In the heartland of the ancient world, a man named Daud Ghareeb was fascinated by the legend of a cavern filled with incredible wealth. This tale was whispered amongst traders, travelers, and tavern-goers, hinting at the hidden trove of silver, diamonds, and various gems. Compelled by curiosity and dreams of a better life, Daud embarked on a quest to uncover this concealed fortune.

During his journey, Daud met with many people - merchants, mystics, and humble villagers. Each individual enriched the treasure tale, talking of acquaintances who had supposedly seen the sparkling silver and the glittering diamonds. Each account stirred Daud's resolve further, making him more determined to find the fabled cave.

After weeks of perilous journeying through rugged hills and tangled woodland, Daud found the cavern. However, to his surprise, it was filled solely with gold - gold in every form and size. The diamonds, silver, and other gems he had heard about were nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, a formidable Djinn, the protector of the treasure, materialized before Daud. "You may leave unharmed, but you will bear a lifelong curse if you reveal the truth about the gold."

The sheer mass of gold was far too substantial for Daud to move single-handedly. He desired to claim the gold but required assistance. However, the Djinn's curse thwarted him from disclosing the true nature of the treasure. Tormented and desperate, Daud formulated a new plan. He decided to spread stories about the treasure he had initially heard of - the diamonds, silver, and other gems.

Returning to the neighboring towns, he enticed the people with vivid tales of the treasure, hoping to convince them to aid him. His words, brimming with anticipation and promise, attracted many eager helpers. However, he carefully steered them away from the idea of gold, focusing on the other riches he had initially hoped for.

Much to his relief, his plan worked. The people were so captivated by the promise of diverse treasures that they willingly aided Daud in the extraction process. Together, they transported the gold from the cavern, each helper content with their share of the 'non-gold' treasure they believed they had obtained.

Last month, a story emerged that caught the attention of the UFO community. It was about Simon and Schuster winning a bidding war for publishing rights to a memoir of a 36-year Air Force veteran who goes by the pseudonym, Scott Andrews. The real story that has intrigued everyone isn't about the bidding war, but the allegedly true stories in the memoir.

“The logline for the memoir by Scott Andrews takes some time to unpack, but it’s a doozy. Andrews is a former senior U.S soldier and decorated intelligence officer who conducted global counterterrorism operations on behalf of the United States during a 36-year military career. Shortly after returning from an overseas mission, he began to suffer from rare, life-threatening ailments that defied medical explanation. Rather than succumbing, he instead began to experience special, inexplicable abilities such as remote viewing, and his body began to heal, baffling doctors. As he sought more information about his health, Andrews came across a file compiled for him by his late father. It contained records from a past he did not remember, including documents indicating he was removed from school for weeks every year, from the first through 12th grades. The records also contained a shocker, that he received an honorable discharge from the U.S Air Force and worked in space intelligence communications as a minor. Andrews maintains he has no memory of having served in the U.S Air Force.

Referred to a classified White House National Security Council program, which had been delegated to the Department of Defense, Andrews then met a man who ran the highly classified program, who introduced him to a doctor. The doctor had worked for the CIA and had expertise enabling him to help Andrews start to piece together what has happened to him and others like him. Soon after connecting with the doctor, Andrews says he experienced symptoms associated with the Havana Syndrome, a phenomenon first reported by military personnel working at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, in 2016.”

-Dade Hayes, 2023

The Scott Andrews story is a smorgasbord for the everyday UFO enthusiast, compiling many themes in concepts that are prevalent in the UFO and psychic lore. There’s tales of Havana Syndrome, remote viewing, psychic healing, and a bizarre story of discovering later in life that he worked in a classified National Security Council Program for “space communications intelligence”, as a child, despite having no memory of doing so. The very idea of such a program raises questions, but could there be some truth behind this extraordinary tale? The idea of kids being part of psychic studies and used for attempted contact with extraterrestrials is not a new concept to me, as we’ll explore further ahead. What did surprise me is the idea that there may have been an official government program, and not just the studies from private groups.

Before we examine this further, let's set the stage for our investigation. Our story centers around the controversial figure of Dr. Andrija Puharich, a man involved in both parapsychology and government mind control experiments. His ties to entities known as "The Nine" only add to the intrigue, as does his work with psychic children in the 1970s. Enter astronaut Gordon Cooper, who claimed that NASA was well aware of the existence of psychic children, referred to as "Star Kids." Could these claims, coming from such a reputable source, lend credibility to the idea of government involvement in psychic research programs involving children?

As we delve deeper into this enigma, we'll examine Puharich's background, his connection to The Nine, and his work with the so-called "space kids." We'll also take a closer look at Gordon Cooper's assertions about NASA's awareness of psychic children, and the potential implications of such knowledge. And, of course, we'll explore the pressing question on everyone's mind: is it possible that the government actually contracted Puharich to run a psychic research program involving children while he was President of Essentia Research Associates?

Are we on the verge of uncovering a hidden truth about psychic children, extraterrestrial connections, and government involvement? Or will we simply find ourselves lost in a maze of conspiracy and wild speculation?

Dr. Andrija Puharich

Dr. Andrija Puharich was a man enshrouded in mystery, involved in various fields such as parapsychology and clandestine government operations. This enigmatic figure was deeply involved in the CIA's infamous MKULTRA mind control project during the 1950s, where he experimented with techniques aimed at inducing thoughts and even creating the impression of voices in one's head. The fact that Puharich was engaged in this work while also making contact with entities known as "The Nine" raises questions and makes one wonder about the true nature of his activities.

In his quest to understand the limits of human consciousness, Puharich established the Round Table Foundation, a research organization focused on parapsychological phenomena. It was during this time that he first made contact with The Nine, a group of mysterious beings that purportedly communicated with humans through psychic channels. Puharich's use of hypnosis in these encounters adds to the enigma, as he would hypnotize subjects like Uri Geller and Bobby Horne before suggesting they were in touch with The Nine. Not surprisingly, they appeared to make contact after such hypnotic suggestions.

Puharich's history with mind control and his apparent ability to induce contact with otherworldly entities raise a tantalizing question: was he somehow involved in a government-sponsored program that sought to tap into the psychic abilities of children? After all, Puharich's work with The Nine, coupled with his known experiments on psychic children, seems like a natural fit for such an endeavor.

To unravel this puzzle, we'll need to examine Puharich's life, his association with The Nine, and his work with psychic children more closely. We'll also explore the possibility that the government may have been interested in his research, potentially contracting him to run a psychic program involving children while he was a member of Essentia Research Associates. So, prepare yourself as we delve into a world of intrigue, mind games, and potential government cover-ups that will challenge what you thought you knew about the truth.

Space Kids

In H G M Herman's book, "Memories of a Maverick," a fascinating glimpse into Puharich's work with psychic children is revealed. As the former wife of Puharich, Herman recounts his endeavors with a group of children who displayed extraordinary psychic abilities – abilities that Puharich believed were extraterrestrial in origin. These children, dubbed the "space kids," were part of a summer program Puharich established in Ossining, New York.

The program itself was an unusual mix of activities designed to nurture and develop the kids' psychic talents. From daily meditation and dream-telling sessions to more typical tasks like cooking and cleaning, the "space kids" were immersed in an environment tailored to help them unlock their full potential. The most striking aspect was the claim that these children had voluntarily come from other planets to help raise human consciousness.

“Puharich had assembled a group of around twenty youngsters from seven countries. He called them “Gellerlings,” or “Space Kids.” They ranged in age from nine to the late teens. Supposedly, they had the psychic powers of Uri Geller. The idea was to train the kids, educate them on their powers and how to use them. Puharich also initiated trance sessions where he attempted to find out where these powers came from. In an unpublished book he wrote about this psychic summer camp; he prints substantial portions of these interviews, which, if they are to be believed, seem to indicate that the Space Kids indeed hail from unearthly locations. The Kids describe strange cities with science-fiction trappings and claim to be messengers from these distant civilizations. Puharich marshals his evidence that they bear messages to save Earth from nuclear destruction. Many of the sessions were rather benign. For instance, Holly Maddux spent a lot of time with a young woman simply doing ESP exercises. Other times, though, the Space Kids were asked to do things that upset them. One who was fourteen that summer says that he began to feel suspicious about the whole experience when his trainers asked him to do remote viewing at specific locations—to leave his body and report what he saw and heard. What disconcerted him was that the locations included politically sensitive areas, like the Kremlin.”

— The Unicorn's Secret: Murder in the Age of Aquarius by Steven Levy

The idea that these kids were hypnotized to connect with their "parent civilization" is as perplexing as it is intriguing. Were Puharich's methods an attempt to tap into the extraterrestrial origins of their abilities? Or was this simply a misguided experiment fueled by Puharich's fascination with psychic phenomena and The Nine?

Regardless of the true nature of Puharich's work with the "space kids," it's evident that his interest in psychic children went beyond mere curiosity. If anything, his involvement with these children further fuels speculation about the possible existence of a government-sponsored program aimed at exploring and exploiting the psychic potential of young minds.

Gordon Cooper and NASA’s “STAR Kids”

Enter Gordon Cooper, the astronaut with an interest in the paranormal. His claims about NASA's awareness of psychic children and their abilities have fueled speculation surrounding government psychic experiments involving children. Cooper, a prominent figure in the early years of the US space program, introduced the concept of "Star Kids" – children with unique psychic abilities and potential extraterrestrial connections.

The idea of "Star Kids" has intrigued many, as it seems to parallel the mysterious "space kids" that Puharich was working with. If Cooper's claims hold any weight, it could lend credibility to the possibility that government agencies like NASA have not only been aware of such children but also actively sought to study and exploit their unique abilities.

Cooper went on record stating that he believed these children were not only aware of their abilities but also had a strong connection to otherworldly beings. He asserted that NASA was aware of these children and their psychic powers, hinting at the potential for a larger, more covert operation.

Cooper's claims, though extraordinary, cannot be dismissed outright. As an insider in the space program, he had access to information that most of us can only dream about. And if he believed there was a connection between psychic children and extraterrestrial entities, who's to say there isn't a kernel of truth hidden within his assertions?

The link between Gordon Cooper's "Star Kids" and Puharich's "space kids" raises even more questions about the possibility of a secret government program aimed at studying psychic children. If Puharich's work with psychic kids was indeed a part of a larger, government-sponsored experiment, then the implications are as staggering as they are alarming.

Connecting the Dots

Now let's delve deeper into the complex connections surrounding Puharich's work and the potential government involvement in psychic experiments involving children. As we've established, The Nine made their first appearance around the same time Puharich was immersed in CIA mind control experiments. This raises questions about a potential connection between the two.

It's worth noting that Puharich's Round Table Foundation, which was the initial meeting ground for The Nine, was actually funded by the Pentagon. This detail raises concerns, as it suggests that the Foundation may have been a front for medical and parapsychological research orchestrated by the government. If Puharich was already working with the CIA on mind control techniques, is it far-fetched to believe he may have been contracted to run a similar program with psychic children? Lets also take a look at Essentia Research Associates, an organization Puharich was once president of.

“From the Fifties to the late Seventies Puharich was a member of Essentia Research Associates in New York, an organization of scientists and businessmen that did psychic research for the Pentagon, NASA and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). All the way back in November of 1952 Puharich presented a paper on Essentia’s behalf to the Pentagon titled “An Evaluation of the Possible Usefulness of Extrasensory Perception in Psychological Warfare.” -Jack Heart, 2021

The potential link between Puharich's work with the "space kids" and government psychic experiments cannot be ignored. Consider the possibility that Puharich, a known CIA operative, was contracted by the government through Essentia Research Associates to study the psychic abilities of these children. This would not only explain the connection between his work with The Nine and the CIA mind control experiments but also provide a plausible reason for the government's interest in these extraordinary children.

However, we must be cautious not to jump to conclusions. We're still missing crucial puzzle pieces. For instance, what happened to these "space kids" after their time with Puharich? Were they subjected to further experiments, or did they simply return to their ordinary lives, their extraterrestrial connections forever severed? And what about the elusive "Star Kids" that Gordon Cooper spoke of? How do they fit into this complex web of government intrigue and psychic experimentation?

The truth is, we may never have all the answers. But the evidence we do have paints a fascinating, if somewhat disconcerting, picture of two scenarios;

1. A secret government program aimed at unlocking the psychic potential of children – and potentially exploiting their extraterrestrial connections for its own gain.

2. A continuation of the MK-Ultra mind control experiments, in which the "space kids" concept is not actually connected to extraterrestrial contact or psychic abilities, but rather serves as a cover for further mind control research and experimentation.

In conclusion, the notion of a government program involving psychic children and extraterrestrial contact may seem far-fetched, but the facts presented in this article suggest that it's not entirely outside the realm of possibility. From Puharich's work with the "space kids" and his connections to The Nine and the CIA, to Gordon Cooper's claims about NASA's awareness of psychic children and their potential alien connections, there is enough circumstantial evidence to warrant further investigation.

As with many things in the world of the paranormal and unexplained, we are left with more questions than answers. But one thing is certain: the story of Puharich, the "space kids," and the potential government involvement in psychic experiments is a tale that will continue to captivate, mystify, and intrigue us for years to come.

Conclusion

As we reach the end of this exploration into the world of Puharich, psychic children, and secret government programs, it's crucial to take a step back and examine the claims and evidence presented. We've delved into the mysterious accounts of Puharich and his "space kids," as well as Gordon Cooper's significant revelations about NASA's awareness of "Star Kids" and their potential extraterrestrial connections. We looked at Puharich’s connection with the Roundtable Foundation and Essentia Research Associates, as well as the claims that they were doing psychic research for the Pentagon, NASA, and the Atomic Energy Commission.

The question remains: could there have been a government program that involved using children to test psychic abilities and make contact with beings from other worlds? While I can't say for certain, the information presented paints a compelling picture of a hidden history, filled with clandestine government projects and otherworldly connections.

It's important to remember that, as with many mysteries, we may never have all the answers. The pieces of the puzzle that we've managed to assemble provide us with a glimpse into a world that lies just beyond the boundaries of our current understanding. However, as history has shown us time and time again, it's often the unexplained and seemingly impossible that drives us to push the boundaries of our knowledge and explore the unknown.

Until then, let's appreciate the intrigue, embrace the questions, and allow ourselves to ponder the possibilities. For it is in the realm of the unknown that the seeds of discovery are planted, and the wonders of the universe are waiting to be unveiled...

As a society, we are witnessing a historic shift in the way unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) are treated by the federal government. With increased attention and growing acceptance of the need to study these enigmatic events, it is time to address the elephant in the room: our current approach to UAP reporting and analysis is fragmented and inefficient. To effectively study and analyze the UAP mystery, we must adopt a holistic and all-encompassing approach that includes civilian reports, local public agencies, and the federal government. It is crucial that we leverage the history and success of fusion centers and address the concerns of civilians and local agencies to create a unified front to tackle the UAP enigma.

As of recent, it seems that military UAP reports and encounters have dominated the news and media circuit. With the creation of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), Congress has made it clear that collecting and analyzing UAP reports involving military members and assets, as well as identifying an origin and intent, is a national security priority. However, we congress and the public would be foolish to believe that the UAP issue is confined to only military witnesses and air space. In fact, most UAP sightings occur outside military contexts and are reported by civilians. The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) estimates that civilians report between 4,000 to 6,000 sighting annually. The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) is at an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 reports a year. Compare these numbers with the roughly 500 or so military reports AARO has handled in the last few years and you’ll see that ignoring the vast civilian data set would be a grave mistake in our pursuit of understanding the phenomenon. Imagine if, during the Global War on Terror, counterterrorism efforts solely focused on incidents around military personnel and assets. What if the US’s COVID-19 pandemic response only included measures pertaining to military members and bases? The UAP topic is no different in that its implication impacts every US citizen. Much information is to be gleaned from civilian reports and coordination must be taking place with local governments, public health agencies, law enforcement, and Fire/EMS departments. I propose adopting the Fusion Center model to help bridge the gap between the federal government and local civilian agencies in the investigation and education of UAP.

The 9/11 Terrorist attacks exposed intelligence and information sharing gaps amongst our intelligence agencies. Fusion centers were created in the wake of the attacks to improve the collaboration and exchange of information among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners. The idea was to create a centralized hub where multiple agencies could share and analyze data related to public safety, homeland security, and counterterrorism. Initially, fusion centers primary focus was counterterrorism. As time developed, they began to incorporate a broader range of public safety and security issues. Some examples are organized crime, drug trafficking, and natural disasters. Today, there are about 50 state and 20 regional fusion centers in the US that are managed by state or local law enforcement agencies, and supported by the FBI. Fusion centers are not solely support for law enforcement though. A key component of the center is the ability to liaison with Fire/EMS, hospitals and public health agencies, and interact with local governments. The Fire Department I belong to has our own liaison that works directly with our local fusion center full time.

The idea of this fusion center model for UAP is not new. Christopher Mellon has written and spoken numerously about the need to create a “UAP Fusion Center”, to allow the DOD and IC to share information around UAPs. What I’m advocating for is that we take the fusion model developed in the aftermath of 9/11. One that sees local agencies as key stake holders, a valuable source of intelligence collection, and a vehicle for information dissemination to our first responders, health agencies, and local government. But how would this look in practice?

There are strict laws in place designed around protecting the privacy and civil liberties of Americans that might make it difficult to implement a collaboration between existing fusion centers and AARO, directly. These laws, among others, set strict limitations on how intelligence agencies can collect, store, and share information about individuals without their consent. To overcome these legal challenges, a specialized UAP office could be established within an existing federal agency like the Department of Homeland Security or the FBI. This office could be designed to operate within the existing legal framework while still facilitating the necessary coordination and information sharing between AARO, fusion centers, and local governments on civilian UAP reports. In theory, every fusion center could designate a liaison to interact with this new UAP Office. The liaison would be responsible for educating and briefing local agencies, first responders, and elected officials on UAP matters, as well as passing relevant local UAP reports and matters up to the UAP office. Coordination with civilian reporting agencies, such as MUFON, NUFORC, or NARCAP, would be paramount as well.

As I mentioned earlier, there are an estimated 10,000 to 18,000 civilian UAP reports each year. Those are just what’s reported. How many civilian sightings go unreported to MUFON/NUFORC? How many people are calling 911 for a UAP sighting or encounter with no way for first responders to make a report or inform the caller of how to make a report? I know of at least two from personal experience. Last summer, within a three week period, my fire engine company and myself had to two separate UAP encounter incidents. One involved a person showing up to our station after a UFO encounter. The other involved a response to an individual with an encounter and missing time reported. The incidents happened within less than a mile of each other and involved two completely unconnected people. On the second incident, the person was transported to the hospital due to possible skin burns. I’m not here to get into the details of these incidents. I am trying to convey, from a personal anecdote, a real world example of why this gap needs to be bridged. I am fortunate that I try to stay well informed about the UAP topic, but I am the exception, not the rule when it comes to other firefighter, paramedics, police officers, dispatchers, hospital staff, patients, and other civilian witnesses. We are all stakeholders in this topic who should have a clear system of reporting and a concise dissemination of information and education on this topic.

As congressional hearings progress and reports emerge from AARO, it is crucial to establish mechanisms to keep local agencies informed and educated on the potentially world-view shattering revelations related to UAPs. By integrating civilian reports, public agencies, and the federal government's efforts, we can create a more effective and holistic approach to studying and understanding the UAP mystery.

By leveraging the history and success of fusion centers and addressing the concerns of civilians and local agencies, we can create a unified front to tackle the UAP enigma. This approach would not only facilitate better information sharing but also ensure that all stakeholders have access to the latest data and developments in the field of UAP research.

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“Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF” -Aviation Week

On February 16, 2023, after a week of confusion surrounding the three unidentified objects shot down over North America, Aviation Week published an article featuring the headline above. Intrigued by the possibility that a pico balloon was responsible for UFO hysteria and the scrambling of fighter jets involving two countries, I decided to look into it. The story goes, that a club of pico balloon enthusiasts called the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB) was possibly responsible for one of the unidentified objects shot down over Canada. Aviation Week reports-

“The club’s silver-coated, party-style, “pico balloon” reported its last position on Feb. 10 at 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska, and a popular forecasting tool—the HYSPLIT model provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—projected the cylindrically shaped object would be floating high over the central part of the Yukon Territory on Feb. 11. That is the same day a Lockheed Martin F-22 shot down an unidentified object of a similar description and altitude in the same general area.”

Fascinated to dig into this story, I quickly discovered a follow up article that was written by Politico later that evening. Politico reported “The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade, in a blog post that was first reported by Aviation Week, says one of its balloons went “missing in action” in the same region the U.S. military shot down one of the three unknown objects,” adding almost nothing new to what was previously reported by Aviation Week. However, they did include a link to NIBBB’s blog post.

This is where things get interesting. But first, lets review some history about Aviation Week as it pertains to our favorite topic, UFOs…

Aviation Week and Phil Klass

Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine has a long history of reporting on UFO sightings and related topics, dating back to the 1940s and 1950s when there was a surge of interest in flying saucers and other unexplained aerial phenomena. However, the magazine's coverage of UFOs has been mixed, with some articles taking a skeptical or debunking approach, while others have been more open-minded.

Phil Klass, who worked as a senior editor for Aviation Week for many years, was one of the most prominent critics of the UFO topic and UFO researchers. He used his position at the magazine to write numerous articles and editorials that were critical of the claims made by UFO researchers and that sought to debunk many of the stories about UFO sightings and encounters. To the UFO community at the time, Phil Klass was the equivalent of a cocaine fueled, love child resulting from a copulation between Mick West and Steven Greenstreet. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s see what the UFO researchers at the time had to say.

1. Stanton Friedman once said of Klass, "Phil Klass was a skilled propagandist who had a knack for creating a catchy phrase or misleading sound bite that would generate headlines." -Top Secret/Majic: Operation Majestic-12 and the United States Government's UFO Cover-up" (1996), p. 88.

2. James E. McDonald, a physicist and UFO researcher, once wrote that Klass was "a debunker by avocation, and an airline industrialist by profession." -UFOs--The Greatest Scientific Problem of Our Time (1970), p. 51. (Replace airline industrialist with video game creator and you’d think he was talking about Mick)

3. Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a former Air Force consultant and UFO researcher, once referred to Klass as a "debunker with an axe to grind," and accused him of "ignoring or distorting evidence that didn't fit his preconceptions."-The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry (1972), p. 57.

4. UFO researcher and author Jerome Clark once wrote that Klass was "a polemicist who mixed accurate reporting with misleading or incomplete accounts, characterized by snide humor, sneers, and a reluctance to concede any point to his opponents."-The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial (1998), p. 294.

While Klass was perhaps the most vocal skeptic of the UFO topic at Aviation Week, he was not the only one. Other editors and writers at the magazine also took a critical view of UFOs and argued that there was no credible evidence to support the idea that aliens were visiting Earth.

Now that we know a little more about who first ran with the story that one of the objects shot down, let’s get into the mystery.

Where The Hell Is This Blog?

As mentioned above, Aviation Week and Politico stated the NIBBB may responsible for one of the objects shot down, with Politico linking an alleged blog from the group as circumstantial evidence. However, when I clicked on the link, it appeared their website was now defunct as this image is all that appears.

Ok. Strange. Perhaps they’re just a small website and getting a massive amount of traffic? Maybe, but we are now 10 days from their name first being made public and their website is still down.

How else can I find out more about this elusive group? Aha! Social media. They must have some sort of social media presence. Maybe even a puff piece written about them from a local newspaper? I’ll save you all the time and effort. Nope. Still can’t find anything. Oh man, I’m going to need some help.

The Gang Starts Digging

Enter Chase (@ChaseHoward97), Toby (@RDRIncident), Jared (@DaYarbo), Jenny (@Jenny_gomberg), Astral (@The_Astral_), and the shortest, but certainly not least Shane (@OldVetSymposium). Together, we felt there was something “fishy” to this story, and we were determined to find that week-old opened can of tuna. We start using the “way back machine” and looking up domain registrations. Toby, with the famous Roswell Daily Record, reaches out to Steve Trimble at Aviation week, who wrote their article on the NIBBB. Finally some information starts coming our way.

It appears the NIBBB website was registered a couple years ago by someone living in Ontario, Canada (hmmm, not too far from Northern Illinois, so not that suspicious). Over the last couple of years, the website did have activity, but it relatively seemed limited compared to the last few weeks. We were able to track down some names of the alleged group members, though, and Toby was able to reach out to one of them. (I am choosing to withhold their names though because I have not asked them for permission to be in my post.) Interestingly, the group member we reached out to retired from DOD a while back and has some very close connections at DNI. We also were able to find their final blog post before their website became defunct, and were rather surprised to read what it said.

Interesting……..lets look at that last part. “Any assertions or claims that our balloon was involved in that incident are not supported by facts.”

Huh. I didn’t expect that. Oh hey! Toby finally got an email back from the member of the NIBBB that he reached out to. Let see what it it says.

“No comment.”

Shit!

Alright. Well at least Steve at Aviation Week finally emailed back and will hopefully shed light on all of this, since you know, he was the one to actually talk to them…..right?…..Steve?……..Steve?! Are you freaking kidding me? You didn’t actually talk to this group either? Ohh, AND you agree this whole story is strange as well? How did you even find out about some obscure hobby balloon club’s blog in Northern Fricken Illinois?! Ah gotcha! Someone who allegedly knows of the group tipped you off. Sick…

Where Do We Go From Here?

At this point, I’m not sure what to make of this story. Pushing a story about a UFO being shot down actually being a weather balloon as part of a disinformation campaign? That’s too cliche. I’d hope someone would be more creative than that at least. I honestly don’t know though. I initially started out thinking this balloon group didn’t even exist and was completely made up to push such a conspiracy. Now I believe they are a real group. But why is their website down? Why was their last blog post trying to distance themselves far away from potential suspects? On one hand, maybe they’ve unwillingly become a patsy. A Lee Harvey Oswald for a true UFO. Aviation Week, with their malicious history towards this topic, might’ve received a convenient “tip” to look at the NIBBB from someone who wanted this unidentified object easily explained. On the other hand, maybe it’s much simpler. Aviation Week got an honest tip, from an honest citizen who was connected to the NIBBB. Members of the balloon group, fearing a hailstorm of government and media attention, decided to go quiet. We may never find the true answer, though, and this mystery will become lost and forgotten tomorrow, just as the thousands of other suspicious circumstances and details surrounding every other UFO event.

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