jak.themothmanprophecies-第4章

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t　began　collecting　such　reports　I　was　naturally　suspicious　of　the　people　making　such　reports。　It　all　seemed　like　a　massive　put…on。　But　gradually　it　became　apparent　that　the　same　minute　details　were　turning　up　in　widely　separated　cases；　and　none　of　these　details　had　been　published　anywhere　。。。　not　even　in　the　little　newsletters　of　the　UFO　cultists。
　　
　　There　was　somebody　out　there；　all　right。　A　few；　like　Richard　French；　almost　pulled　off　their　capers　without　drawing　attention　to　themselves。　But　in　nearly　every　case　there　was　always　some　small　error；　some　slip　of　dress　or　behavior　which　the　witnesses　were　usually　willing　to　overlook　but　which　stood　out　like　signal　flares　to　me。　They　often　arrived　in　old　model　cars　which　were　as　shiny　and　well　kept　as　brand…new　vehicles。　Sometimes　they　slipped　up　in　their　dress；　wearing　clothes　that　were　out　of　fashion　or；　even　more　perturbing；　would　not　e　into　fashion　until　years　later。　'Those　who　posed　as　military　officers　obviously　had　no　knowledge　of　military　procedure　or　basic　military　jargon。　If　they　had　occasion　to　pull　out　a　wallet　or　notebook；　it　would　be　brand…new　。。。　although　most　men　carry　beat…up　old　wallets　and　notebooks　quickly　gain　a　worn　look。　Finally；　like　the　fairies　of　old；　they　often　collected　souvenirs　from　the　witnesses　。。。　delightedly　walking　away　with　an　old　magazine；　pen；　or　other　small　expendable　object。
　　
　　What　troubled　me　most　was　the　fact　that　these　mystery　men　and　women　often　matched　the　descriptions　given　to　me　by　contactees　who　claimed　to　have　seen　a　UFO　land　and　had　glimpsed；　or　conversed　with；　their　pilots；　pilots　with　either　pointed　features　or　Oriental　countenances　dusky　skin　（not　Negroid）；　and　unusually　long　fingers。
　　
　　VIII。
　　
　　Linda　Scarberry　came　home　from　the　hospital　on　December　23；　1967；　bringing　with　her　Daniella　Lia　Scarberry；　her　brand…new　daughter。　She　and　her　husband；　Roger；　lived　in　the　basement　apartment　in　the　home　of　her　parents；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Parke　McDaniel。　It　was　a　modest　but　fortable　home　and；　like　Mary　Hyre's　office；　had　been　a　focal　point　for　strangers　ever　since　Linda；　Roger；　and　another　couple　had　seen　the　〃Bird〃…the　preposterous　winged　man　of　Point　Pleasant…the　year　before。
　　
　　Now　there　was　a　steady　flow　of　friends　and　neighbors　stopping　by　to　look　at　the　new　baby；　one　of　the　few　joyous　occasions　that　bleak　December。　When　Jack　Brown's　noisy　white　car　pulled　into　the　McDaniel　driveway　he　was　weled　as　so　many　reporters；　monster　hunters；　and　UFO　researchers　had　been　before　him。　He　'announced　himself　as　a　friend　of　Mary　Hyre；　Gray　Barker；　and　John　Keel　and　entered　the　house　hauling　a　large　tape　recorder　which　he　set　up　on　a　kitchen　table。　It　became　immediately　obvious　that　he　was　unfamiliar　with　the　machine　and　didn't　know　how　to　thread　or　operate　it。
　　
　　The　McDaniel　family　was　used　to　reporters　and　tape　recorders；　and　answering　the　same　tiresome　questions。　But　Brown's　questions　were　not　just　tiresome。　They　were　vague；　detached；　and　unintelligent。　He　obviously　knew　nothing　whatsoever　about　the　plex　subject　of　flying　saucers；　and　he　was　totally　disinterested　in　the　legendary　〃Bird。〃　His　main　interest　seemed　to　be　me…my　present　whereabouts　and　the　nature　of　my　relationship　with　Mrs。　Hyre。
　　
　　Not　surprisingly；　he　asked　the　McDaniels　how　they　thought　Mary　Hyre　would　react　if　someone　ordered　her　to　stop　reporting　flying　saucer　sightings。
　　
　　Friends　and　neighbors　dropped　by　all　evening　to　view　the　new　baby。　Although　the　baby　was　the　center　of　all　attention；　Brown　totally　ignored　the　child；　not　even　bothering　to　show　polite　interest。　When　Tom　C。；　a　next…door　neighbor；　was　introduced　Brown　extended　his　thumb　and　two　forefingers　for　a　handshake。　He　said　he　was　from　Cambridge；　Ohio；　a　small　town　just　outside　of　Columbus；　Ohio。　Later　a　reporter　for　the　Columbus；　Ohio；　Dispatch　arrived　and　in　the　course　of　their　casual　conversation　it　became　apparent　that　Brown　had　never　heard　of　the　Dispatch；　one　of　the　state's　largest　newspapers；　and；　in　fact；　did　not　even　know　where　Cambridge　was。
　　
　　His　general　demeanor　made　everyone　unfortable。　His　inability　to　converse　intelligently　and　his　hypnotic；　piercing　gaze　bothered　everyone。　Despite　the　growing　coolness；　he　lingered　for　five　hours；　leaving　about　11　P。M。　Early　in　the　evening　he　denied　knowing　me　personally。　Later　on　he　said　he　and　I　were　good　friends。　He　seemed　surprised　that　I　had　not　rushed　back　to　Point　Pleasant　after　the　bridge　disaster。　Perhaps　he　expected　to　find　me　there。
　　
　　Among　other　things；　he　said　〃Gray　Barker　told　him　that　a　UFO　had　been　seen　over　the　Silver　Bridge　just　before　it　collapsed。　Later　when　I　spoke　to　Barker　about　this　incident　he　denied　emphatically　knowing　Brown　or　anyone　matching　his　description。　Gray　had　phoned　me　the　night　of　the　disaster　and　mentioned　hearing　a　radio　interview　in　which　a　witness　reported　seeing　a　flash　of　light　just　before　the　bridge　went　down。　Afterward　it　became　clear　that　this　was　a　flash　caused　by　snapping　power　cables　strung　along　the　bridge。
　　
　　Jack　Brown　was　never　seen　again。　He　did　not　turn　up　in　other　UFO　flap　areas。　He　just　got　into　his　white　car　and　rattled　off　into　the　night；　joining　all　the　other　Smiths；　Joneses；　Kelleys；　and　Frenches　who　seem　to　serve　no　purpose　except　to　excite　the　latent　paranoia　of　the　UFO　enthusiasts　and　keep　one　set　of　myths　alive。
　　
　　IX。
　　
　　In　room　4C922　of　the　Pentagon　building　in　1966　there　was　an　L…shaped　cubicle　occupying　about　fifty　square　feet　of　area。　A　gray…haired；　grim…visaged　lieutenant　colonel　named　Maston　M。　Jacks　held　forth　there；　sitting　behind　a　cluttered　desk　and　jangling　phones。　His　job　in　those　days　was　to　handle　reporters　inquiring　about　the　UFO　situation。　His　opening　line　was　a　show…stopper。
　　
　　〃There's　nothing　to　it；　Mr。　Keel。　It's　all　a　lot　of　hearsay。〃
　　
　　On　another　desk　there　was　a　large　red　folder　with　the　words　Top　Secret　emblazoned　in　big　black　letters。　While　we　talked；　a　secretary　entered　and　put　a　newspaper　clipping　into　the　folder。
　　
　　My　first　conversation　with　Lieutenant　Colonel　Jacks　quickly　turned　into　an　argument。　He　parroted　the　well…known　air　force　anti…UFO　line　and　I　explained　gently　that　I　had　seen　some　of　the　damned　things　myself。　At　one　point　he　pulled　himself　up　and　glared　at　me。
　　
　　〃Are　you　calling　an　officer　in　the　U。S。　Air　Force　a　liar？〃
　　
　　Later　on　the　phone　rang　and　from　his　inflection　it　was　obvious　he　was　talking　to　a　superior　officer。　I　discreetly　strolled　to　the　far　end　of　the　room　and　stared　out　the　tiny；　prisonlike　window。　He　mumbled　something　about　some　movie　film　and　then　in　a　very　low　voice　he　added；　〃I'll　nave　to　call　you　back。…There's　somebody　here　in　my　office　that　I've　got　to　stop。〃
　　
　　After　he　hung　up　we　resumed　our　argument。　He　had　clearly　gone　through　this　many　times　before。　It　was　all　an　act。　His　moods　changed　abruptly　from　rage　to　politeness　to　chumminess。　Finally　he　escorted　me　down　the　hall　to　a　library　and　dumped　me。
　　
　　Jacks　told　me　several　times　that　the　air　force　did　not　have　any　kind　of　a　UFO　photo　file。　A　year　later；　however；　a　science　writer　named　Lloyd　Malian　was　given　over　one　hundred　pictures　from　that　nonexistent　file。　Jacks　also　informed　me　that　no　UFO　reports　were　stored　in　the　Pentagon。　They　were　all　at　Wright…Patterson　Air　Force　Base　in　Ohio。　I　didn't　visit　Wright…Patterson　but　Mort　Young　of　the　now…defunct　New　York　Journal…American　did。　I　asked　Mort　to　write　his　experience　for　this　book。
　　
　　〃Records　of　UFO　reports；　I　was　told　at　the　Pentagon；　are　all　kept　at　Wright…Patterson　Air　Force　Base　in　Dayton；　Ohio；〃　Mort　explains。
　　
　　So　I　went　to　Dayton。　There　I　was　told　that　UFO　reports　are　filed　at　the　Pentagon；　and　I　could　have　seen　them　in　Washington。　I　later　learned　that　not　only　are　UFO　reports　filed　at　the　Pentagon　and　at　Project　Blue　Book　headquarters　in　Dayton；　but　are　also　forwarded　to　at　least　two　other　addresses　where；　presumably；　they　are　also　filed。　One　might　hope　that　at　these　other　places；　the　files　are　in　better　order　than　at　Blue　Book；　where　individual　sightings　are　inplete。　Files　I　asked　for　were　either　handed　to　me　with　pages　missing；　entire　parts　missing；　or　the　file　itself　was　missing：　the　air　force　having　〃no　information〃　on　the　sighting　in　question。　Some　files　were　in　disreputable　state：　page　upon　page　jammed　into　brown　folders。　The　information　that　was　there　would　have　to　be　sorted　chronologically；　at　least；　before　one　could　sit　down；　read　it　through　and　e　out　the　wiser。　I　would　rather　try　to　explain　a　UFO　than　make　sense　out　of　an　air　force　UFO　report
　　
　　Some　of　the　allegations　of　the　UFO　believers　had　merit。　The　air　force　was　struggling　to　keep　the　issues　confused。　They　did　lie；　and　on　occasion　they　lied　outrageously；　to　reporters。　Photographs　sent　to　them　by　well…meaning　citizens　often　disappeared　forever　into　the　maw　at　Wright…Patterson。
　　
　　But　from　my　own　investigations　I　could　not　honestly　accuse　them　of　having　a　wing　of　Oriental　officers　whose　assignment　was　to　squelch　witnesses。　Other　writers　such　as　Lloyd　Malian　were　reaching　similar　conclusions。　By　1967；　Lieutenant　Colonel　Jacks　had　retired　and　been　replaced　by　Lt。　Col。　George　P。　Freeman。　Freeman　was　a　kinder；　more　tactful　soul　and　gave　our　reports　serious　consideration。　On　February　15；　1967；　a　confidential　letter　went　out　from　the　Pentagon　to　all　mands。
　　
　　Information　has　reached　headquarters　USAF　that　persons　claiming　to　represent　the　air　force　or　other　defense　establishments　have　contacted　citizens　who　have　sighted　unidentified　flying　objects。　In　one　reported　case；　an　individual　in　civilian　clothes；　who　represented　himself　as　a　member　of　NORAD；　demanded　and　received　photos　belonging　to　a　private　citizen。　In　another；　a　person　in　an　air　force　uniform　approached　local　police　and　other　citizens　who　had　sighted　a　UFO；　assembled　them　in　a　schoolroom　and　told　them　that　they　did　not　see　what　they　thought　they　saw　and　that　they　should　not　talk　to　anyone　about　the　sighting。　All　military　and　civilian　personnel　and　particularly　information　officers　and　UFO　investigating　officers　who　hear　of　such　reports　should　immediately　notify　their　local　OSI　＇Office　of　Special　Investigations＇　offices。　
　　
　　（Signed）　
　　Hewitt　T。　Wheless；　Lt。　Gen。　USAF　
　　Asst　Vice　Chief　of　Staff
　　
　　Project　Blue　Book　was　formally　shut　down　in　December　1969。　But　the　〃Men　in　Black〃　have　not　retired。　They　were　busy　again　in　the　wake　of　the　October　1973　UFO　wave。　And　in　January　1974　they　even　appeared　in　Sweden；　using　the　same　tactics　that　were　so　effective　here。　Even　the　gasoline　shortage　failed　to　deter　those　black　Cadillacs　from　their　mysterious　rounds。　
　　
　　
　　
　　　3　…　The　Flutter　of　Black　Wings
　　
　　I。
　　
　　Another　kind　of　Man　in　Black　haunted　Brooklyn；　New　York；　in　1877…80。　He　had　wings　and　performed　aerial　acrobatics　over　the　heads　of　the　crowds　of　sunbathers　at　Coney　Island。　A　Mr。　W。　H。　Smith　first　reported　these　strange　flights　in　a　letter　to　the　New　York　Sun；　September　18；　1877。　The　creature　was　not　a　bird；　but　〃a　winged　human　form。〃
　　
　　This　flying　man　became　a　local　sensation　and；　according　to　the　New　York　Times；　September　12；　1880；　〃many　reputable　persons〃　saw　him　as　he　was　〃