Although I have followed the UFO Phenomenon since 1977, I normally only write fiction. However, following the incredible series of stories and videos that have come out since 2017, a number of my readers, friends, and family have asked me what I think is going on. As a result, I wrote this series of posts hoping to clarify where we have been, where we are now, and where me may be going. I call it…
The Arc of Disclosure.
(Note on links: I did my best to supply links where I thought necessary, or fun, but I am confident people who are much more informed on the subject than I will feel some are wrong somehow. If there is a link I used that is too many generations away from the original source, is one you think the content provider wouldn’t provide, or its just better/more accurate somehow, let me know via comments, email, whatever, and if I agree I will be happy to fix them. Just a fun post for me, and won’t take it personal, I promise. As my editor says, Accuracy over emotion.)
Part Three: 2017 – 2020. Or, you know, the insane Present.
As I finishing rewriting and editing this post in September of 2020, I will refer to ‘now’, as the amazing, unprecedented series of events that have transpired since 2017. The reason for this is simple. In my 51 years on the planet, the last 3 plus have given us, without a doubt, the most watershed moments in UFO disclosure to date, bar none. Bottom line, since 2017 everything has changed.
Even the brilliant 2009 documentary “I Know What I Saw”, an excellent piece of work by filmmaker James Fox, who had up to that point made my favorite documentary on the subject “Out of the Blue”, seems suddenly out of date without AATIP, TTSA, or the 2017 videos included. (Guessing The Phenomenon on October 6th will)
If social gatherings in a post pandemic 2020 seem like a distant memory, anything about UFOs before 2017 seems like it happened in a whole other lifetime. I believe the reason for this is simple. In UFO disclosure terms, at least publically, it kinda did.
Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, (to me, at least) the New York Times was on the beat, and the three coolest, most impressive UFO videos I had ever seen were not only available, but they had supposedly been filmed by modern, US Military aircraft in the 21st century!
Like many other fans I reacted at first with a little skepticism. “Groundbreaking” UFO videos were so popular online that by 2017 I went in expecting any and all videos to be fake. Plus, as my brother said when he first saw these particular videos online, “Cool, instead of blurry amateur videos, we now have blurry, military grade videos.” (little brothers!)
Still, this was the NYT, a gold standard in the field, and somethings about these videos seemed very, very different.
Of course to be fair, 40 years of this type of “maybe it’s big, maybe it’s not” reveal had dulled my senses, and at first the vids seemed to come and go just like all the others. Plus, like many enthusiasts my age and older, decades of false starts and continued secrecy had worn me down. In truth, there was a time not too long after the 2001 event that I was starting to think maybe UFOs were simply part of my youth, and as an aging, early thirties business owner and husband, the whole thing had run its course. Sure, I still followed it on the side for fun, but the passion and hope was dormant.
Then came 2017.
The New York Times was joining the fight. The revelation of AATIP was out, and the public efforts by some former members of that real Pentagon program, no matter how small or meagerly funded, went on to help form, “To The Stars Academy”. (Still hate this name, btw. Sounds like a goofy, overly enthusiastic rock star who loved Star Trek a little too much made it up. Oh…okay. Right. Never mind. Do your thing Tommy D. Seems to be working.)
Before I knew it, the History Channel was bringing these videos back out, along with Luis Elizondo and Christopher Mellon, amongst others, all vouching for their authenticity. These guys had impressive CV’s and no tin foil hats. Plus, although it took a couple of years, the Navy ultimately admitted the authenticity of the videos.
And, even more unbelievable, that heretofore unprecedented admission, one that had eluded UFO researchers for decades, wasn’t even the biggest part of their official statement. Along with confirming the authenticity of the videos, they said that the phenomena witnessed were still officially classified as “Unidentified”.
WHAT?
Let me get this straight.
Not only do we have actual Navy pilots like David Fravor, and numerous other uniformed personnel who were part of the extraordinary events willing to publicly authenticate the entire account of both the 2004 and 2015 UFO encounters, but thanks to Lue and Chris (and loveable Tom, and loveable Steve, and their whole loveable team), we also have the Navy admitting, on the record, that the objects recorded were still classified as unidentified.
Without getting into the legalities as explained by a lawyer friend, if it was a top-secret program that the Navy knew even a tiny bit about but had to keep secret, the wording of this statement would be particularly troubling, especially down the road. So, in effect, whether intentional or not, by labeling the objects as officially “unidentified”, they were also confirming that, as far as the Navy was and is concerned at least, it is not one of ours.
This is huge.
After that revelation the hits kept coming, including the implementation of an official system that allows pilots and other military personnel to report these encounters without fear of reprisal. It was a clear, stated goal of AATIP and TTSA from the very beginning, and one the team there should be applauded for achieving. Way to go gang. Huge.
Then late last year, when I thought I had seen everything, I learned about the Wilson/Davis notes. Like many others who felt burned by the MJ12 docs (again, the organization may have been real, but the docs seem fabricated), I was also skeptical at first.
Then, like a gift from above, UFO historian Richard Dolan, without a doubt the sober, mature, reasoned face that the entire movement has needed for like, forever, chimed in. And what he said blew me away.
(Note: If you haven’t watched that video, go do it now, then subscribe, then join Richard’s members site. Great bang for the buck, imo. Then you can continue reading.)
Welcome back.
When watching that video and other things he wrote on the subject, I thought Richard had clearly done his best to word his now numerous confirmations in such a way as to give us confidence in the notes authenticity, while also maintaining any secrecy oaths given, his relationship with Dr. Davis, along with the others in the small group who either had copies of, or knew about the notes.
Either way, he clearly had personal knowledge of these 1997 and 2002 meetings, and the resultant notes, as early as 2006. As far as RD was concerned, the notes, and the meeting(s) they described, were real. Like I said before, along with his impressive resume, and as someone who always presents himself in such a reasoned, matter of fact, straightforward way, if Dolan is good enough for Edgar Mitchell, then he’s definitely good enough for me. Notes are real. Done and done. Next.
By the time this sank in, Leslie Keane and Ralph Blumenthal were at it again. But now, when they talked about Dr. Davis I knew who he was, including his history on the matter dating all the way back to 1995, to Bigelow, Wilson, Mitchell and Greer. In some crazy way, the seemingly disparate forces of The Disclosure Project, NIDS, The New York Times, AATIP, TTSA and the UFO community as a whole, were somehow coalescing into one coherent, directed message: UFOs are real, and there is a damn good chance that somewhere in the Military Industrial Complex, scientists are studying at least one of these craft up close.
Hold on.
Imma read that last sentence again.
Wow.
To be honest I was always iffy on Roswell, and I’m am less confident in Corso, (although I have yet to read the original manuscript he wrote, so things may change). In part 2 I admittedly dismiss Lazar mostly out of hand, but just the idea of Dr. Davis briefing staff members from high ranking congressional committees late last year, and as recently as March of this year, puts the topic in a whole new light. In many ways such an admission, while still not the official one we may have hoped for, may end up being the closest we get to the mystery of crash retrievals. Here’s why.
I offer this thought experiment.
Imagine a scenario where the Pentagon calls a press conference. The top muckity muck, the head of the Joint Chiefs walks to the podium, and before you can say boo, he drops the big enchilada. Aliens exist, and we have the craft and bodies to prove it.
Bam!
For many people (me included) this would be the ultimate end game, a full blown, on the record admission of what we have always guessed at, but couldn’t quite prove. It is also something that I believe would never happen.
Think of it this way. If Leslie Kean is right, and the question of “are UFOs real” has finally been answered, which I think it has, then the next question becomes, does the US possess “off-world craft not made by human hands”? And therein lies the problem.
See, if my hypothetical ‘Joint Chiefs guy’ knows the US doesn’t actually have a ship, but all of his enemies think they likely do, what good would confirming the truth be? For better or worse, if a status quo exists where the smoke seems to indicate a fire, and a lot of evidence points to the US having a craft, or crafts, why would someone like that unilaterally change that belief, especially if it is a wrong one?
In a US military filled with real life, honest to goodness heroes, would someone at that power level, and someone who either authorized or went along with an illegal, outside of oversight program of this magnitude, suddenly be the one to talk about it, and all out of the goodness of his heart?
I have many friends and family who served, but simply presented with the idea of a man in this particular position doing such a thing, man, all think it seems unlikely. Of course, if he did, he would be a hero to most, and a villain to very, very few.
Wonder if that person is there right now…
(If you are, and you’re reading this, let me say two things. First, “these aren’t the droids you’re looking for,” and second, “when you wake up tomorrow you will feel rested, refreshed, and will disclose everything.” Now sleep.)
From a strategic standpoint, and in a multi-pronged cold war environment like we have right now, with numerous adversaries, including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea to name a few, what good does it do to tell everyone, “Nope, sorry, we ain’t got no spaceship.” It simply isn’t the type of advantage, whether real or simply perceived, that any self-respecting military strategist would give up. If they think we got it, and so does everyone else, then all the better.
Plus, if the US did admit these things weren’t in our possession, and were therefore from somewhere or someone else, rumors that Russia or China were behind it would immediately, and inevitably crop up. If we give up the current, undeniable advantage of perception, both countries would be more than happy to step in and take it. I’m convinced of it. Probably others too.
Of course, if they (Military/Industry cadre) do have an off-world ship, or ships, or fluxliners, or TR3Bs, or whatever, then the motivation to say so is even less. Setting aside the possibly illegal nature of a now 73 year long, ongoing program that has seemingly existed without direct government oversite inside a constitutional democracy who’s President is also it’s commander in chief, and who’s congress is constitutionally mandated to maintain oversight on every single dollar spent, it would also negate a huge part of the strategic advantage.
Stealth fighters and bombers came to light only during war, and something this advanced may represent such a huge military advantage, that even an informed US Congress might still prefer to keep it in its back pocket and not expose it unless absolutely necessary, much less a small, elite few. The current system, with its expensive, bulky old tech and all, still keeps the US armed forces well ahead of their enemies as it is, while simultaneously providing a rather nice living for those same private contractors who may (or may not) be holding the E.T. goods. DO they want to change that?
As a result, an official, above board disclosure seems highly, highly unlikely. Too much risk, absolutely no reward for those doing the disclosing. So, you ask, how might this whole thing finally end? I give my best guesses in part 4: the conclusion.
A final note on the online UFO community who are engaging the Phenomenon.
Although I have been following this topic for decades, the last few years have seen an explosion of talented, dedicated, well intentioned folks covering the topic on a daily basis. I am sure there are many, many more podcasters, bloggers, reporters, researchers and content creators in this field that I have yet to learn about, but for now I would highly recommend the following.
Podcasts:
That UFO Podcast, Somewhere in the Skies Podcast, The UFO Chronicles Podcast, TTSA Talks Podcast, Omni Talk Radio.
YouTube Channels:
Project Unity, Engaging the Phenomenon, Post Disclosure World, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, The Undead Gaucho, Its Redacted, Richard Dolan.
Websites:
http://www.ufojoe.net/, https://silvarecord.com/, https://www.christophermellon, https://www.the-unidentified.net/, https://www.mintyhyperspace.com/, http://paulscottanderson.ca/, https://home.tothestarsacademy.com/, https://medium.com/, https://www.shadowsmagazine.co.uk/, http://www.patrickjohnhughes.com, https://www.reddit.com/r/UFObelievers/, https://skyhub.org/, https://www.the-unidentified.net/, https://richarddolanmembers.com/,
Twitter Community:
@RichDolan, @UfoJoe11, @silvarecord, @ufouapam, @SomewhereSkies, @BrianRoemmele, @hughespj1, @KeithBasterfie1, @UapBay, @devgru1980mi, @shadowsmagazine, @OmniTalkRadio, @itsredactedYT, @medium, @MusicAndTruth, @LueElizondo, @RyanDBledsoe, @TheZignal, @TheUndedGaucho, @foiaboi, @tomdelonge, @Paulsanderson, @uap1949, @mintyhyperspace, @LtTimMcMillan, @Above_So_Below, @Th_Unidentified, @hollywoodufos, @PostDisclosure, @SomewhereSkies, @TTSAcademy, @ChristoperKMe4, @g_knapp, @anthonylappe, @Berserk97981716, @TheProjectUnity, @uapufo, @ufoartwork, @UFO_Researchers, @IWANTTOKNOW2020, @JeremyUnidenti1, @dave_beaty, @_jraza, @naoehogui, @mesolithicguy, @ufobelievers, @BobMcGwier_N4HY, @Akam1129, @AFSUnidentified, @EngagingThe, @Peter_Levenda, @SteUFOnotCGULLS, @UFOchronpodcast, @lucyskye318, @Wegner_Knows, @truthbearer20, @NikHunter1, @Go_Kick_Rocks88, @19Nimbus, @Julesofthwood, @KikPlenty, @MarkMark0865, @KABlackburn9, @MickJoseph3
Hope you liked part 3 of my series. Part 4, is up too.
Oh yeah, and thanks for reading. If you like what I wrote and want to support me, buy one of my books. “Whispers of Fate: Book One of the Heirloom Ores” is only 99 cents, and will launch you into an epic, seven book fantasy series. Books 2 and 3 are already out as well, and they’re cheap and awesome. Book 4 comes out next year.
I am also finishing an action adventure, alternative history novel called “Monks of Alexandria” as we speak that should come out by the end of the year, along with a sci-fi novel titled “Titan.” that will hit shelves in the summer of 2021.
Plus, as mentioned, I have many upcoming UFO blog posts, including part four of this series, and many others. Also, the one I wrote last month on Han Solo using the Force was fun too, assuming you like dumb stuff about dumb stuff.
If you want to know when the posts and books are out, or you have thoughts or questions on any topic drop me a line at plainfiction.com. Or just shoot me an email at plainfiction@gmail.com. If you want, you can also message me on Twitter @plain_fiction. Tweets make the world go round.
I need a nap.