vehicle, on the edge of the asphalt, stood a well dressed man with gray
hair wearing sunglasses. According to Robert he was in his mid-sixties. When
Bob was about 30 yards from the Taurus this elderly gentleman lifted a SLR
camera quickly up to his face and pointed it directly at BobÕs car. He then
fired off several pictures. Bob
described this maneuver as being so rapid that it appeared to be by reflex.
Robert said that there had been no time to properly position the camera.
Strangely enough the man was wearing sun glasses despite the fact that it was
twilight Following this first maneuver, again in a reflex fashion, while
holding the camera with one hand, the gray haired man quickly lowered the
camera to his side. He then turned and nonchalantly walked away from the road.
Robert told us that he had
once been an insurance investigator. He recognized the way in which he had just
been photographed. Bob said that it was much like the manner in which he had
been trained to carry out covert surveillance. There was one very important
difference however. The technique of quickly firing off a few shots and then
coolly turning away, was supposed
to be employed without the surveillance subject looking directly at you. The
man with the sunglasses had snapped photos of Robert in his truck as it was
barreling down the road directly towards the camera. Unless Robert was driving with his eyes closed, there was no way
that he could not help noticing
what appeared to be obvious surveillance. There was nothing covert about it.
But perhaps that was the very message that we where
supposed to receive. They wanted us to know we were under surveillance, doubly
so with the muscular military type filming us in the parking lot.
If this was supposed to be
intimidation, it didnÕt seem to be working. We were more perplexed than frightened. After all we
reasoned, we were on public land, carrying out lawful activities under the
freedom of association guarantees protected by the US Constitution. Not wasting
much time reviewing our civics lessons, we climbed into the trucks and
proceeded southward across the open desert to our research site.
Incident at Joshua Tree
National Monument
Copyright 1996, Joseph Burkes,
MD
This document reflects the
experiences and opinions of the
author alone, it does not represent
national CSETI position or policy.
Our research site was
situated off a dirt road which cut due south across the Queen Valley. From that location we had 360Õ view of
the sky. All around us stretching out across the vast plateau were seen countless
Joshua Trees. To the north, not unexpectedly looking like a queenÕs crown,
stood Queen Mountain. To the south and west were some low lying hills beyond
which were Palms Springs and Dessert Hot Springs respectively. A seemingly
endless expanse of desert stretched out eastward. There distant mountains
appeared small as they rose up from the edges of the sandy plain on which we
had camped. It was starting to get cold as the sun was setting. We expected the
temperature to drop into the 30s before sunrise.
In spite of the rather
heavy handed demonstrations of surveillance which had transpired earlier,
Robert, Michael(a pseudonym) and I were excited about the prospects of making
contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence. We carried out the usual CSETI
business work of setting up our folding chairs, rechecking our equipment, and
positioning cameras. As always with a touch of amusement, I assigned boarding numbers. Michael was to board first. I
was second and Robert third. This
was for the small chance that we would have an actual landing of an ET craft
with the possibility of an off-planet experience. This last point is of course
a sensitive one. Preparing to board ET spacecraft has undoubtedly earned CSETI
a great deal of ridicule.
Nevertheless Dr. Greer, CSETI founder and its current director, has
always counseled working group members to be ready for what they ask for. This
preparation is necessary even if the likelihood of an spacecraft landing for a
CSETI team appears extremely remote at this particular time in the EarthÕs
history. The present is not fixed nor can the future be known with any
certainty. If the increasing tempo of UFO sightings and other contact
experiences continues to accelerate the situation visa vie the
Extraterrestrials may become radically different. Under such future conditions
the promise of landings and boardings of ET craft could change from wish to
reality.
By 7:15 PM we prepared to
start the work. A cool gentle breeze from the west was present. We surmised
that the storm was starting its approach from the coast 100 miles to the east.
It was already quite dark. As we moved around the campsite we had to be
careful. The ubiquitous presence of small cactus and other shrubs with needle
sharp edges requires caution where one treads. As team leader one of my prime
responsibilities is to prevent injuries. Both Michael and Bob, being
experienced desert UFO investigators, required no reminders from me to stay
vigilant. At approximately 7:20 PM the first sighting occurred.
At about the same moment we
all became aware of an amber colored globe in the southwest. It was flying
slowly in a horizontal trajectory just a few degrees above the ridge line.
There was no associated engine sound to break the desert stillness. The object
had sharp edges which clearly demarcated its structure. It appeared to be about
one finger breath in size with arm fully extended. Although it is impossible to
state with certainty its distance, from the craftÕs position above the ridge
line, we estimated that it was about three to five miles away. The craft had no associated strobe or
wing lights. Although landing lights when viewed straight on can sometimes have
an amber appearance to them, such lights lack the sharply defined edges which
we observed on this unknown. The object slowly flew in a northwesterly
direction.
Hastily I grabbed for the
lantern. Before I was able to signal at the UFO however, the circular light
faded out. A few seconds later flying along the same path, it reappeared. This
UFO did not hover, nor respond to my signaling. After another 15 seconds of
flight it simply disappeared. At no time were we able to discern conventional
lights on this globe like object. As is inevitably the case when viewing
landing lights of conventional craft, as the airplane turns away from the
viewer, wing lights and strobes should immediately become visible. This was not the case with this golden
globe which appeared exactly like other UFOs which we had seen during previous
investigations.
Elated by the this first
sighting we prepared for a round of Coherent Thought Sequencing. Michael
volunteered to guide the meditation.
Following several slow deep breaths each of us entered a state of deep
relaxation. I carried out the prescribed mental exercises as I focused on
consciousness in its most
unbounded form. I conjured up a series of visualizations, first of our
milky way galaxy. In my mindÕs eye, I saw it as small point of light among a
myriad of other galaxies which expanded endlessly into space. As I zoomed in on
our galaxy which forms an enormous spiral, I focused on one arm of our spiral
galaxy. There I ÒsawÓ our star
with its accompanying planets. Based on satellite images of earth, I visualized
the western coast of the North American Continent, followed by a closer view of
Southern California. Zooming down
towards the surface, in my mindÕs eye I located our exact position northeast of
San Jacinto Mountain. This enormous wall of granite towered 6000 feet above our
research site which was itself at an elevation of 4000 feet above sea level.
CSETI type research
requires considerable preparation. I recall how prior to organizing my CE-5
Initiative Working Group, I rarely meditated even in the quiet security of
home. I never imagined I might find myself meditating outdoors in the wintry
cold of a wind swept desert plain. Following our protocols in the prescribed
manner, my team repeatedly sent out a mental road map of our location in the
universe. While at the same time we mentally broadcast to the cosmos our
message of welcome, inviting contact with ETI.
This exercise went on in
silence for 30 minutes. The wind was now blowing at about 10 to 15 miles per
hour. Michael was seated facing to
the northwest. As he ended this first round of CTS he opened his eyes. It was
9:05 PM. Directly in his line of sight was a golden globe.
It was visible just above
Queen Mountain and was slowly flying due east. Michael roused us from our
meditation and called for me to pick up my 500,000 candle power lantern. I
fired a salvo of flashes at the craft, which like its predecessor flew
horizontally without any associated engine sound. This object also had sharp
edges demarcating its circular shape. We were hoping for a bit of Òphoton
talkÓ, (an exchange of light signals in an intelligible fashion indicating
basic communication had been established). The intelligence responsible for
this craft apparently chose not to follow CSETI protocol. Instead of repeating
back the same sequence of flashes as other anomalous lights had done in the
past, this UFO extinguished its light, just as the other globe had done. This
second craft in a similar fashion reappeared a few seconds later further down
its flight course. The globe then disappeared. This sighting like the first
lasted about a minute.
This furtive type of
behavior had us somewhat perplexed. Was the intelligence responsible for the
craft acknowledging the surveillance we had experienced several hours before?
By appearing and then quickly disappearing was it Òtelling usÓ, that conditions
were not safe for more intimate contact? The first object had appeared in the
southwest moving northward. The second one was seen in the north moving
eastward. Was it the same ET spacecraft that was circling us? And by this
oblique path, neither towards us nor away from us, were they attempting to
indicate that conditions were not safe for a direct approach? It is probably
wise not to dwell too long on such speculation. It is a maxim of this kind of
work to never assume you can think like an Extraterrestrial. Nevertheless we
were intrigued by the possible implications of what we had experienced.
Twenty to thirty miles per
hour wind was now showered us with sand.
All around our campsite, low lying shrubs tenaciously clung to the
desert floor. We positioned our folding chairs and sleeping bags behind the
shrubs hoping for a little bit of shelter from the shifting sand. The Joshua
Trees gracefully swayed back and forth in a gentle dance like movement. An occasional tumble weed rolled by our
research site. As the wind increased I became more excited. The Twenty Nine
Palms Marine base was just 20 miles away. The stronger the wind, the more
adverse the weather, the less likely helicopter gun ships could respond to any
Extraterrestrial presence at our research site.
I remembered a previous
encounter that Michael and I had in November of 1993 when we had interacted
with 2 UFOs for over an hour. This memorable experience occurred while 45 miles
per hour winds had pounded the local base. Perhaps with another storm headed
our way on this particular January night, a repeat performance would be on the
schedule. I very much wanted a sighting.
Michael however did not
appear to share my excitement about the prospects for further contact. This was
in marked contrast to his usual gung ho attitude. He was the youngest member of
the team, in his mid twenties, and was usually the most enthusiastic. Michael
seldom rested much during the long hours of nocturnal field work. While others
might catnap for a few hours between shifts of sky watching, Michael, often
alone, would roam the research site. With signal lantern in hand being a good
soldier,(he is a veteran of the former Soviet military) Mike is ever ready for contact with Extraterrestrial
Intelligence. His track record as a UFO researcher has demonstrated that his
paranormal capabilities are clearly above average, if not phenomenal.
On several previous
occasions he has chosen the time and place for Working Group activities with
subsequent major contact events ensuing.
Prior to some of these investigations he had reported receiving what is
designated in CSETI circles as Subjectively Acquired Material or SAM. This term encompasses a number of psi
modalities which can provide useful information to guide research efforts.
MichaelÕs paranormal talents appear to encompass the entire spectrum of psi
phenomenon. This includes remote viewing, lucid dreams which predict subsequent
contact experiences or simply an awareness of a future event at the level of
knowledge (i.e. precognition). In addition both myself as well as another
member of our team have witnessed what appears to be MichaelÕs considerable
psychokinetic ability. In my opinion this special talent falls outside of what
can ordinarily be applied to field work and therefore should not be mentioned
further.
During the days prior to
field work, the 3 CSETI investigators present on this particular investigation,
had reported subjectively acquiring details of a possible contact event. This
information had been obtained by each of us independently from one another. We
had determined that contact with ETI might likely occur between 11PM and 1AM of
the night of January 24-25. As this time arrived however, instead of a building
sense of anticipation, Robert and I, like Sasha earlier, perceived that
something had definitely changed. The two hour interval which we had hoped
might be a window of interaction, felt empty. The anticipation of contact, the
growing excitement which every CSETI field worker experiences, had almost
completely dissipated. In light of what seemed to us obvious surveillance, we
wondered if the absence of ET activity was related to us Òhaving company.Ó
As the wind increased to
over 30 miles per hour, attempting CTS outside the shelter of our vehicles
became nearly impossible. Tarps had to be firmly staked down or they quickly
became airborne. Each time I turned westward to catch a glimpse of that portion
of the sky, my nose, mouth and eyes were plastered with flying sand. I
regretted the fact that I had left my goggles at home.
It was approaching 2AM and
still there was no additional signs of ET presence. Mike had turned in early,
and was soon peacefully snoring in his sleeping bag which he had zipped all the
way up. Robert and I stayed awake hoping for another flyby or something even
more dramatic. But nothing
happened. There was just the stars and the wind and the waiting for predicted
rainfall. At about 3AM I removed my hiking boots, put on another pair of woolen
socks and finally called it a night. As I fell asleep I glanced up at the stars
shimmering brightly in the wind swept sky. I wondered why it was still so clear
outside. If the expected storm was
truly coming in from the Pacific, there should have been some rain by now.
ÒBetter get some sleep while youÕre
still dry,Ó I told myself. With some difficulty, I finally fell asleep.
The forecasted storm, like
our ÒwindowÓ of contact between 11PM and 1AM, never materialized. I awoke at
6:30 AM to find a sunny sky with only a few clouds on the horizon. The desert
looked spectacular in the cold morning light. Except for Mike and Robert, there
wasnÕt a soul in sight. They were already moving around research site picking
up equipment that had be tossed around by the wind. Bundled up in their parkas,
they looked like two bears trying to keep warm. For reasons that would be difficult
to explain, I had the strong feeling that ET craft might still be in our
vicinity. This feeling became so intense, that I took out my video camera and
started video taping the eastern horizon.
Back on November 10, 1993.
in the early hour following our encounter, Mike had inadvertently filmed an
anomalous object floating above the eastern horizon. Whatever it was exactly,
we couldnÕt say for sure. It was dark, oval in shape and appeared to slowly
drop below the ridge line in a kind of falling leaf trajectory. We had not seen
the object at the time of shooting the footage. Only after reviewing the tapes
on a big monitor back at home did we notice it.
Hoping again to capture
something of interest in the east, I slowly panned the camera across the desert
plateau which stretched all the way to the horizon. After several minutes I
felt somewhat foolish about filming what appeared to be empty desert. I packed
up my camera and joined Robert and Mike who were packing our gear into the
trucks. However I kept glancing
back towards the east, hoping to see a UFO. It was then that the sky exploded
with thunder.
Two F-14 Tomcats blasted
past us with a deafening roar. They were flying at what appeared to be less
than 500 feet in altitude and were moving at upwards of 400 knots per hour.
Robert. who is from San Diego, is quite familiar with this type of craft which
has operated out of Miramar Naval Air Station. He easily recognized the Navy
markings on the fighters. They were moving in combat formation. The lead plane was
slightly ahead, but still very close to its wing man. They whizzed by less than a quarter of mile to our north. I
was stunned. The sound of the powerful engines was truly awe inspiring. Wing tip to wing tip, they were so
close to the ground that when I saw them shoot past by my left shoulder. I
didnÕt even have to look up! The
F-14s were heading due east.
Our ears ringing, Robert,
Mike and I shouted at one another. ÒWhat the hell was that?Ó Less than 30
seconds later, the second wave of fighter bombers roared past. Two jet
aircraft, one on the left another on our right bracketed our position. These
babies were higher in altitude, perhaps eight to nine hundred feet up. They
were moving even faster than the first wave. The jets were separated from one another
by only about three hundred yards as they passed on either side of us. Robert
was less certain of the type of craft in the second wave. As they thundered
across the desert, the plane to the north banked sharply to the right in order
to avoid a distant mountain top. My state of shock was quickly turning to a
sense of grave concern. This was not safe, especially for the pilots.
The third wave of fighters
immediately followed the second. Again two military jets bracketing our
position. They were flying at about eight hundred feet up, just as before, one
on each side of us. I had to admit that despite my concerns, those jets looked absolutely beautiful. Up to
that moment I had only seen movies of high performance jet aircraft. They were
so fast and so powerful. Such power was something to be marveled at. Yet there
was definitely something very wrong going on.
We had driven three hours
into the desert as part of what we had imagined was a citizenÕs diplomatic
mission. It was ending up like the prelude to a possible interplanetary
shooting match. As seductively beautiful as those six jets appeared when
experienced up close, they were not gentle little butterflies. They represented
about 200 million dollars worth of killing machine. It was all wrong. With a
sick feeling in my stomach I wondered if there might be a connection between
those strange phone calls which I had received at home and the apparent
surveillance that our CSETI team had experienced before reaching our research
site? Could the fighter bombersÕ sudden appearance have something to do with
our encounter the previous night?
A wave of sadness and
disappointment rolled over me. I imagined we had tried to extend the olive
branch to the Extraterrestrials. If the bombers by chance had caught up with
those golden globes, something other than peaceful offerings might be
exchanged. I began to feel
terribly ashamed.
End of Part II.
In the third and final part
of this draft report which perhaps should be titled ÒAftermathÓ, I describe
what our CSETI team was able to learn about the three waves of fighter bombers
which buzzed us on January 25, 1996 Was it simply a Òroutine training mission?Ó
The National Park Service ranger we spoke to didnÕt think so. What was the
possible relationship between the jets and the apparent surveillance we had
experienced earlier? And finally what about those mysterious phone calls my
wife and I received prior to my going out into the field? These questions and
the possible implications of this incident for CSETIÕs program will be
discussed. Please stay tuned!
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